Tag: Travel tips

Birdwatching with Children in Africa (Tips!)

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No matter your age, bird watching can be a fun and interesting way to pass the time. While it’s something that most people get into as they get older, I want to explain how birdwatching for children is an accessible, affordable, and enjoyable family hobby and why it could be an awesome part of your upcoming vacation in East Africa.

This article will serve as your guide to birdwatching for children and explains everything you need to know to take your little one out birding for the first time.

Is birdwatching with children a good activity?

Birdwatching is an excellent activity for children. It’s a great way to teach your kids about the natural world around them while encouraging them to explore the great outdoors. 

In the sections that follow, I explain the benefits of birdwatching for children and introduce you to eight top tips that will help you get started. 

By the end, I hope you have all the information you need to take your kids out looking for birds in the great outdoors.

The benefits of birdwatching with your kids

A couple of Eastern Grey Plantain Eaters in my garden in Uganda!

Although birdwatching is often regarded as an activity reserved for elderly people who are retired, the reality is quite different. 

In fact, anyone can enjoy bird watching, as it’s a wonderful way to get in touch with your natural surroundings.

For kids, birdwatching can be especially rewarding in numerous ways, including:

  • It’s an excellent excuse to get your kids outside. A study published in the Guardian found that kids spend just eight hours each week outside, so improving their time spent in the great outdoors is a good thing. 
  • Birdwatching is a great way to teach your kids about the native species while on vacation, and it can help them in science and geography class. 
  • As an activity, birding encourages kids to be more observant of the natural world around them, which is an excellent trait to develop from an early age. 
  • By introducing your children to a range of species, you will find that they develop an appreciation for birds, which will extend to other animals and creatures later in life. 

While it might not be the most conventional hobby for kids to get involved in, birdwatching is actually an excellent opportunity to spend more time with your kids in the great outdoors. 

What’s not to love about that?

Five tips for birdwatching with your kids on vacation

Depending on your kids’ age and previous experiences, they might not be overly sold on the idea of going birdwatching with you at the start. 

This is okay, as most kids consider birdwatching to be an activity for older adults only! So, with that in mind, here are eight tips that will help you as you introduce your kids to the wonderful world of birding for the first time.

Invest in a field guide

The Malachite Kingfisher is one of Africa’s most beautiful birds. I spotted this guy on a safari in Lake Mburo with my son.

The best way to encourage your kids to develop an interest in the birds in their garden is to invest in a field guide. 

Full of pictures, field guides provide you with relevant information about the species and offer tips on how to identify specific birds. 

Searching through a field guide to identify a bird that has recently set up a nest in your backyard is a wonderful activity to complete with your kids. 

You can even start your own lifer list and encourage your kids to make a note every time they see a new bird throughout your vacation in East Africa.

Ask them to listen to and identify bird songs

Perhaps the thing I love most about having an abundance of wild birds in my garden in Uganda is the cacophony of sounds that I wake up to. 

When you’re not paying attention, it can be difficult to discern between one birdsong and another.

However, when you get into the habit of listening carefully, you can easily identify which birds are currently in and around where you are. 

Even if they can’t see the bird that’s making the beautiful sounds, you can invite them to scroll through their field guide, as many have helpful descriptions about how to listen for birds in the vicinity.

Plan your first birdwatching trip

There are so many brilliant spots to go birdwatching in East Africa and if you head into any national park, you will be treated to a huge variety of birdlife.

Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda is one of the region’s best birding destinations, so it’s well worth a trip with your kids if you want them to discover an array of species that are native to the region.

Ask your kids to draw the birds they spot

To make the act of birdwatching more hands-on, ask your kids to draw or paint the birds that they’ve been able to identify. 

It’s helpful to capture pictures of the birds with your camera, but you will be amazed at how great children are at recalling information. 

And while the end result might not be totally accurate, it’s all about creating a fun and rewarding experience for your kids. 

This will also help them remember the species that they spot and hopefully will encourage them to continue with their new hobby.

Introduce them to birds of prey

This long-crested eagle regularly spends time in my garden. I love having her around!

Depending on the age of your children, it might be a good idea to introduce them to birds of prey early on. Why? 

Well, there’s something exciting about predators that take to the skies – it’s perhaps why kids love the ideas of dinosaurs so much (well, that and Jurassic Park, of course!).

No matter how old you are, the first time you see an eagle in flight, you’re bound to be excited. 

Eagles are majestic predators, and the chance to spot one in the wild is something that all birders aspire to. 

I’m fortunate to have a long-crested eagle that lives close by, and I spot her in the garden from time to time. Although not the biggest or most powerful eagle, the fact that I can glimpse her close-up reminds me of how lucky I am to live where I do.

