The Call of the Wild—Wildlife Biology Member's Manual Book I

Chapter 2: Amazing Aves and Fantastic Fowl

• What is a Bird? Reptile Relative
• Flurry of Feathers
• Winging It
• Coming to Their Senses
• Bird Types
  • Shorebirds and Wading Birds
  • Upland Game Birds
  • Birds of Prey
  • Songbirds
• Bird Behavior
• On the Move
• Tricks of the Trade
• Me and My Bird
• Career Considerations
• Additional Activities
• Fair Projects/Exhibit Ideas

Every animal is unique. A rainbow trout is special because it climbs waterfalls. A white-tailed deer is remarkable because it has hollow hairs that keep it warm. You are special because you use tools and write symbols that become words.

What else makes you special? Write down some things you can do that a mourning dove can't:

Mourning doves also are special. They have unique qualities that make them mourning doves. Doves are part of the world of amazing aves (say ay-vees) and fantastic fowl--birds.

Look at your columns. If you marked an "X' under "birds" for every line, you are right! Birds do all the things above, and more!

What Is a Bird? Reptile Relatives

Birds belong to a group of animals called vertebrates. Vertebrates have backbones. Do you have a backbone? See if you can find it.

Are rattlesnakes and robins relatives? Well, maybe! Scientists think birds came from reptiles--animals such as snakes, turtles, and alligators--millions of years ago. Today birds and reptiles look different from each other but they still share traits. Both rattlesnakes and robins lay eggs and have partially hollow bones.

Baby birds can't control their body temperature. They must be warmed by their parents. As they grow they can keep warm on their own. Animals that keep their temperature steady (whether it's hot or cold outside) are called warm-blooded. Birds can live and grow in snowy places where cold-blooded reptiles can't.

Flurry of Feathers

Some birds (such as the ostrich) can't fly, but all birds have feathers. They help keep birds warm and dry. Aves are the only animals that have feathers. (Think about it. Does your dog have feathers? Do you have feathers growing from your ears? Have you ever seen a fish with feathers? No!)

Did you know that there are two kinds of feathers? If you've ever walked through a field and found a large feather, you have seen contour feathers. They are the strong, bendable feathers on the outside of the bird. They help them fly and protect them from wind and rain.

Birds also have down feathers. Down feathers are fluffy and soft. They lie snuggled next to a bird's body under the contour feathers. They help keep the bird warm.

Bird Basics

Watch a bird in your yard or on your block. (They're everywhere--look HARDER if you don't see one right away!) How are birds like you? How are they different? See how many traits you can list.

A feather has two parts, the shaft and the vane. The shaft is the strong hollow "backbone" of the feather. The part around the shaft is the vane. The vane is made up of hundreds of barbs that look like skinny hairs. Each barb has tiny hooks that lock to hold them together. This allows the vane to stay flat while the bird is flying. If the barbs come apart, the bird can pull the feather through its bill to link them back together (like zipping your coat). Find a feather and try to pull apart the barbs and hook them back together.

Many birds, such as mallard ducks, use oil to make their feathers repel water. A gland just above the tail secretes oil. The mallard rubs the oil over its feathers with its bill. Besides keeping feathers water repellent, the oil keeps them flexible and clean.

Oil spills (pollution) are not a bird's best friend! Though birds need oil to stay clean and dry, too much oil from pollution or spills can hurt the bird.

A big part of a bird's daily routine is preening--pulling feathers through its bill, nibbling them, and fluffing them up. By preening, a bird "zips" together feathers that have separated. Preening also removes dirt and pests such as mites and lice. Whenever you shower, you are preening too, just like a bird.

Blue jays and other songbirds take part in a special kind of preening known as anting. They rub ants into their feathers or stand on anthills, letting the ants crawl through their bodies. Biologists think ants produce chemicals that kill pests. Some birds also use other insects, berries, and mothballs to clean their feathers! Still other species take an occasional bath in the dust to keep their feathers clean. (You should stick to showering in water!)

