3.+Become+a+Bird+Expert


 * Lesson 3: Become a Bird Expert**


 * Indoor and Outdoor**

‍‍ Gather all of the supplies listed above, and create sets of pictures of similar birds is you wish to do this activity with your students.
 * What do I need?**
 * One large poster of bird anatomy with the names of bird body parts
 * Bird body part tags
 * Sticky tack
 * ‍‍Sets of bird pictures - each set will have pictures of two different birds that look very similar (optional - if there are two species in your area that you know can be confusing, provide students with a picture of both of them)**‍‍**
 * Pocket Naturalist Guides or other hand-held guides
 * Field Guides
 * Getting Ready...**

Read the "Dimorphism in Birds" article in BirdSleuth-Briefs.
 * Background Information**

Students will learn that it is easy and fun to identify birds using anatomical and field mark terminology.
 * Big Idea**

1. Students will be able to describe bird field marks using the correct names of body parts. 2. Students will be able to determine why field marks are important in identifying birds. 3. Students will be able to recognize and name several common birds in their neighborhood.
 * Learning Objectives**


 * Note:** This lesson has many activities, and can plan to be undertaken over more than just one class period.


 * Activity**
 * 1. Learn the Names of Birds’ Body Parts**

‍At the front of the class, put up the poster of bird body parts that has blank spaces. Ask student volunteers to come up and fill in the blanks by sticking the names of the body parts in the appropriate places. After all the parts are named, share the correct body parts with the students.

Ask: Which bird parts have the same name/location as human body parts? Which are unique to birds?


 * 2. Describe Field Marks**

Give one Pocket Naturalist Guides to each group of 3-4 students. Tell the students: “Noticing and describing field marks is an important part of beginning to learn bird identification. Field marks are physical characteristics that make one bird species different from another bird species. For example, all of you have hair, but the length or color of your hair might be an important clue for helping to identify you (for example, point out someone in the class who has long, straight, brown hair). For a bird example: all birds have tails, but these tails look different depending on the species. ‍‍For some birds, like the Great Kiskadee and the Boat-billed Flycatcher, describing the beak is a critical field mark in order to distinguish the two different species." ‍‍

Have students look at their Pocket Naturalist guides. Ask them to notice what colors, patterns, and shapes make each of the birds unique, and discuss these features with their group. It is recommended that you focus on the most common and visible birds in your area if possible.


 * 3. Something Looks Different...**

Have the students divide into groups of 2 - 4. Give each group a set of pictures of two similar-looking birds, and have them think about the similarities and differences in their field marks. Then, have the students share their pictures with the rest of the class.

Ask students to share their thoughts about the different birds in their respective pictures, and why some birds have certain features while others don't, and why birds may have anatomy of different shapes and sizes (particularly beaks).‍


 * 4. Using a Field Guide**

Assign one field guide per 2–4 students.

Write the following questions on the board for students to consider while they explore the guide. Ask:
 * How is the field guide organized? (Though the initial reaction might be to think of alphabetical order, most students will quickly recognize that most field guides place birds next to their closest relatives, so that similar-looking birds often appear on the same page. Point out that the field guide is organized like the Pocket Naturalist guide, by group)
 * If you saw a bird you didn’t recognize, how would you find it in the field guide? (Answers might include: flip through the book looking at pictures, or try to use the index.)

Have students spend about 5–10 minutes looking through the guides, thinking about these questions, and discussing their thoughts with other students at their table.

Again, put up the poster which shows silhouettes of birds from these familiar bird groups: 1. woodpecker 2. perching bird 3. bird of prey 4. hummingbird 5. toucan 6. heron/waterbird

Demonstrate how to find these bird groups in the guide. Even if the students are using different kinds of guides, you’ll notice that most guides arrange the birds in the same general order. For example, the various swimming birds (ducks, geese) are nearly always first, followed by the soaring birds of prey (hawks), with the owls and woodpeckers near the middle of the book. Remind the students that they will be able to identify the birds they see more easily if they remember how their field guide is organized.

Next, have the students get back into their groups. Assign each group one of the six silhouettes to study. Ask the students to research the following about their silhouette group: 1. Where is your bird group is located in the field guide? 2. About how many different types of that species are found in our country? 3. What types of habitats are these species found? (i.e. some species are found on the coast, some in the forest, etc.) 3. What are some of the key characteristics that species in their group have in common with each other? How are the species in the group different?

Ask each group to present their findings to the class.


 * 4. Sketch (and Share) Birds:**

Ask your students to sketch a common bird and label its distinguishing field marks. As an example, you may wish to draw a sample bird with labels on the board. Give students 10 - 15 minutes to sketch their own bird and include the necessary labels (perhaps their favorite local bird, or one they see often and can remember). They should label at least 3–5 identifying field marks. Emphasize the importance of labeling field marks precisely so that others will be able to identify their bird. A good example is “breast has rusty streaks.” You may wish to specify that students should not simply trace the bird.

Have students share their sketches and field marks with the other students in front of the class, and encourage them to look for differences among the birds. Remind them that these differences—in color, shape, and size—can be used to tell birds apart. You might encourage all the students with the same bird to present in front of the class at the same time. Finally, compile the labeled sketches into a class bird guide.

At the end of these discussions, ask whether there are any species that they couldn’t identify before, but can now using the field guide or after seeing the bird sketches.


 * 5. Discuss Dimorphism and Variation.**

‍‍A common misconception is that all birds of one species look exactly alike. Determine your students’ current understandings by asking questions such as:
 * Do you think each kind of bird looks pretty much the same?

If it has not been mentioned, ask:
 * Do you think male and female birds look the same?

Depending on the bird ID resources you use, the concept of variation and dimorphism might not be included, making it a bit more difficult to identify a bird using the resource.

Ask:
 * How do the Pocket Naturalist guides handle variation? (if students can not find this detail, it is on the back of the guide on the sticker).
 * How do the field guides you are using handle it? (most guides will have multiple photos, showing plumage differences).
 * Will the birds you see outside necessarily exactly match the photos? (No, because the guides don’t know any/much variation, and in life there is variation.)

You could recommend that if students have trouble finding a bird in their guide/book, they should consult several resources such as other field guides, books and/or online sources.


 * 6. Bird Walk**

Take students outside to focus on field marks and differences between males and females. Ask them to record their observations in their Bird Journals.