We have a variety of interesting woodpeckers that call New Jersey home. The Dinky Downy, Huge Hairy, Red Bellied, Red-Headed, Pileated, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker and Northern Flicker.  They make for a fun focused lesson on birds as students examine their weight, coloration, food preference, beak and skull anatomy and make a suet style mix of crisco and bird seed to squeeze into the nooks & crannies of the forest to provide an easy treat.

How much does a woodpecker weigh?

How much does a woodpecker weigh?

Woodpecker Coloring

Woodpecker Class Table

Looking at Woodpecker Food – Bess Bugs

squeezing suet (crisco, birdseed) into the forest nooks n crannies

Injured red bellied released

Fledgling Dinky Downy Woodpecker Gripping onto Tree

Creating a Bird Lane or placing photographs of woodpeckers in your habitat also creates a fun way for students to use binoculars and discover them as you explore. It’ll break up the woodpeckers into teachable moments as you find each species and learn about their specific characteristics.

And playing a Bird Beak game with misc. items like seeds, beads, little bug toys and juice to pick-up with misc. tools like tweezers, tongs and pipets can be a fun way to learn about how birds use beaks for sipping, straining, drilling, picking, probing, spearing, tearing, cracking and scooping!

David Alexander is a professional outdoor guide and conservation biologist.  He enjoys making nature more accessible to people and wildlife.  You can follow him at www.natureintoaction.com