We are so lucky here in Florida to be able to see so many migratory birds! Merlin is always my go-to app for learning about what I see and hear. You literally just push the green button to start recording your bird sounds, and you get a visual list of all your feathered neighbors.
Fall is particularly exciting; you never know when you start listening if you are hearing a local or a tourist:) I included several late-summer recordings I took while walking my dog below, all from the same area.
There are plenty of sites and apps to learn about your neighborhood bird friends; I go into a few of my favorites in the post. Get outside and try a few!
And, no, I haven’t always been interested in birds; it’s kind of a new fascination, so if you have ideas or suggestions on apps I haven’t mentioned, please shoot me an email so I can include them 🙂
What is Happening in September?
September is an exciting month for young nature explorers. While we may notice the first hints of fall on the ground, an incredible seasonal change is also happening overhead: fall bird migration!
Across North America, millions of birds are beginning or continuing journeys toward their wintering grounds. Some travel relatively short distances, while others fly thousands of miles to reach warmer areas with dependable sources of food.
For teachers, homeschool families, nature clubs, and curious kids, September is a wonderful time to head outside, look up, and discover who’s passing through.
Fall Bird Migration Reading Comprehension | Animal Migration Science Worksheets
Birding Apps To Study Your Local Birds
Merlin Bird ID — Best for identifying birds.
BirdCast — Best for actually watching migration happen.
eBird — Best for citizen science.
Audubon Bird Guide — Best digital field guide.
Cornell Lab K–12: Best Apps for Birding With Kids — Best teacher/parent resource.
Why Do Birds Migrate in the Fall?
Birds don’t necessarily migrate simply because they’re getting cold. One of the biggest reasons is food.
As summer ends, insects become less plentiful in many northern areas. Flowers stop blooming, plants produce their final seeds and fruits, and daylight hours decrease.
Birds that depend on seasonal food sources need to move to places where they can continue finding enough to eat.
Changes in daylight can also trigger hormonal and behavioral changes that tell migratory birds it’s time to prepare for their journey.
How Do Birds Know Where to Go?
This is one of the most fascinating parts of bird migration!
Depending on the species, birds can use several navigational clues, including:
- The position of the Sun
- Stars in the night sky
- Earth’s magnetic field
- Familiar landmarks
- Rivers, mountains, and coastlines
- Instinctive behaviors passed from generation to generation
Some young birds make their first migration without following their parents the entire way. Their ability to navigate can be partly built into their biology!
Why Is September Such a Great Month for Birdwatching?
September falls within the fall migration season for many North American birds. During this period, your neighborhood may temporarily host species that aren’t commonly seen there during other parts of the year.
Parks, gardens, wetlands, forests, shorelines, and even schoolyards can provide migrating birds with important places to rest and refuel.
These temporary stopping places are called stopover sites.
Think of them as rest stops along a bird’s migration highway. Birds may stop to eat, rest, and regain energy before continuing their journeys.
Activity- Look for Migration in Your Schoolyard
You don’t need to visit a wildlife refuge to study bird migration. Take students outside for a 10-minute bird observation.
Choose a quiet location and have students record:
- How many birds can you see?
- How many different kinds of birds can you spot?
- Are the birds alone, in pairs, or in groups?
- What are they doing?
- Are they eating, resting, calling, soaring, or flying in one direction?
Students don’t have to identify every species. Learning to observe behavior is an important scientific skill all by itself.
See all our bird printables in our resource library!
Activity- Try a September Bird Migration Journal
Turn birdwatching into a month-long science investigation.
Once or twice each week, visit the same outdoor location and record the birds you observe. Students can track the date, weather, temperature, number of birds, species they recognize, and interesting behaviors.
At the end of September, compare the observations.
- Did some birds disappear?
- Did new birds arrive?
- Did the number of birds increase or decrease?
- Did the weather appear to affect what students observed?
This simple activity introduces children to data collection, seasonal patterns, animal behavior, habitats, and scientific observation.