Broader lessons you can teach your kids while birdwatching

As I bring this article to a close, I just want to mention some learning opportunities that you can use to educate your kids about bird watching. 

After all, while it’s a fun way to spend some quality time with your kids, it’s also a great opportunity for you to encourage them to learn about the world around them.

So, here are some key things to think about: 

  • Show your kids how birds interact with one another in the natural world. A trip into nature to see native species in your area is so much more rewarding than a trip to your local zoo. We should always encourage kids to see birds and other wildlife in their natural habitat, as opposed to behind bars. 
  • Encourage your kids to consider the different natural habitats of the birds that you introduce them to. Take them to different locations – woodland, forests, water bodies, and the coast – and ask them to think about the different ways that nature plays host to birds. 
  • Finally, I think that birding is a great way to teach kids about the natural world in general. Taking them out to natural spaces and encouraging them to interact with a different plant, bird, and animal species will help them to appreciate the world around them as they grow. That’s certainly a value I hope my kids hold dear as they grow up.

Recap: Birding with children in Africa

While it might not seem like the most conventional hobby for little ones, bird watching is an excellent way to spend time with your children in the great outdoors. 

I hope that you’ve found this guide to birdwatching with children informative, insightful, and helpful. Let me know in the comments below how you get on when you take your kids out bird-watching for the very first time!

Keen to learn more about birdwatching in East Africa? Check out this post that includes a birdwatching checklist, and this article that helps you decide what to wear on an upcoming birding trip in the region.

Colors Not to Wear When Birding in East Africa

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When you’re new to birding, there’s a lot to think about. Something that doesn’t get enough attention in the birding world is the color of clothing that you should wear. 

After all, there’s no uniform for bird watching, and you can – theoretically – wear what you like. But do the colors that you wear on a birding trip affect your chances of seeing birds? Absolutely! 

Let’s take a look at the colors you need to avoid wearing when birding before discovering how to dress appropriately to give yourself the best chance of spotting birds in their natural habitats.

Which colors to avoid when birding?

Birders should avoid wearing white and any other bright and fluorescent colors. This is because birds associate white with danger and will be easily spooked by its presence. As such, opt for clothes that blend in with the bird’s natural habitat and remain as inconspicuous as possible.

Why do colors matter when birding?

Birds are intelligent, sensitive creatures that are fully aware of their surroundings. Like all animals, they have an innate fight-or-flight instinct, and the latter is particularly easy for our feathered friends! 

So, if you scare a bird in any way, even unintentionally, they’re unlikely to stick around for very long. Therefore, wearing the right colors when you head outdoors to look for birds is really important.

One of the first things you should do, particularly when you’re new to birding, is to consider the environment that you’re heading into. Your job should be to blend in as best you can, as this will ensure you don’t scare the birds when you see them. 

Provided you’re; still, birds will probably feel comfortable flying close to you and perching on nearby branches, particularly if you’re well camouflaged.

As such, wearing the wrong colors can have a significantly negative impact on your overall birding experience. Let’s take a look at some of the colors you need to avoid when birding.

The colors you need to avoid when birding

White

The main color that you should avoid when birding is white. This is because birds associate white with danger, perhaps in a similar way to humans associating red with the same thing. 

White tail feathers of birds flying away sends a warning signal to other birds, which is one of the reasons why they associate white with potential danger.  

If you’re bird watching from a white vehicle, or if your home is white and you’re hoping to attract birds to your backyard, you might struggle to do so.

Again, this is because most birds associate white with danger. Too much white also feels unsafe to non-white birds as there is nowhere for them to hide. 

So, if there’s one color that you should avoid when birding, it’s white.

Bright yellow/green/orange

Frankly, bright and fluorescent colors aren’t the best choice when you’re birdwatching. They’re far too conspicuous, and you will stand out.

Even from a distance, certain birds might be put off by bright colors, so it’s best to avoid them wherever possible to give your chance the best chance of spotting birds in their natural environment. 

The bottom line here is that any colors that are likely to attract unnecessary attention are best avoided. As you know, birds are easily spooked, so you don’t want to risk scaring them off by wearing the wrong colored jacket.

Anything shiny

Okay, so ‘shiny’ isn’t a color, but it’s worth noting here. People who want to keep birds away from their properties often deck their outside spaces with reflective materials or shiny, silver sheets. 

Understandably, this is extremely off-putting for birds, so you need to be mindful of anything reflective you might have on your clothing.

You should steer clear of reflective vests and safety clothing, for instance, as they glimmer in the sunlight and are likely to unsettle the birdlife around you. 

