Backyard Birding: Urban Birding Guide for Seattle-Area Kids and Families
Bird city
My two-and-a-half-year-old son and I heard a “chip, chip” as we did yard work one morning. “Can you tell me what bird that is?” I asked him, pointing to the bobbing black head of a small bird flicking leaf debris on the path.
“Junco!” he shouted.
The dark-eyed junco is a ground-feeding bird, commonly seen in Seattle-area yards. Juncos, along with many other local resident and migrant birds, find food and shelter in the rich ground cover and forest canopy in our region.
Birding is a visible, engaging and natural way to connect with wildlife right in your own backyard, while engaging a child’s senses.
Your family can try backyard or neighborhood birding. Use the arrows above the image to find four tips for getting started.
