BE AN EXPERT: BIRD STUDY

Your science text, other science books, encyclopedias, the library, field guides, and the Internet can help you with these assignment.

1. List of Birds    5 POINTS
    List the names of 10 different birds.
    ____________________    ____________________     ____________________

    ____________________     ____________________    ____________________

    ____________________     ____________________    ____________________

                                                ____________________

2. Bird Diagram     5 POINTS
Show your knowledge of terms used to describe birds.
Label the different parts of the bird's body with the following parts.

Tail        Throat     Crown    Belly     Bill     Nape    Foot    Breast   
Tarsus    Mantle    Rump     Wingbars      Eyebrow

3. Bird Feathers       5 POINTS
    Draw the three types of feathers, contour, flight, and down

4. Bird Vocabulary     5 POINTS
Define the following terms.

5. Using a Field Guide     5 POINTS
Demonstrate that you are able to use a field guide.
Locate a species for each type of bird and point out the wintering range, the breeding range, and/or the year-round range.

6. Ornithologists and Naturalists      5 POINTS
Research the lives of these famous bird biologists, artists, and researchers.
Tell how each person was important.

John James Aububon
Roger Tory Peterson
Rachel Carson
Margaret Morse Nice
Alexander Wilson

7.  Helping Birds     10 POINTS
Choose one of the following.

_____ 1. Build a bird feeder for your yard or for the school yard.

- OR-

_____ 2. Build a birdbath and place it in your yard.

- OR -

_____ 3. Build a bird house.

8. Bird Observation
Choose one to complete

_____ 1. Bird Watching     10 POINTS
Observe and identify at least 5 species of wild birds.
Make detailed observations of how the birds act.
Record the following information from your observations.
Use resource pages 19-20 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/Members/Homeschoolers%20GT%20PFW%20080109.pdf as a model

Species ___________________________________
a. Date and Time _____________________________
b. Location  ____________________________________________________
c. Comments: (adult or juvenile, habitat, food, interesting behaviors)

Species ___________________________________
a. Date and Time _____________________________
b. Location and Habitat ____________________________________________________
c. Comments: (adult or juvenile, habitat, food, interesting behaviors)

Species ___________________________________
a. Date and Time _____________________________
b. Location and Habitat ____________________________________________________
c. Comments: (adult or juvenile, habitat, food, interesting behaviors)

Species ___________________________________
a. Date and Time _____________________________
b. Location and Habitat ____________________________________________________
c. Comments: (adult or juvenile, habitat, food, interesting behaviors)

Species ___________________________________
a. Date and Time _____________________________
b. Location and Habitat ____________________________________________________
c. Comments: (adult or juvenile, habitat, food, interesting behaviors)

- OR -

_____ 2. Seed Consumption      10 POINTS
Weigh the birdseed before you put in your feeder.  The next day, weigh how much is left.  Compute how much seed was eaten for seven days.  Calculate the average consumption rate.  Were there any variables that affected the amount of seed that the birds ate?  Report your results.

9. Bird Watching
Choose ONE of the following

_____ A. Celebrate Urban Birds     5 POINTS
Cornell University Lab of Ornithology is doing a study on urban birds and green spaces.  
You will make a 10-minute bird observation.
You can send in your data by mail using the download at: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/GettingStarted/photos-and-videos/Celebrate%20Urban%20Birds%20Activated.pdf or you may send in your data online at http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/cub/index.jsp

- OR -

_____ B.  Great Backyard Bird Count      10 POINTS
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

Procedure

• The Great Backyard Bird Hunt will Take place February 13-16, 2009
• Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the next count,
• Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time.
• Record it on a bird Checklist found at: http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/checklist
• Blank Data Sheets found at: http://www.birdsource.org/downloadsGBBC/GBBCDataForm.pdf
• Send to Bird Count found at:  http://www.birdcount.org
  

10. Bird Songs      5 POINTS
Name two reasons bird sing.
    a. ______________________________________________________________________

    b. ______________________________________________________________________

Name 5 bird species and write the phoentic spelling of their song.

Species 1 ______________________________________
Song Spelling ___________________________________

Species 2 ______________________________________
Song Spelling ___________________________________

Species 3 ______________________________________
Song Spelling ___________________________________

Species 4  ______________________________________
Song Spelling ___________________________________

Species 5 ______________________________________
Song Spelling ____________________________________

11. Birds In Our World
Choose one to complete

_____1. Extinct Bird Timeline      10 POINTS
Devise a timeline to illustrate how birds can become extinct like the passenger pigeon, the dodo, or the auk.

- OR -

_____ 2. Birds and the Law      5 POINTS
Research current United States, Canadian, and international laws that specifically protect birds.
Write the name of 3 laws, the country it is from, the year it became a law,  and tell how the law protects birds.

