In a Habitat Learning Lab (aka “Habitat Lab”), a Songbird Sanctuary creates great wildlife observation opportunities and provides fun, exciting hands-on activities.
Below is the information you need to help you create, utilize and maintain your songbird sanctuary as an educational tool with your students:
Food can be provided through any combination of the following:
Water can be provided through any combination of the following:
Shelter can be provided through any combination of the following:
Places to Raise Young can be provided through any combination of the following:
Visit our Plant Suggestions webpage to find a list of plants ideal for a songbird sanctuary.
Download this PDF (file “AL Songbirds and Their Habitats Information” in Drive) about Alabama songbirds and their habitats for more in-depth information.
These FREE Materials Budget documents (listed below) include a list of all of the materials needed to construct a songbird sanctuary.
These Project Plans (listed below) include an itemized budget and suggested source for supplies and construction instructions to help you create your own butterfly habitat.
Visit our Plant Suggestions webpage to find a list of plants ideal for a songbird sanctuary.
Example Bluebird Box Trail (PDF) – This free project plan shows you how to create a trail of ten to twelve bluebird nesting boxes that are placed approximately 50-100 feet apart around the school’s campus to provide highly needed habitat for these cavity nesting birds.
Pinecone Bird Feeders Activity (PDF) – Use these instructions to create natural bird feeders for with your students.
Bird Houses for Songbirds (PDF) – This free article from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System provides details about how to build nesting boxes for local backyard cavity-nesting birds.
The links below are to kid-friendly webpages that will help your students explore and research the habitats, plants, and wildlife in your Habitat Lab:
AWF’s Habitat Lab Field Investigation Activities
Below are free activity pages related to songbirds:
Birds and Their Adaptations (1st): Version #1: Word | PDF or Version #2: Word | PDF – Students learn first-hand how animals have adaptations to help them survive by observing and identifying a songbird in their Habitat Lab. AL Science Standard 3rd Grade #9 – Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of plants (e.g., thorns, leaves, stems, roots, colored petals, xylem, phloem) and animals (e.g., heart, stomach, lung, brain, skin) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Below are free activities & lesson plans related to songbirds:
Review this list of AL Course of Study Science Standards that are bird-related and can be taught using OC birds and their associated educational materials.
Read and considering sharing these articles with your students:
KidsGardening’s mission is to create opportunities for kids to play, learn, and grow through gardening, engaging their natural curiosity and wonder.
Journey North is one of N. America’s premiere citizen science programs for people of all ages. Students help track hummingbird migration each fall and spring, and report their sightings on the website as “citizen scientists”.
Flying Wild activities use hands-on experiences, coupled with community outreach and service learning applications, with birds as the focus.
During the Great Backyard Bird Count in February, students tally the number of individual birds of each species they see, and then enter these numbers on the GBBC website as “citizen scientists”.
This citizen science project is a November-April survey of birds that visit backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America.
Use eBird to maximize the number of bird species you can find, keep track of your bird lists, photos and sounds, explore latest sightings in your area, and contribute to science and conservation.
Audubon’s Birding by Ear Program allows you to learn to bird-by-ear using their complete collection of resources.
This Birds in the Classroom page is designed to provide students and teachers information about birds and bird life. There are activities, vocabulary words, reading materials and much more.
These maintenance tips will help you care for your Songbird Sanctuary:
To allow classes to adopt the Songbird Sanctuary, use the maintenance tips above along with this Learning Station Adoption Form (Word Doc | PDF).
To create a map of your school’s Songbird Sanctuary, use this Example Learning Station Map & Plant ID Form (Word Doc | PDF).
Covenant Christian Songbird Station
Austinville Elementary Songbird Station
Madison Elementary Songbird Station
Cedar Hill Elementary Songbird Station
J Larry Newton Elementary Songbird Station
