Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:57 PM
Page 306
Copy
Me
Count Your Birds Instructions
BirdSleuth
Student Stationary Count Instructions
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY A STATIONARY COUNT?
A Stationary Count is a method of counting birds from a fixed area.
During a Stationary Count, observers stand in a designated count area for a certain
period of time and record all the birds seen or heard from there.
STEP !: Identify the Stationary Count area.
With your teacher, define the boundaries of a count area that is 30 yards in diameter (that’s about
the size of a tennis court.
Give each Stationary Count area a unique name.
STEP 2: Record where, how, and when you count birds on the Tally Sheet.
Fill in the information in Boxes 1 and 2 on the Tally Sheet.
STEP 3: Look and listen for birds to identify and count.
Remember, you can count birds that are inside or outside the area as long as you see or hear
them while YOU are in the area.
Count time should be between 5 and 15 minutes long.
Identify the bird species you see and hear, and count how many of each species are in
the area.
Be careful not to count the same bird twice!
STEP 4: Record you bird data..
Record what you’ve seen on the Tally Sheet
in Box 3.
WHICH species you counted.
HOW MANY of each species you
counted.
Whether you reported all the birds you
identified.
STEP 5: Submit you data.
Visit the eBird website at www.eBird.org
to submit your data.
NARY
STATIO NT?
E
R
A
WHY
ORTA ary counts to
TS IMP
station rs of birds in
d
COUN
te
a
ing
mbe
repe
for help
and nu
sts use
Scienti the species e. Thank you nd our cona
ow
tim
study h change over researchers, y becoming
b
y
a
,
g
e
r
ts
lo
r
a
ho
an
effo
data!
of Ornit
itoring
g your
our Lab ide bird mon nd submittin
tinent-w n scientists a
citize
I JUST SAW A COOL BIRD—BUT NOT DURING A STATIONARY COUNT!
CAN I RECORD IT?
YES! It’s called a CASUAL observation, and reporting that bird is as easy as 1-2-3!
1. Note the species of the bird.
2. Record the DATE when and LOCATION where you saw the bird.
3. Submit you data via the eBird site at www.eBird.org. Let us know it is a casual observation.
306
C O U N T Y O U R B I R D S
Flying WILD: An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 307
Copy
Me
BirdSleuth
Stationary Count Tally Sheet
C O U N T Y O U R B I R D S
Flying WILD: An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds
307
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 308
Copy
Me
308
C O U N T Y O U R B I R D S
© Council for Environmental Education (CEE)
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 309
Copy
Me
Bird Identification 1
BirdSleuth. Cornell Lab of Ornithology
C O U N T Y O U R B I R D S
Flying WILD: An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds
309
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 310
Copy
Me
Bird Identification 2
BirdSleuth. Cornell Lab of Ornithology
310
C O U N T Y O U R B I R D S
© Council for Environmental Education (CEE)
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 311
Copy
Me
C O U N T Y O U R B I R D S
Flying WILD: An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds
311
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 312
Copy
Me
312
C O U N T Y O U R B I R D S
© Council for Environmental Education (CEE)
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 313
Copy
Me
Resources About Birds and Bird Watching
he activity included here is from BirdSleuth, an inquiry-based curriculum for middleschool students. Classrooms involved in the full BirdSleuth curriculum:
identify birds and learn the importance of habitat;
participate in citizen science—observing, collecting, and submitting data;
engage in the scientific process—investigating data and drawing conclusions;
and take part in authentic inquiry by designing and conducting their own research projects.
To learn more about BirdSleuth, contact the project’s leader at [email protected] or
by calling (607)254-2489.
T
Here are additional resources about birds and bird watching:
EDUCATOR’S GUIDE TO BIRD STUDY: Educator’s resources (activities, bibliography,
funding pointers), student research, and an overview of the Lab of Ornithology’s Citizen
Science projects.
www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/index.html
ALL ABOUT BIRDS: Online bird guide, binocular guide, general bird and bird ID information.
www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/
BIRDSLEUTH: View and download the BirdSleuth Reports webzine (an online student
research journal), discuss bird education issues with other educators on the discussion
board, and find links to resources and information.
www.birds.cornell.edu/birdsleuth/
URBAN BIRD STUDIES: Learn about pigeons, gulls, crows, and other urban birds.
www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/urbanbirds/
THAYER BIRDING SOFTWARE: Interactive software, photos, video clips, and quizzes.
www.ThayerBirding.com
DISCOVERY TRUNKS may be available from a local nature center, zoo, or department of
conservation office.
CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY WEB SITE: www.birds.cornell.edu
SLIDE SETS: Sets of 15 slides of the most common feeder birds in your state are available
through Cornell’s Visual Services Department, for $35/slide set. For more information contact [email protected] (email) or 607/254-2450.