A blue jay's feathers get a lot of wear and tear. At least once a year all birds replace their old feathers with new ones in a process called molting. A bird loses only a few feathers at a time, so it isn't thrown off balance when it flies.

Baby birds don't necessarily stay the same color when they get older. Many have certain feathers, colors, or patterns of feathers (plumage) that change as they reach adulthood. Bald eagles don't have white feathers on their heads until they are about four years old.

Winging It

All birds, from the least tern to the snowy owl, have wings. Wings help birds fly since they are streamlined, like an airplane wing. This shape gives the bird the "lift" it needs to stay off the ground. The hands (or tips) of the wings help steer the bird through the air.

The size and shape of a bird's wings are related to the type of flying it does. A goshawk has short, broad wings that allow it to fly through dense forests while dodging trees. A falcon needs to fly fast and far, so it has long, pointed wings. A turkey vulture has large, long wings to soar for hours without flapping. Hummingbirds have tiny wings that flap more than 70 times per second as they hover or even fly backward.

Look at the pictures of bird wings below and see if you can tell what type of flying each bird does.

Coming to Their Senses

Birds use their eyes to survive. A red-tailed hawk relies on sight to find a tasty mouse darting across a field. Sight also helps a hawk find a mate, define territory, travel, and escape danger. Birds have large eyes that can focus sharply on things close or far away. They even can see color.

Most birds have eyes on the sides of their heads. They can look at two separate scenes at the same time. This is monocular vision. Monocular sight gives a bird a wide field of vision that helps it see predators approaching. Warblers, ducks, and herons have their eyes set wide apart on their heads.

When a bird uses both eyes to focus on one image it is called binocular vision (this is the type of vision you have). Binocular vision helps a hawk figure out how far away the mouse is and to follow its movement.

Birds can't move their eyes like we can. Instead, they have to turn their heads to see in different directions. Some owls can twist their heads almost all the way around!

If you look for a red-tailed hawk's ears, you would be looking for a long time. Bird ears are just small holes below the eyes that are covered with feathers. They are very sensitive to both high- and low-pitched sounds.

You find a baby sparrow on the ground. You think you can't put it back into the nest because the parents will smell your human scent, right? Wrong! Most have a poor sense of smell. They rely on eyesight and hearing to find food and avoid predators--and recognize their babies. So, carefully put that baby bird back in the nest!

Bird Types

What kind of bird do you see when you think of a bird? A robin? A piping plover? An eagle? We can categorize birds into groups by the types of habitat or methods of feeding they use.

Waterfowl. Birds that spend most of their time living on water (ducks, geese, and swans) are waterfowl. Waterfowl have webbed feet for swimming. Many have bills for feeding on small plants and animals in the water.

Shorebirds and Wading Birds. These animals also live near or on the shores of lakes, streams, marshes, and oceans. Some wading birds, such as great blue herons and sandhill cranes, have long legs for stalking prey in shallow water. Others, like piping plovers and sandpipers, have short legs for running in very shallow water. Many wading birds also have long bills for probing into the wet earth for food.

Upland Game Birds. Upland game birds such as grouse, turkeys, and pheasants often live in dry, wooded, or brushy habitats. Their feet are useful tools for scratching the ground to find seeds. Upland game birds aren't usually strong fliers--they fly very short distances at one time, so they don't migrate like songbirds or ducks.

Birds of Prey. Birds of prey, or raptors, are hunting birds. When it sees a rabbit in a field, a raptor will swoop toward it with great speed. Raptors have strong feet and claws (talons) for grabbing prey and sharp bills for tearing meat. Bald eagles, great horned owls, turkey vultures, hawks, and peregrine falcons are raptors.

Songbirds. If you look outside your window, you'll probably see a songbird. Warblers, cardinals, and robins are all songbirds. Songbirds eat seeds, fruits, and insects. Some fly to warmer places in the winter.

