Bird Word Search
A bird word search with 10 birds, from eagle to robin, plus two fixed printable puzzles: eight short bird names for beginners and a 15 x 15 challenge of 16 more, from kestrel to budgerigar.
Two printable bird puzzles
These two puzzles are fixed: the grid is the same every time, so you can print identical sheets for a class or a party. Each has a word list, a Show answers button, a Print button and a printable answer key. Download both as a PDF (with answer keys)
Bird Word Search 1: Common Birds
A 10 x 10 puzzle for beginners. Eight short words, hidden across, down and diagonally down to the right only.
Name: ____________________ Date: ______________
Bird Word Search 1: Common Birds: answer key
- CROW: row 2, column 8, down
- DOVE: row 1, column 3, down
- DUCK: row 1, column 3, diagonally down and to the right
- GOOSE: row 8, column 4, across to the right
- HAWK: row 4, column 4, diagonally down and to the right
- OWL: row 6, column 7, diagonally down and to the right
- SWAN: row 2, column 9, down
- WREN: row 1, column 2, down
Bird Word Search 2: Bird Challenge
A 15 x 15 puzzle with sixteen longer words, hidden in every direction, including backwards and up.
Name: ____________________ Date: ______________
Bird Word Search 2: Bird Challenge: answer key
- ALBATROSS: row 7, column 3, diagonally down and to the right
- BUDGERIGAR: row 4, column 6, diagonally down and to the right
- CARDINAL: row 15, column 9, across to the left
- CORMORANT: row 2, column 14, down
- GOLDFINCH: row 1, column 5, across to the right
- HUMMINGBIRD: row 2, column 3, across to the right
- KESTREL: row 4, column 7, across to the right
- KINGFISHER: row 15, column 12, up
- MOCKINGBIRD: row 2, column 5, down
- NIGHTINGALE: row 7, column 11, across to the left
- PELICAN: row 13, column 2, across to the right
- PHEASANT: row 9, column 1, up
- SEAGULL: row 15, column 15, diagonally up and to the left
- STARLING: row 14, column 1, across to the right
- VULTURE: row 8, column 15, down
- WOODPECKER: row 3, column 3, across to the right
About this bird word search
Birds are a good topic for a word search because children see them every day and the names are short, vivid words. The default list has ten birds from different parts of the world: eagle, sparrow, parrot, penguin, flamingo, toucan, pigeon, ostrich, peacock and robin. A few of them do not fly, a few live in the tropics, and a couple, the pigeon and sparrow, live in almost every city.
The easy puzzle uses eight short names, owl, duck, goose, hawk, swan, crow, dove and wren, which suit children who are just learning to find words in a grid. The challenge puzzle moves to longer, more specialized names: hummingbird, albatross, woodpecker, kingfisher, nightingale, cormorant and budgerigar. Several are named for what they do (kingfisher, woodpecker, mockingbird) which makes a good pattern to spot.
For a nature unit, ask students to sort the birds by where they live, by what they eat or by whether they can fly. Pair the puzzle with a bird count in the school yard, then use the generator to build a puzzle from the birds you actually saw.
Word notes
- Eagle: a large bird of prey with strong eyesight.
- Penguin: a flightless seabird that swims using its wings; most kinds live in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Flamingo: a tall wading bird whose pink color comes from its diet.
- Toucan: a tropical bird with a very large, colorful bill.
- Ostrich: the largest living bird; it cannot fly but can run fast.
- Peacock: the male of the peafowl, known for its large tail feathers; the female is a peahen.
- Parrot: a colorful bird, many of which can copy sounds and words.
Vocabulary tip
Several birds are named for sounds or actions: the woodpecker pecks wood, the kingfisher catches fish, and the mockingbird mimics. Ask students to find the pattern.
Difficulty guide
- Generator (default list). The 10 words run from 5 letters (eagle and robin) to 8 letters (flamingo), 6.4 letters on average and 64 letters in all, which fills about 33% of the default 14 x 14 grid. On the default Medium setting, words can run in five directions. Choose Easy for across, down and diagonal-right only, or Hard to add backwards and upwards.
- Easy puzzle. 8 words of 3 to 5 letters in a 10 x 10 grid, with nothing hidden backwards or upwards.
- Challenge puzzle. 16 words of 7 to 11 letters in a 15 x 15 grid, with 5 of them hidden backwards or upwards. Hummingbird and mockingbird both end in -bird and nightingale and goldfinch are long enough to run across a row, so solvers need to check where a word starts.
Ways to use it
- Sort the ten birds into those that fly and those that do not.
- Hold a bird count outside, then write a puzzle from the birds you saw.
- To use your own list, edit the words in the box at the top of the page and press Generate puzzle, or press New layout, same words for a fresh grid. Print it with Show answers ticked to add a separate answer page.
- Which birds in the puzzle cannot fly?
- Penguin and ostrich. The other eight in the default list can fly.
- Why are flamingos pink?
- Their pink color comes from pigments in the food they eat, such as algae and small crustaceans.
- What is a female peacock called?
- A peahen. Peafowl is the name for the species, and peacock is the male.
- Is there a bird puzzle for young children?
- Yes. The easy puzzle has eight short names, owl, duck, goose, hawk, swan, crow, dove and wren, in a 10 x 10 grid.
FAQ
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