FOCUS CARDS: Focus Bird Cards are a great way to help students learn how to identify 36
common birds! The front of each card contains a beautiful, full-color 5x8” image, while the
back describes the habitat, food preferences, range, and breeding biology of the bird featured.
The cards come with password access to a bonus online quiz containing video, sound, and more
photos of the focus card birds. It’s a great way for students to quiz themselves on birds by
sound or sight. Order the cards at www.birds.cornell.edu/birdsleuth/about/order-form.
C O U N T Y O U R B I R D S
Flying WILD: An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds
313
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 314
........
Copy
.....................................................
................................
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...... .... Me
.....
..
....
..............
.........
...... ..........
.....
......
............
.........
........... ........................
. ..
......... .......
About Birds and Birding
Taxonomy
Common Characteristics
KINGDOM: Animalia (Animals)
PHYLUM: Chordata (Animals that have a dorsal
hollow nerve cord, a notochord, and gill clefts.
These three structures are found in the early
developmental stages of all chordates.)
SUBPHYLUM: Vertebrata (Vertebrates:
Animals with backbones)
CLASS: Aves (Birds)
ORDER: The class Aves is divided into approximately 29 orders (some scientists use 24 or 27
orders). For example, the order for perching
birds is Passeriformes.
FAMILY: Each order is further divided into
families. For example, jays are a perching bird
in the Corvidae family.
GENUS and SPECIES: Each family has a number
of genera (plural for genus) and each genus
usually has a number of closely related species.
A species is a population of organisms of which
all the members are able to breed amongst
themselves.
A
lthough birds are incredibly different in
size, shape, color, and behavior, they all
share certain characteristics.
Feathers
All birds have feathers, and they are the only
living animals that have them. Feathers not only
allow birds to fly, but they also keep their skin
dry, help to streamline the body for flight, and
provide excellent insulation.
Birds have many different types of feathers,
from stiff contour feathers to soft and fluffy
down feathers. The flight feathers, on the wings
and tail, form the flying surfaces and make
flight possible. The contour feathers cover the
bird’s body and are lightweight yet strong.
Underneath the contour feathers are the small
down feathers that provide great insulation.
The Eastern Blue Jay belongs to the genus
Cyanocitta and species cristata, hence, its Latin
scientific name is Cyanocitta cristata. Using scientific names allows scientists all over the world
to be sure they are talking about the same species
since common names are different among different languages. For a list of North American bird
species that includes the scientific name, go to
the American Ornithologists’ Union website at
www.aou.org.
Evolutionary History
A
rchaeopteryx is perhaps one of the earliest birds in existence. Fossil records indicate this
bird lived during the age of dinosaurs, about 160 million years ago. In addition to its reptilian features, such as sharp teeth, scales, and claws, Archaeopteryx also had feathers.
Illustration courtesy of Joe Tucciarone
314
© Council for Environmental Education (CEE)
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 315
The color of bird feathers varies tremendously.
Some birds have protective coloration that
helps them blend in with their surroundings;
others have brightly colored feathers that may
help them attract a mate or identify other birds
of the same species.
As feathers become worn and damaged, birds
lose and replace their feathers through a
process called molting. For most birds, molting
is a gradual process. They replace their feathers a few at a time each year, often after breeding season. (Sometimes when a large bird flies
overhead you can see where one of its flight
feathers is missing.) Ducks, however, molt all
their flight feathers so rapidly that they are
unable to fly for a few weeks.
Two Wings
All birds have two wings. The majority of birds
use their wings to fly, but even flightless birds,
like penguins and ostriches, use their wings.
For example, the wings of a penguin help it to
swim and the wings of an ostrich help it to balance as it moves. A bird’s wing is shaped like an
airfoil, thicker in front and thinner behind. This
causes the air to move slower over the lower
surface, which increases the upward pressure,
or lift, which allows the bird to get into the air
and fly. The shape and size of a bird’s wings
determine whether it is a fast or slow flyer. For
example, soaring birds like eagles have long,
wide wings; most songbirds have short wings
for flying among trees and shrubs.
Beaks or Bills
All birds have a beak or bill (the words are used
interchangeably). A beak is the bird’s jaw and
its horn-like covering. It is bony inside, but the
outside is made of keratin, the same living,
growing material that makes up your fingernails.
Beaks come in many different shapes and sizes,
and they are used for many different purposes.
For example, hummingbirds have long hollow
beaks to get nectar from flowers; herons have
Copy
Me
Diversity
T
here are approximately 9,000 species
of birds. In North America about 650 species
nest and about 150 migrate through each year.
