Using I.D.Bird Cards to Teach Children Bird Identification
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Learning Toolkit

Using I.D. Bird Cards to Support Child's Learning
of Bird Identification,
a first step toward enjoying birding and nature more!

Though numerous paths to learning bird identification with I.D.Bird
Cards can be effective, this overview will suggest one way for parents
to help children develop bird identification skills.  You may also find
the Learning Principles portion of this Learning Toolkit informative and
helpful.  

    First:  Start by letting your child handle the cards and observe
    their idiosyncrasies. Most children cannot wait to rip open the
    package and start handling and reviewing the bird cards. They
    immediately enjoy the bird images and will be curious about
    which birds are on the cards. Proficient readers will read bird
    names spontaneously as they look through the deck.

    Second: You may want to go through the card deck with your
    child and suggest identification cues for a few birds. Start by
    reviewing three cards. If the child is successful you can review
    more cards at one time.
  • If they (or you) need some help on remembering what
    the identification cues are, consult a bird guide.  Older
    children will also learn by your example and eventually
    start to consult a bird guide on their own.  
  • In some cases, children will want to name the birds
    that they already know. Early success builds
    confidence in learning to identify more birds.
  • From a teaching perspective, it’s important to isolate
    what you want to teach and remove distractions.
    I.D.Bird Cards make it easy for you to help your child
    consider each bird species separately. Present the
    cards on an uncluttered work surface.

    Third:  Through a variety of I.D.Bird Card games that you can
    teach your child, they will be able to associate the bird image
    with the bird name.
  • One simple game is to slip three I.D. Bird Cards into
    Cover-up Sleeves, mix the cards around, and then
    allow the child the opportunity to name each bird.  
  • This simple game can be presented in many different
    ways so that children can begin to recognize birds,
    recall field marks, and recall bird images for
    identification. Other games allow you to teach
    differences between similar looking birds and further
    bird identification learning.
  • Teaching children 3 to 4 birds at a time seems to work
    best.  It is important to keep the game simple to ensure
    success.
  • Learning the name of the bird on the card is just the
    first step toward gaining confidence in other bird
    identification skills.
  • For other ideas on games to support learning bird
    identification, see Playing and Learning with I.D.Bird
    Cards.  

    Fourth:  The next best way to learn these birds is to find them
    in a scope or through binoculars and to let your child enjoy bird
    watching in the field. Recognizing a bird in the field is a thrilling
    experience.  See Keys and Tips to Birding with Children in this
    Learning Toolkit.  For more details and information on where
    to go birding, try Where to Go Birding with Children.
Bird Guides Remain an
Invaluable Resource for Any
Person Learning Bird
Identification

You should also give your child the
opportunity to grow familiar with a good
bird guide.   I.D.Bird Cards are not bird
guides, they are learning tools for children.  
Bird guides are the most important
resource for any person learning to identify
birds.  

  • Bird guides have much useful
    information on key identification
    cues, bird classification, and range
    maps.  Some guides have more
    complete presentations of bird
    species images by sex, by age and
    by time of year.

  • Though often overlooked, children
    may find useful information in the
    introductory section of a bird guide
    as well.  Much of this information
    will help them learn classification
    groupings of birds and the major
    feather groups of birds.  This
    information will help them
    recognize and describe what they
    are seeing in the field.
If you have any questions about how
to use these cards to support learning
bird identification, please contact us.  
Recording Bird Identification
Milestones with Companion
Cards:  You may want to
encourage your child to build a
log of the birds s/he has seen in
the field.  The log can be
supported by the I.D. Bird Cards
(which fit easily in baseball card
plastic storage sheets and
sleeves) and the Companion
Cards.  Companion Cards will
guide your child through the
process of learning to identify
birds. They also provide
opportunities for children to
learn field marks and to begin
taking field notes.  On the
Companion Cards, the child
can record the species name,
the field marks, the date they
first identified the bird in the
field, and other field notes.