Choose Learning Type ▼

Birdsong and Human Music

Activity

What Bird Calls Tell Us

Study how bird sounds have inspired human music and language across cultures. Try creating your own short piece of music inspired by bird calls you hear. You can even record real bird songs to use!

Science Seed

Birdsong is a complex form of animal communication used for mating, territory, and warning calls. Many birds have unique regional dialects, similar to human accents, showing how behaviors can vary within the same species. From Indigenous songs mimicking bird calls, to classical compositions based on nightingales or cuckoos, birdsong has inspired human music and storytelling across the world.

move to the next activity

earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Anywhere PEEP

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.