Bird Behavior

During the spring as you wait for the school bus, you'll hear chirping and singing. Spring is the mating season for most birds, and males sing the same notes repeatedly to protect a nesting territory from intruders.

Not all birds sing. Many use noises or actions to protect homes or attract mates. The male ruffed grouse stands on a log and beats the air dozens of times per second with his wings to make a low, thumping sound. Woodpeckers "drum" with their bills on dead trees to declare their territories. What sounds do you make to protect your space? (How about: "Get out of my bedroom, please"; "Mom, make Michael leave, I have to do my homework"; "Hey, you!")

After birds have a territory and a mate they build a nest. Bald eagle nests can be up to eight feet wide and weigh several tons. Warbler nests fit into the palm of your hand and weigh less than a tennis ball. Some birds don't build nests at all. Owls and hawks use old crow or heron nests. Terns scrape out small holes in sand or soil. Bluebirds build their nests in cavities (holes) in dead trees.

Robin chicks are ALTRICIAL

After an egg is laid, most chicks still have lots of growing to do before they're ready for the outside world. Some chicks are born blind, featherless, and helpless. These chicks are called altricial (say all-trish-ul) young. They are fed several times a day by their parents. Gradually, the chicks develop feathers and can see. Altricial chicks usually stay in the nest until they learn to fly.

Other chicks, such as turkeys, loons, ducks, and geese, can see well and have down feathers when they hatch. These are precocial (say pre-co-shul) young. Within a few days they can run around and even find their own food.

Killdeer chicks are PRECOCIAL

Match That Bird

Drawing yellow warbler, pheasant, snow goose, great gray owl, upland sandpiper. Match the bird (numbered list) with the category to which it belongs.

1. Songbird
2. Raptor
3. Upland game bird
4. Shorebird
5. Waterfowl
6. Yellow warbler
7. Pheasant
8. Snow goose
9. Great gray owl
10. Upland sandpiper

On the Move

Your grandmother might spend the winter in San Antonio, Texas, and the summer in St. Paul, Minnesota. But did you know that Canada geese make the same trip (by air instead of car!)? Many birds travel thousands of miles between summer and winter homes. These yearly trips are called migrations. Birds (and people!) usually migrate to escape cold winters.

How do birds know when, where, and how to migrate? For many, migration is instinctive. This means they are born with the "drive" to migrate. Somehow their bodies are programmed, like a computer, telling them where to go, when to stop, and how to get back.

Amazingly, migrating birds return to the same places year after year. How they know where to go is still somewhat of a mystery. We do know they use various cues to guide them from one place to another. The sun and the stars are two cues. Some birds use landmarks such as rivers, lakes, and mountains. Others use the earth's magnetic pull to guide their way.

Each year, thousands of birds use the same paths between their summer and winter homes. These paths are called flyways. Biologists keep track of different species by following them along their specific flyways. The map above shows the major flyways for North American ducks and geese.

Tricks of the Trade

Birds have to face many dangers every day. But they have acquired ways of protecting themselves from these dangers.

Pigeons don't live alone. They gather in groups, called flocks. When birds are in a group, it's harder for a predator to single out just one bird. Flocking also means that there are many pairs of eyes looking out for trouble.

Predators look for movement when they are hunting for a meal. Some birds "hide" from their enemies by "freezing" (becoming still) when a predator flies overhead. This is especially true for nesting birds. If you are walking near shoreline, you might come close to stepping on ducks "frozen" on their nests.

When birds spot danger, many give a short, sharp call to alert others in the area. They then scatter into the brush and wait for the danger to pass. Most bird species have their own special alarm calls. Different species living in the same habitat often understand each other's alarm calls.

Did you ever wonder why a grouse was such a dull, brown color? That dull, brown color helps the grouse hide from hungry enemies. Blending into the surroundings is called camouflage.

Sometimes a bird can't fly away from an enemy. Trapped, the bird may try to look bigger and meaner to scare away the enemy (like gritting your teeth and clenching your fists). It may puff out its feathers, hold out its wings, and open its bill. It also may make hissing sounds or other noises. (Did you ever get a goose angry? A goose will hiss first, and then chase, and then . . . snap!)

