We are just about finished learning about birds in Arizona. For the past few weeks, we have been learning about birds such as cactus wrens, roadrunners, quail, and hummingbirds. Birds of prey will be later this spring. We read a lot of books, memorized a poem, learned a song, watched birds in the backyard and we even made a paper mache saguaro boot.
Picture Books about Birds in Arizona
Unfortunately, there are very few picture books specifically written about birds that live in Arizona. There are lots of picture books about quail, but I wasn’t thrilled with any of them. The next best thing was to read picture books that either include some birds that live in Arizona or cover a broad species of a bird (like a wren). I supplemented with videos on YouTube to learn more about the specific birds in Arizona. Here are some of the books we enjoyed.
About Woodpeckers by Cathryn Sill
Some of her books are also available in Spanish!
¡Qué emocionante!
A Nest is Noisy by Dianna Hurts Ashton
Lizards for Lunch by Conrad J. Storad
In the Desert by Ann Cooper
The Boy Who Drew Birds by Jacqueline Davies
The Nest That Wren Built by Randi Sonenshine
The Big Books of Birds by Yuval Zommer
Feathers, Not Just For Flying by Melissa Stewart
Features a red-tailed hawk.
Observing Birds in Arizona
I planned to go birding last week, but we all got nasty colds. That’s how life goes sometimes. We had to be content to watch what was in our backyard. Over the course of two weeks, we saw a roadrunner, a crow, a cactus wren, a curved-billed thrasher (one of them enjoys flying in our house every now and then), mourning doves, quail, hummingbirds, a cowbird, and a house finch. We use our Kid’s Guide to Birds of Arizona to help us identify birds, but we also enjoy using our smart bird feeder. It has a camera on the feeder and identifies the bird and records them as they eat. It’s very cool!
During the weekend, we went to a park where we found what seemed to be three cactus wren nests. Unfortunately, my kids didn’t care too much about the nests. Me, however, I thought they were so neat! Is it me, or do homeschool moms sometimes get way more into their children’s learning than their kids? Anyway, cactus wrens build multiple nests to confuse predators. They are about the size of a football and have a small circular opening. Late February and early March as a great time to hunt for nests because the branches are still bare.
Making a Saguaro Boot
Birds love to make their nests in giant saguaros. Instead of making a nest, which is what we did in Ninos and Nature Nature Study (a nature study in Spanish), we made a saguaro boot. A saguaro boot is the hard lining of the hole that a bird carves out in a saguaro to use as their home.
We blew up a balloon about the size of a grapefruit and covered it with strips of paper mache. We made sure to make an opening towards the side. Then they dried. Afterwards, we popped the balloons. I made one as a trial, and it turned out great. My kids made theirs on a cloudy day, and it took so long to dry. Some of balloons deflated due too much glue on the paper mache. This craft is only good for sunny days since it needs to dry fast.
Final Thoughts
Yesterday, one of my kids was in tears because his brother and I saw a cactus wren, but he didn’t. It was a hard moment for him. Whether you homeschool or not, it’s fun to get excited about the same thing together. Yes, there’s designate time for lessons, but sometimes the best learning happens on walks or playing outside. What I like is that learning is low-key and not stressful, and that makes life more enjoyable, doesn’t it? Be sure to read my previous post about learning about birds in Arizona.
Carly from DesertHomeschoolDays