Something that’s also worth noting is that researchers have found that birds can see UV rays. This is why reflective fabrics and other surfaces are so problematic when you’re birding. 

You should also think carefully about wearing a watch, as light may reflect off the screen and frighten a nearby bird.

Are there any birds that like bright colors?

Curiously, hummingbirds are attracted to bright colors. Photo Credit: Candi Foltz.

Although most birds are spooked by bright colors, hummingbirds are an exception. In fact, they are attracted to bright colors, and wearing the likes of pinks, yellows, and oranges will actually help your chances of spotting a hummingbird. 

Hummers are particularly attracted to red, too, as highlighted by their penchant for red feeders and flowers.

If you’ve ever watched a hummingbird in flight, you will notice that they actually seek out the most vibrant colors in a space before touching down. This is certainly unusual for birds, but it’s what makes hummers so unique. 

Therefore, if you’re on a mission to add a sub-species of a hummingbird to your lifer list, there’s nothing wrong with dressing up a little more brightly than usual. 

Just be mindful that doing so is likely to put off other species, even if you do manage to catch a glimpse of the hummer you’ve been yearning to spot.

So, what colors should you wear when birding?

When planning your outfit for a birding trip, begin by considering your environment. The best thing to do is to wear comfortable clothes that will blend into the natural world around you. 

So, dark greens, greys, and browns will all work reasonably well if you’re headed into a wooded area. 

But if you’re going to a waterfront, you could opt for lighter shades of grey or even blue to blend in at the water’s edge.

You have probably noticed that some twitchers have all the gear and are typically camouflaged from head to foot, but this isn’t necessary. 

Instead, wear sensible and comfortable clothes that ensure you’re not conspicuous as you settle in for an afternoon of bird watching.

Do you need to buy specific clothes to go birding?

You don’t need to wear anything specific to go birding; just wear what’s comfortable. Photo Credit: Kayla Farmer.

Contrary to what some people might believe, you don’t need to wear a specific outfit to go birding. After all, there’s no uniform to adhere to! 

Therefore, you can turn to your wardrobe and wear any suitable outdoor clothes that you already have, so there’s no need to spend a fortune on the latest Patagonia gear just to look the part.

As mentioned, the key thing to consider when choosing your birding outfit is the colors that you opt for. Greys, khakis, browns, and dark greens are all ideal, particularly if you’re birding in a wooded area. 

But of course, seasonality affects birding, so you will need to dress accordingly to ensure you’re both comfortable and well hidden from the birds that you hope to spot. 

Even in the East African summer, I’d recommend long pants and long-sleeved shirts, as you need to protect your skin from the sun while you’re out and about. Long clothes will also help to keep the insects at bay.

Does wearing the right colors guarantee a sighting?

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to spotting wildlife. And for me, that’s the best thing about birding. 

You have no idea what you’re going to see from one day to the next, which is what makes it so exciting. 

However, it’s fair to say that wearing the right clothing will increase your chances of seeing birds. Rocking up to a viewing spot in a bright white jacket and fluorescent pants is a big no-no! 

Provided that you’re dressed sensibly and appropriately, you have as good a chance as anyone else of spotting the species of bird that you’re hoping to see.

Key Takeaways: Colors to avoid when birding

So, as we’ve explored, there’s a lot to think about before heading out on your first birding expedition, particularly where the color of your clothes is concerned. 

To round things up, we want to leave you with these takeaways that you should remember as you plan your outfit for birding:

  • Never wear white when bird watching, as birds regard it as a sign of danger. 
  • Birds can see UV lights, so don’t wear reflective or safety clothing. 
  • You should also avoid all bright and fluorescent colors unless you’re hoping to spot a hummingbird. Hummers are attracted to bright reds, pinks, and oranges in particular. 
  • Leave anything shiny at home, and consider removing your watch, so the reflection from the screen doesn’t spook the birds. 
  • The best colors to wear when birding are those that help you blend into your surroundings. The likes of dark browns, greens, and greys are all ideal for a woodland trip. 
  • You do not need to buy any specific clothes to go birding. Just wear sensible outdoor clothing that isn’t brightly colored, and you will be good to go. 
  • Wearing the right colors won’t guarantee you sightings. After all, birds are wild, and you can’t control what you see from day to day, even if you are wearing all the right gear. 

You now have all the information you need to plan your outfit for your upcoming birding trip. I hope you have a wonderful time and see everything that you had hoped for!

Planning your first birdwatching trip in East Africa? Check out my helpful Birdwatching for Beginners article to learn everything you need to know!