Have you ever heard the calls and screeches of a group of crows chasing an owl? This is called mobbing. Birds use mobbing to try to drive away a predator from their territory. They dive at the intruder, scold it, and try to chase it from the area.

Me and My Bird

Birds are an important part of natural communities. Some eat harmful pests and weed seeds. Others are scavengers that feed on dead and decaying animals. All birds are food for other animals.

People have caused the loss of many bird species. The passenger pigeon, heath hen, dodo, and California condor are bird species that no longer live in the wild. Habitat destruction is one of the major reasons for declines in bird populations. When we drain wetlands and clear forests for new buildings, parking lots, and farm fields, we take habitat away from birds.

People also harm birds by causing pollution. We need to think about what we throw away into our environment. Sometimes it winds up in ponds and waterways. Chemicals from landfills sometimes leak into the soil and get into the ground water supply. Eventually the chemicals wind up in lakes and rivers. The chemicals poison birds and other animals.

Look, listen, touch, and taste. Everywhere you turn you'll find that birds are a part of our lives. We paint pictures of them, watch cartoons about them, and whistle like them. Birds inspire us to write, to fly, and to dream. They also inspire us to watch our world, and to protect our environment.

(Exercise: Bird Word Search. Text: Find the following words hidden among the letters above. Words may run up and down, across, or at an angle). Only available in publication form.

Career Considerations

People who study birds are called ornithologists. Ornithologists may study birds in a laboratory or in the wild. They may study bird migration, reproduction, breeding, and habitat. If you want to know more about ornithology, talk to people who work with birds.

Additional Activities

Go on an early morning bird walk. Bring binoculars and a bird book. Identify the birds you see and hear. You can take your bird walk on your block or in your backyard, or you can take a trip to a zoo, wildlife refuge, or state park. What habitats do birds need? What do they eat? What kind of nests do they build?

Make a bird feeder. You can make a simple bird feeder with the following items:

• Cardboard tissue paper roll
• Peanut butter
• Seeds, such as sunflower and millet
• String

Punch a small hole at the top of the tissue paper roll. Spread the roll with peanut butter that has been mixed with a little water to make it spread easier. Sprinkle bird seed over the roll. Pull a piece of string through the hole, and tie it to form a hanger. Put your bird feeder outside near a tree, and watch the birds feast!

Make a bird feeder II. Follow these easy instructions to make a bird feeder.

You will need:

• A one-gallon plastic milk bottle (clean and dry)
• A nail for punching holes in the bottle
• Sharp scissors
• A wooden dowel, 1/4 inch in diameter and about 9 inches long
• A jar lid, 2 inches in diameter
• A wire clothes hanger or similar wire
• Wire cutters
• An adult to help you if you need it

  Make your own birdfeeder with a milk jug,
  a dowel, and a wire clothes hanger!

  
  1. Trace the outline of the lid onto two opposite sides of the plastic jug, at least inches from the bottom. Use the scissors to cut out the circles. These holes are the windows through which the birds will gather seeds.
  2. To make a place for the birds to perch, or sit, use the nail to poke a hole 1/2 to 1 inch under each window. Insert the dowel so that it passes through one hole, through the feeder, and out the other small hole.
  3. Poke five to seven small holes in the jug bottom so rainwater can drain.
  4. Make a hook for the bird feeder by cutting a clothes hanger in two places with the wire cutters (see Diagram A). Cut the hanger at least 4 inches below the base of the hook. Bend the hanger so it looks like Diagram B.
  5. Poke two holes opposite one another 1 inch from the bottle's top.
  6. Push the ends of the hanger into the holes. Bend the hanger so that the feeder is balanced. Make sure the feeder is securely attached to the hanger so that it won't fall if a wind blows or a bird sits on it.
  7. Put the lid on the bottle. Fill your feeder with bird seed mix or create your own mix with sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, millet, and other seeds and grains. Put only the amount of food in the feeder that can be eaten in a few days. Be sure to keep the feeder and the surrounding areas clean. Place the feeder near bushes or trees in an area protected from the wind.