- OR -

_____ 3. State Birds      10 POINTS
Make a list of the 50 states and the sate bird of each.

12. Bird Silhouttes     10 POINTS
Can you dentify these birds.

13. Bird Investigations
Do ONE of the following

_____ A.Bird Cards     10 POINTS
Create 5 Bird Cards of birds found in your area.
Use 4 x 6 index cards.

Bird Card Directions.
Front of card: Colored Picture, Common name, and Scientific Name.
Back of card: Information you may include.
Common Name
Order Name
Description: Size and color
Food
Habitat: Where does it live
Nest: List the materials used to build the nest
Clutch: How many eggs
Egg:  picture in color and size of egg
Interesting Facts

- OR -

_____ B. Birding     10 POINTS
Go on a field trip with a local club or with others who are knowledgeable about birds in our area.
Keep a list or fill out a checklist of all the birds you observed during the field trip.

- OR -

_____ C. Bluebirds of North America      10 POINTS
Bluebirds have long been favorites of both professional ornithologists and bird-eatchers because of their attractive plumage and sweet song.  Their population has diminshed, however, due to loss of habitat as well as natural disasters.  Groups have constructed bluebird nesting boxes and have taken an active role increasing the number of bluebirds with significant success.  This work has been supported by the North American Bluebird Society which sponsors reserach on the study of the ecology of North American bluebirds.  They publish a journal called Sialia.  Bluebirds have been mainly studied on the North American continent, but they are known to occur in Mexico and northern Central America.  Research bluebirds to answer the following questions.

1. What is the Genus name of the bluebird? _________________

2. Find the scientific name of the 3 bluebird species

• Eastern bluebird
• Western bluebird
• Mountain bluebird
  

3. What is known about the behavior of the North American bluebird?

4. Why do scientists think the bluebird population has declined?

5. Is this decline in bluebird population effecting other bird species?

6. What measures have been taken to help the bluebird population?

Going Further

• Write The North American Bluebird Society to learn of their ongoing projects which you might participate in.  5 POINTS
  
  North American Bluebird Society
  Box 6295
  Siver Spring, MD
  20916-6295

• Build a bluebird nesting box.     15 POINTS
  Bluebird Nesting Box Project Plan found at: http://www.gp.com/build/DocumentViewer.aspx?repository=bp&elementid=4457

- OR -

_____ D. Federal Jr Duck Stamp Contest Program      20 POINTS
Found at: http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/ArtContest.htm
The Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest is the culmination of the Junior Duck Stamp educational program. After studying waterfowl anatomy and habitat students may articulate their newfound knowledge by drawing, painting or sketching a picture of an eligible North American waterfowl species.

1. Print and file out official contest rules, entry form and reference form and contact your state coordinator
2. Read the contest rules carefully and make sure you meet the requirements
3. Begin researching and preparing your entry
4. Fill in the entry form completely and affix it to the back of your entry
5. Mail your entry to your state coordinator by the deadline

ONLINE RESOURCES
About Birds and Bird Feeding found at:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/abtbirds_index.html

All About Birds found at:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/

All About Birds found at:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds

Bird Glossary found at:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/T_Resouces/bird_glossary.html

Bird Houses and Feeders found at:
http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/earthday/birds/house.htm

Bird Nests found at:
http://www.kidwings.com/nests/main.htm

Bird Observation Journal found at:
http://donnayoung.org/science/sci-files-08/nature-journal/birdfder.pdf

Bird Songs and Calls found at:
http://www.all-birds.com/Sound.htm

Bird Watch: The Home of Birding found at:
http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/website/content/blogsection/18/110/

Birds of Illinois found at:
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/CLASSRM/birds/BIRDLIST.PDF

Build a Bird Feeder found at:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Build/ScrapsForTheBirds.html

Build a Bird House found at:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/birdhous/index.htm

Critter Corner: Birds found at:
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/bird/index.htm

Feeder Watch Map Room found at:
http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/PFW/ExploreData?cmd=mapRoom

Great Backyard Bird Count found at:
http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/whycount.html

Homemade Bird Feeders found at:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Homemade-Bird-Feeders&id=251744

How to Build a Bird House found at:
http://www.natureskills.com/how_to_build_a_bird_house.html

How to Make a Backyard Bird Feeder found at:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2202238_backyard-bird-feeder.html

How to Use a Field Guide found at:
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdsleuth/modules/most-wanted-birds-1/images-mwb/ReferenceGuidePage9.jpg

Learn Bird Songs found at:
http://www.learnbirdsongs.com/

Making Bird Feeders found at:
http://www.northern.edu/natsource/DAKOTA1/Birdfe1.htm

National Audubon Society found at:
http://www.audubon.org/

NestWatch found at: 
http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nest/home/index

North American Bird Feeding Chart found at:
http://www.birdsforever.com/chart.html

Sticky Pine Cone Bird Feeder found at:
http://www.enviro-explorers.com/pinecone_web_page/pineconefeederindex.html

Try This Bird House for Beginners found at:
http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Article.aspx?ContentID=36019&r_d=y

Where Have All the Bluebirds Gone? found at:
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/CLASSRM/birds/BLUEBIRD.PDF

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