Welcome to Urban Birds! Thanks for stopping by! Here are a few brief instructions to help you get started. If you feel moved to donate to Synchromy after your experience, you can do so by clicking here. All proceeds support local artists.
Please note that this online experience is inteded to be viewed on a tablet (oriented horizontally) or a large screen. Functionality on a mobile phone will be limited.
If you are using a tablet for this online experience, we stronly recommend that you orient it horizontally.
Throughout our virtual Debs Park you will find pictures of the most common California birds. Some of them are tricky to find, so make sure you locate all ten! Click each bird to access a video performance of the piece written about that bird. All pieces are world premieres written by Southern Californian composers. Because each bird piece was composed by a different artist, you’ll notice that they are unique and show a range of compositional voices as well as avian diversity.
There are several crafts and activities available on this site as well. The two crafts include instructions for building a quail call and crafting your own toilet-paper-tube binoculars. These are fun crafts to do before beginning your Urban Birds adventure, especially if you are doing so with your brood. Instructions for these crafts can be found by clicking on the tabs above.
To create a bird watching search in your very own home, there are two printable PDFs. The Field Guide lists all of the birds you can find in our virtual Debs Park and can be printed either single or double sided, depending on your printer. Use the guide to learn more about the birds and write or draw your impressions of each performance video. You can find instructions for printing this guide by clicking on the tab above.
If you have access to a smart-device, you can make your bird search feel even more real by downloading the Scavenger Hunt. Print and hide the bird images around your home or garden, then scan the QR codes to watch the performance videos. Use your field guide to make sure you’ve found all of the birds! The Scavenger Hunt is ideal for families who want to recreate a birding adventure and get their kids moving.
Make your own binoculars! This is an open-ended craft in that there’s no way to do it right or wrong. You need tubes for the viewfinder, a way to connect the tubes together and a string to hang it around your neck. For these ones, we gathered:
- Empty toilet paper rolls
- Washable paint and brushes
- Craft tape
- Embroidery thread
- Hole punch
- Scissors
- Twist ties
You could easily use stickers and markers to decorate the tubes for a less messy variation. For the string, you can use butcher twine, wrapping paper ribbon, or anything else you may have on hand. If you’re low on toilet paper rolls, you can always cut one roll in 2 in order to make a shorter pair of binoculars.
We used 2 different techniques to attach the tubes to one another. I used one regular twist tie (about 4” long) and one really short, thick one (about 1.5” long).
For the longer twist tie technique we
- punched 2 holes in the middle of each of the tubes, about 2” apart from one another
- then we threaded the twist tie through both holes in one tube (leaving the long ends pointing outside the tube)
- then we threaded the long ends through to the inside of the other tube and twisted the ends together
For the shorter twist tie we
- Punched one hole in the middle of each tube at an equal distance from the end of each tube
- Bent the twist tie and pushed it into the hole of each tube
- The wire was too short to attach but it was very strong so it holds in place quite well.
It would also work to use a rubber band twisted in a figure 8 and wrapped around the outside of both tubes. We used this technique to make a mini pair for my 7-year-old’s favourite stuffed animal. Tape can also work as long as your kids aren’t fussy about having enough room for their nose to fit between the tubes.
Make a quail call using only a wooden clothespin and a rubber band! Various quails can be found along the West Coast of the United States, Mexico, and in southern Texas. Try luring them into your yard with this simple craft. Click here to download printable instructions.
IF YOU CAN PRINT DOUBLE-SIDED: click here to download your Field Guide.
How to print double-sided:
- Open the file and select print.
- If your settings have a “Scale” option, set it to 100%.
- Find and select the “Double Sided,” “Two Sided,” “Print on both sides” or similar option.
- Set the double sided printing to “Short Edge Binding” or “Flip on short edge” or similar option. (In some instances, this setting might be in the “more settings” or “advanced settings” section of printing options.)
How to assemble double-sided:
- Each page is numbered on the lower middle part of the page.
- Lay down your pages in the following order:
- First: Page 2 face up
- Second: Page 4 face up
- Third: Page 6 face up
- Fourth: Page 8 face up
- Fold all of the pages together in half, so that the “Urban Birds” cover is on the top. Your field guide should look like a book now!
- Staple the spine of your book to hold it together.
IF YOU CAN PRINT SINGLE-SIDED: click here to download your Field Guide.
How to print single-sided:
- Open the file and select print.
- If your settings have a “Scale” option, set it to 100%.
How to assemble single-sided:
- Cut all of your pages in half.
- Each half page is numbered on the lower right part of the page.
- Stack your pages 1-13 so that number 13 is on the bottom and number 1 is on the top.
- Staple the left side of your stack of papers to make a book.
Download your Scavenger Hunt here!
Setting Up Your Scavenger Hunt:
- Print the Scavenger Hunt PDF
- If your settings have a “Scale” option, set it to 100%
- Print single sided
- Cut each page into quarters
- Hide the birds around your space!
Using QR Codes:
- Open your phone’s camera app
- Point the camera at the QR code
- Your phone should find the QR code and give you the option to open the website
- Click through to watch the performance video associated with your bird
Test by pointing your phone camera at the QR code below: If your phone doesn’t recognize the QR code, you might need to download an app for reading QR codes.