We were in the car last night and 3 year old Cal spotted a bird. He said, “Mommy, I just saw a blue grosbeak!” Now, I myself have never seen a blue grosbeak! So I asked him, “How do you know it as a Grosbeak? Maybe it was a blue jay!”
He replied, “It had a blue head and a blue body and some white on its tummy, but it wasn’t a blue jay. Blue jays have a thingy on their head and this bird didn’t have a thingy on its head!”
“Yes, honey, you are right, blue jays do have a crest on their head! Maybe it was a blue bird. Are you sure it wasn’t a bluebird?”
Cal replied, “Bluebirds are light blue and the Grosbeak I saw was dark blue.”
I don’t know if he saw a Grosbeak or not. He has several stuffed Audubon birds, and one of them is a Grosbeak. So maybe he recognized one. I tend to think not. But….he is definitely learning, at the tender age of three, to look at birds, to notice the coloring on their back, wings, head and breast, and to look for the shape of their head. I think he’s doing great!
How wonderful! That’s really good for age 3! I seem to have misplaced your email so I’m contacting you over here for a bird book recommendation. We are looking for a general North American bird book that would include most varieties found in suburbia in North America. Can you recommend one? Thank you!!
Pam in SE MI