Birds are among the most abundant and diverse vertebrates, and they rely on unique calls to communicate within their flocks. This activity offers students a hands-on way to explore animal communication, observation skills, and teamwork by listening to, imitating, and matching bird calls. Through this process, students are exposed to a variety of bird calls, helping build a foundation for future understanding of animal communication.

Designed to be conducted entirely indoors, within the classroom premises, this unit addresses common constraints such as limited access to outdoor spaces, supervision challenges, and administrative restrictions. Overall, it is a fun, interactive approach that bridges classroom learning with the fascinating world of birds.

Recommended Group Size: 30 - 40 

Recommended Age: Undergraduate students

Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Note:  Each participant needs to have a mobile phone ( with internet access ) for this activity. 

Instructions for Teachers:

1. Print the QR sheets and cut it so that each piece has one QR code. Each QR code links to a bird call.

2. Give one QR code to each student.

3. Ask students to scan the QR code and listen carefully to their bird call.

4. Give students 2 minutes to listen and try to remember their bird call.

5. After 2 minutes, allow all students to play their bird call aloud using speaker mode.

6. Students should move around the classroom and try to find other students who have the same bird call. They will need to listen carefully and ignore other bird sounds and classroom noise.

7. Students who find everyone with the same bird call form a flock.

8. The first flock to find all its members wins.

9. The teacher may also choose to: Set a time limit or wait until at least three flocks are formed.

10. Once all students have joined a flock, the teacher should check each group to make sure the flocks are correct and complete.

11. The teacher then replays each bird call, tells the students which bird it belongs to, and shares a few interesting facts or stories about the birds. The teacher can refer to this Supplemental Information Handout that contains additional information needed to conduct the activity. If you would like access to the Answer Key for the audio calls, please email us at dnte [at] hbcse [dot] tifr [dot] res [dot] in 

12. Finally, the teacher can discuss some aspects about bird calls by referring to some questions listed in the Follow Up Prompts, included in the handout.

Learning objectives:  

Through this activity, students will :

1. Learn to recognize and differentiate between various bird calls by listening carefully.

2. Engage in collaboration with peers to identify and form groups based on bird calls, gaining insight into how birds communicate and form flocks.

References and Acknowledgements can be accessed here. 

This activity was developed by the Design and Technology Lab at HBCSE and has been implemented at several events, including the "Seeing and Hearing Like a Birder" workshop held as part of the Young Birders’ Month of 2025!