(A list of the seeds that different bird species eat is available from: Duncraft, Wild Bird Specialists, Penacook, NY 03303.)

You also might want to place a bird bath nearby. Use a clay saucer at least 24 inches in diameter. Fill it with 1-1/2 inches of water and set it on the ground.

Birds should start to use your feeder after it has been in place for a few days. Keep a list of the different ones that come to your feeder. How do they act toward each other? Do blue jays frighten others away? Do the biggest birds usually get to eat first?

Build a bird blind. Many birds are hard to watch because it's easy to frighten them away. One way to observe birds without disturbing them is to hide in a blind. Most wild animals will get used to an object (you) and will not be frightened if given time to adjust. You will need:

• A large cardboard box (big enough to sit inside)
• Scissors
• Paint (optional)

Cut a door in one side of the box and small windows in the others. Depending on the type of habitat, you may want to paint the box or cover it with brush to camouflage it. Start by placing the blind about 75 yards away from the site you want to view, then move it up about 25 yards a day. This will give the birds and other animals time to get used to the box.

When you get into the blind it may take 10 to 20 minutes for the animals you're watching to become active again. Remember to stay quiet! Keep track of the animals you see and what they are doing.

Participate in a bird count. Contact the National Audubon Society chapter in your area and find out about the Christmas and spring bird counts. People all over the country gather together to count birds twice a year. It's exciting to be a part of a large effort to learn about birds. For more information write:

The National Audubon Society
950 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10002

Fair Projects/Exhibit Ideas

Build for birds. Build a birdhouse, nest box or nesting platform for a bird that lives in your area. Research the nesting habits of the bird and find a good place to put the nest site in your neighborhood. Plans for building bluebird houses are available from:

North American Bluebird Society
P.O. Box 6259
Silver Spring, MD 20906

Audubon Naturalist Society
8940 Jones Mill Road
Chevy Chase, MD 20815

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program also has an excellent book available about birds and bird boxes:

Woodworking for Wildlife
Minnesota's Bookstore
117 University Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55155

Plant or draw plans for a bird garden. By planting trees, shrubs, and wild flowers that provide food and shelter, you can attract different kinds of birds. Make a three-sided display that shows your planted garden and the type of birds that came to visit. For more information, order:

Landscaping for Wildlife
Minnesota's Bookstore
117 University Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55155

Watch a nest. You probably know a lot about your family life. But how much do you know about the family life of birds? The best way to get to know birds is to watch a pair of nesting birds near your home for a long time.

You will need:

• A notebook and pencil
• Binoculars (optional)

Search for a nest to observe (this activity works best in the spring). Remember that these birds are raising their young! Start observing from a distance and move in slowly over several days. If you disturb the birds, they may leave the nest, or call loudly. These are signals that you are too close. Write down the following information:

• Date
• Location
• Habitat
• Time it takes to build the nest
• Species
• Materials used to make the nest
• Number of eggs laid
• Number of young
• Which parent cares for eggs
• Time it takes for eggs to hatch
• Days young stay in nest after hatching

Photograph or draw the birds you are watching. After the chicks have flown for the first time, prepare a report and a three-sided display with the information you gathered. Remember, do not collect bird feathers, eggs, or nests for display--they are protected by federal law.

Answers to Bird Basics (some possibilities): Birds and humans both have two legs, are warm-blooded, have a backbone and have color vision. Birds are different from humans because they have partly hollow bones, have feathers, have a bill, have wings, and have scales on their feet.

Answers to Wing Test:

1. Soars for hours.
2. Flies long distances.
3. Flies far and fast.
4. Flies and dodges.

Answers to Match That Bird:

A-1, B-4, C-2 , D-5, E-3.

Answers to Bird Word Search. Available only in publication form.

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