NATURE ACTIVITY
BIRD TRUST

In this nature activity you will learn how to let a bird trust you. Seeing how birds behave as you walk up close to them is an excellent way to learn something about who they are. This is a simple and safe nature activity that will challenge you to be calm and caring toward birds.

Why calm? Because you must be calm and peaceful if you want to get close. Why caring? Because to be close to any wild animal helps us to open our hearts to them.

This is a good follow-up to the activity called SEEING BIRDS. If you haven't tried SEEING BIRDS yet then go there right now and do it first. Go ahead, I'll be waiting for you when you come back. I'll make it easy for you, click here.

Welcome back. Now that you have an introduction to some of the birds, you are ready for the next step. All you have to do is walk out in your yard and look for birds on the ground or in low branches. Then, in a very slow and calm way, walk toward the bird. You can be sure that if you are out there, the birds will know it. Their survival depends on a keen awareness of danger.

It may help you to pick one type of bird to start with. Lets say that you start with a robin. How close can you get to the robins? Then pick another common bird in your yard. Do you have blue jays? Try a jay. How close can you get to blue jays.

Pick any type of bird that you like. You don't need to know the name of the bird. With a little practice you will see that different types (species) of birds behave in different ways. For each species of bird, here are some questions to think about. 1. How close were you able to come to it? 2. Did some birds trust you more than others? Do you think some were very brave and others not? 3. Was it better to walk slowly or run up quickly?


It is easy to attract more birds to your yard if you want to. Get a small bag of mixed bird seed at the grocery store. Find a spot near your house to feed the birds some seed. A small bird feeding station is helpful. A porch railing or an outside table works just as well. It may take a few days for them to find your seed, but in time they will.

"One thing to think about is..."
"Yo, Bob, sorry to interrupt but..."
"Moon Bird. You keep doing this to me. I'm in the middle of a nature activity."
"I know, Bob, and I hate to do this, but don't you think you are leaving something out?"
"Hmmm...let me see. I covered birds, seed, feeders, getting close, walking slowly, staying calm. What did I miss, Moon Bird?"
"It's hard to put into words, Bob, but let me try. Being near a wild animal is a very, very, special thing. We are intruding into their lives a little bit. We must always show great respect for all things in nature, especially the animals that allow us to come close to them."
"That's awesome, Moon Bird. I'm sure the children will remember that!"

As always, please let us know how this nature activity went for you. How close did you get? Were some birds more brave and trusting than others? What did you like about this activity? Check with your parents before contacting us.

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