Identify species Identify body parts

• Birds in Fact & Fiction

Bird Study

• Identify species
• Identify body parts
• Identify habitats
• Identify migration
• Appreciate these living creatures

Language Arts

• Read a novel
• Read and appreciate bird tales from around the world
• Read a poem
• Write a poem
• Write a play

Trumpet of the Swan By: E.B. White

• A family of swans live on Red Rock Lakes in Montana.
• Louis is a cygnet born without a voice.
• Louis’s father steals a trumpet to help his son.
• Louis leaves home to find a way to pay for the trumpet.
• Louis learns to depend on his friend, Sam Beaver.
• Louis tries to find a way back to his love, Serena.

• What Makes a Bird a Bird?

• A bird has wings.
• A bird has a beak.
• A bird has special feet.
• A bird has feathers.

Beaks Enable Birds to Eat

• A long narrow beak works like a straw.
• A short thick beak easily picks up grain.
• A sharp hooked beak can tear meat.
• A thick large beak can crack shells of nuts.
• A flat large beak sifts water and gathers plants.

Birds are Consumers

• Birds must eat (consume) a lot of food (energy) each day.
• Birds can be herbivores (plant eaters), carnivores (meat eaters) or omnivores (eat plants and meats).

Bird Sites

• Zoom School Birds and Dinosaurs
• Audubon Society
• Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
• GeoZoo Birds!
• The National Birds of Prey Center
• Unit and Lesson Plans

Bird Feet

• Birds have two feet.
• Grasping feet are large, curved claws to snatch prey.
• Scratching feet have long thin claws to search in the soil for grains and seeds.
• Webbed feet enable water birds to use their feet like paddles
• Perching feet help birds grasp branches tightly.
• Climbing feet help birds get a good grip on tree trunks as they climb.

Birds in Motion

• There are three types of flight; flapping, gliding, and hovering.
• All birds don’t fly.
• Some birds use their wings to swim.
• Some birds walk or run.

• Greater Backyard Birdwatch

• Observe birds for three days
• Identify species
• Post results to Ornithology Lab of Cornell University

What is an ornithologist?

Ornithologist for the Day

• Bird watching is an inexpensive, simple hobby.
• You will need a field guide reference book, binoculars, a pencil, and a small notebook.

• Find a comfortable spot near a place birds gather.
• Observe birds as they gather and feed.
• Best times are early morning or just before sunset.

Bird Watching

Day 1	Time/Place	Bird Name	Color & Markings
Day 2
Day 3

Activities

• Class Bird Book
• Class Bird List
• Feather Fun
• Microscope Magic
• Special Speaker
• Make Fantastic Feeder for your Feathered Friends

• Water on the Duck’s Back
• Adaptations of water birds
• You Need the Right Bill for the Job!
• Bird Feet are Special Feet

Family Facts

• Some birds build nests in trees, others build nests on the ground.
• Not all baby birds are helpless when they are born.
• Chicks are babies born to birds that build nests on the ground. Soon after they hatch they are all fluffy. They can see and run around looking for food.
• Ducklings run after their mother. They learn what to eat and how to swim.
• A baby duck learns its mother by an instinct called “imprinting.”

Dissect An Egg

• Parts of an egg are:
• eggshell is strong to protect growing baby
• lining (membrane) lines the eggshell to prevent the egg from drying out
• egg white (albumen) is mostly water
• yolk is the yellow center and is full of food for the baby bird
• cloraza are the twisted strings that keep the yolk suspended and absorb any bumps or knocks
• white spot is on the yolk and is where an embryo will attach during development
• It is hard work to break out of a shell. A person should never help. This robs the baby bird of developing strength to survive.

Day or Night?

• Birds that actively look for food during the day are called diurnal. Robins are an example

• Some birds are up all night searching the darkness for food. They are called nocturnal. Owls are an example.

Migration

• Many birds live in places that get very cold in winter.
• They fly away to warmer places to find food.
• They return again in the spring to lay their eggs.
• Birds have instinct so they don’t get lost!