Heritage Open Days 2020 : How are birds linked to Girlguiding?

Many of the patrol badges for Guides have traditionally been birds.

Brownie leaders have been given bird nicknames such as Brown Owl or Tawny Owl for a very long time. The Second Class Test for Guides up to 1968 involved being able to identify wildlife like birds, farm animals and flowers.

Kingfisher, nightingale, robin and canary patrol badges

Were you a Guide? What patrol did you belong to? Please go to our Facebook page and add your memories to our patrol badges post.

Did you stitch your own patrol emblem? We have found some beautiful ones in our collection and have posted them on Facebook. Click here to see them.

Many birds are common in gardens across the country, and you can look at their identifying features to tell what kind of bird they are. Can you identify these common birds in your garden or at a park?

Click on the bird picture below to download some descriptions to help you.

The RSPB also has an interactive bird identifier, which can be found here:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/identify-a-bird/

Another way to identify birds is by their birdsong. Most bird species have very unique songs, some of which you will hear at different times of day. This video contains a few:

How observant are you really? Have a look at the sketch and post on our Facebook page and follow the instructions. How did you get on? Don’t forget to post you pictures.