Build a bird caller
Build a simple bird caller using cardboard, straws, rubber bands, and string to learn about sound, pitch, and observing local birds outdoors.
Step-by-step guide to build a bird caller
Learn About Baby Birds | Nat Geo Kids Birds Playlist
Step 1
Gather all materials and clear a flat workspace so you have room to work.
Step 2
Use the marker to draw a rectangle on the cardboard about 4 inches by 2 inches.
Step 3
Cut out the rectangle from the cardboard with scissors while an adult watches.
Step 4
Roll the cardboard rectangle tightly into a small tube about 1 inch wide and secure the seam with tape.
Step 5
Cut one straw to about 6 cm (2.5 in) long with scissors while an adult watches.
Step 6
Ask an adult to help you flatten one end of the cut straw slightly and cut a small 5 mm slit across the flattened end to make a reed.
Step 7
Push the straw into one end of the cardboard tube so about 1 cm of straw sticks out and the slitted end sits just inside the tube.
Step 8
Stretch a rubber band around the tube where the straw meets the cardboard to hold the straw in place.
Step 9
Tie one end of the string around the rubber band and leave a long free end.
Step 10
Pull the free end of the string gently across the slitted part of the straw to press it lightly against the tube.
Step 11
Tie the free end of the string to the rubber band or tube to keep the straw pressed lightly so it can vibrate.
Step 12
Blow gently into the straw to make a sound and listen as you adjust the straw position or string tension to change the pitch.
Step 13
Go outside near trees and bushes and try your bird caller while watching and listening for local birds.
Step 14
Share a photo or video of your finished bird caller and tell what birds you heard on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of the plastic straw or cardboard if we can't find them?
If you don't have a drinking straw or cardboard, use a short rolled piece of paper or a thin wooden coffee stirrer flattened and slit to act as the reed, and cut a 4×2 inch piece from a cereal box to roll in step 4.
My bird caller doesn't make any sound—what should I check?
If there's no sound, make sure the cardboard rectangle is rolled tightly and taped in step 4, that about 1 cm of the slitted straw sticks out as in step 7, and adjust the string tension in steps 10–11 so the reed can vibrate.
How can I adapt this activity for different age groups?
For younger kids have an adult do the cutting and slitting in steps 3–6 while the child rolls, tapes, and ties the string, and for older kids let them experiment with different straw lengths and tube widths in steps 5–7 to change pitch.
How can we extend or personalize the bird caller once it's working?
You can decorate the cardboard before rolling, add a second slitted straw secured with another rubber band to make harmonies, and use the tuning adjustments in step 11 to create different pitches to record and share as in the final step.
Watch videos on how to build a bird caller
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Facts about sound and birdwatching for kids
🐦 Some birds have signature calls so distinct that scientists can identify individual birds just by their sound.
🎶 Pitch is how high or low a sound seems — making a vibrating part shorter or tighter raises the pitch.
📦 Corrugated cardboard can act like a tiny sounding box and make homemade instruments louder and fuller.
🥤 Cutting or stacking drinking straws can create whistles or simple reed sounds — try different lengths for different notes.
🪢 Rubber bands and string can both vibrate to make sound; thicker bands usually vibrate slower and produce lower pitches.