Birds’ ability to fly (in most cases) and unique
skin covering (feathers) makes them one of the
most successful vertebrates. Their variety allows
them to exist in many places and in many forms,
including hummingbirds, eagles, penguins, ducks,
pigeons, peacocks, roadrunners, chickens,
sparrows, and many more.
long, sharp beaks for spearing fish; and woodpeckers have strong beaks for chiseling wood.
Beaks help birds to get food, tear or break the
food into pieces, drink water, gather nesting
materials, preen feathers, feed their babies,
protect themselves from enemies, and more.
Birds do have tongues, but not teeth.
Body Temperature
All birds are endothermic (often referred to as
warm-blooded), which means they can maintain
a relatively high and constant body temperature
independent of the surrounding air and water
temperatures.
Eggs
All birds are hatched from hard-shelled eggs.
The protective outer shell keeps the developing
chick from drying out. Once the eggs are laid,
they must be kept at the proper temperature or
the developing embryos will not survive.
Two Legs and Two Feet
All birds have two legs and two feet. Depending
on the species, birds use their legs and feet for
many different purposes, including walking,
standing, hopping, running, perching, carrying
things, grabbing prey, swimming, wading,
digging, or fighting.
315
© Council for Environmental Education (CEE)
Pages_210-360.qxd
12/17/09
1:58 PM
Page 316
Special Adaptations
Lightweight Skeleton
Most of the bones in a bird’s body are hollow and
thin, making them very lightweight. Many bones
are strengthened by internal struts or braces
similar to the trusses inside the wing of an airplane. In addition, many of the bones are fused
(joined together), which provides extra strength.
Keen Eyesight
Having excellent sight is extremely important
to birds as they fly among branches, search for
food, look for a mate, and watch for enemies.
Birds have very large eyes that occupy a major
portion of the head. In addition, the eyes and
optic regions of the brain are well developed.
Their eyesight can change quickly from distant
to near vision. This is important as they are flying among trees or swooping down from a high
perch. It seems that birds can see color and
have very keen visual perception—they can tell
objects apart even when the objects are far
away but close to each other. Most birds have
sight perception that is several times better
than that of people.
The eyes of most birds are located on the sides
of their head, which gives them a large field of
vision. Some predatory birds, like owls, have
eyes in the front of their head, which gives them
excellent depth perception. Depth perception
means that they can judge distances precisely.
(Owls cannot move their eyes in their eye sockets,
but can turn their heads 270°.)
Excellent Hearing
The sense of hearing in birds is well developed.
This helps them communicate with other birds,
listen for danger, and locate prey. Birds have
one ear on each side of their head. You cannot
see the ears because they are typically small
holes covered with feathers.
Poor Sense of Smell
Birds have two nostrils in their
beaks. Although birds can see and
hear well, most do not have a good sense
of smell. A sense of smell may not be as
important to animals that are adapted to
spending most of their life off the ground.
The turkey vulture is one exception, probably
because its sense of smell leads it to food.
Copy
Me
Preening
Birds use their beaks to preen, or smooth and
straighten out, their feathers. If their feathers
get rumpled and have breaks or gaps in them,
they do not work efficiently for flight or for
keeping the bird warm and dry. Most birds have
an oil gland located on their back near the base
of the tail. Birds press their beaks against the
gland to get oil on their beak, then use their
beaks to spread this oil over their feathers. This
helps to condition and waterproof their feathers.
Efficient Breathing and Circulation
The breathing and blood circulation systems in
birds are extremely efficient, which allows
them to maintain a fast metabolism and high
body temperature and to fly. Birds have a
strong heart that beats rapidly (400-500 beats
per minute for a small bird at rest compared to
60-90 beats per minute for a human). Their
strong heart efficiently circulates the blood
carrying oxygen throughout the bird, which is
necessary for the strong flight muscles.
Birds have two small lungs with special air
sacs attached to each one. These air sacs extend
into many parts of the bird’s body, including the
hollow parts of some bones. This allows the bird
to store more air. Air moves through the lung
tissue of birds in only one direction, which is
much more efficient than in humans where the
air is inhaled and then goes back where it came
from to be exhaled.
“In full flight, a bird’s wing can beat very rapidly (27 strokes per second in chickadees, more
than 50 strokes per second in hummingbirds). When a bird is flying at its normal pace, the flight
muscles develop oscillatory rhythms that are self-sustaining for brief periods, so that nerve
stimulation to muscles need not occur on each stroke. The effect is like a spinning bicycle wheel,
which once in motion needs only an occasional boost to sustain a constant speed.”
—Sibley Guide to Birds
316
© Council for Environmental Education (CEE)