Migrating at Night
Here’s something that may surprise kids: many migrating birds travel at night!
Nighttime can offer cooler temperatures and calmer conditions, and birds that normally spend their days searching for food can use nighttime hours for travel.
This also creates an important conservation issue.
Bright artificial lights can confuse some migrating birds, especially around buildings and cities. Turning off unnecessary outdoor lights at night during migration season is one simple way communities can help birds travel more safely.
Activity – Create a Bird-Friendly Rest Stop
September is also a great time to talk about what migrating birds need along their journey.
Kids can help make outdoor spaces more bird-friendly by:
- Growing native plants
- Providing clean, shallow water
- Leaving some seeds and natural plant material available
- Keeping outdoor spaces free of litter
- Reducing unnecessary nighttime lighting
- Watching birds from a respectful distance
- Keeping cats safely indoors or supervised
Even a small garden can provide valuable food and shelter.
Activity – September STEM Challenge: Build a Migration Route
Give students a map of North America and choose a migratory bird species to research.
Mark its summer and winter ranges and draw a possible migration route between them. Then identify potential obstacles the bird might encounter.
What if a wetland disappears?
What happens during a major storm?
Where will the bird find food?
How far might it need to fly between resting places?
Challenge students to design a migration route that provides their bird with enough food, water, shelter, and safe resting areas to complete its journey.
Nature Journaling Activity Info
Bird Migration Vocabulary for Kids
Migration: Seasonal movement of animals from one region to another.
Migratory bird: A bird that regularly travels between different seasonal habitats.
Stopover site: A place where migrating birds stop to rest and find food.
Flyway: A broad geographic route used by large numbers of migrating birds.
Habitat: The place where an animal finds the food, water, shelter, and space it needs to survive.
Navigation: The ability to determine where to go and how to get there.
Make September a Month to Look Up
Fall migration gives kids an opportunity to witness a huge natural event happening right outside their classroom, home, or community.
The best part is that you don’t need special equipment to participate. Grab a notebook, find a comfortable place outside, stay quiet for a few minutes, and look up.
The birds overhead may be doing much more than flying across the schoolyard.
They could be in the middle of a journey spanning thousands of miles.
Stuff We Love
National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America, Second Edition
Kids Binoculars Ages 3-12 with Compass & Whistle
DIY Wooden Bird Feeders Craft Kits, Arts & Craft Outdoor Toys for Kids 4-12
I’d Love to Hear From You!
If you use these activities, I’d love to know how it goes in your classroom or at home! Feel free to tag me on social media @creativebrainsgrowhere — I love seeing how learners explore science through hands-on creativity!
As an educator, author, and illustrator, your reviews and feedback help me continue creating meaningful, kid-friendly resources that support curious minds.
Thank you, and have a fantastic week!
— Julianne (J)
creativebrainsgrowhere.org
@creativebrainsgrowhere
Migration FAQ Section
Fall bird migration begins at different times depending on the species and location. Many North American birds migrate from late summer through fall, making September an excellent month for kids to observe migrating birds.
Many birds migrate to find reliable sources of food and suitable winter habitat. Changes in daylight help trigger migration behavior in many species.
Kids can keep a bird observation journal, count birds in the schoolyard, research migration routes, identify birds with a field guide or app, compare weekly observations, or use online migration maps to see where birds are traveling.
Choose a quiet outdoor location such as a schoolyard, backyard, park, nature trail, or wetland. Have kids watch and listen for birds for 10–15 minutes and record the species, numbers, sounds, behaviors, and flight patterns they notice.
Both! Many songbirds migrate primarily at night, while some hawks, eagles, pelicans, cranes, and other birds are more likely to migrate during daylight hours.
A flyway is a broad geographic route used by migrating birds. North America has four major flyways: the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific Flyways.
Merlin Bird ID is useful for identifying birds by sight and sound, while BirdCast lets students explore bird migration activity. eBird can also introduce older students to citizen science and recording bird observations.
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