Bird Migration Study

Reprinted from The Wild Times Teacher Connection v1n2, Winter 1996.

The Wild One's bird migration study is ready to begin. By taking advantage of our connection to the Internet, members will be able to share songbird sightings and have them posted on the web. This will allow all of us to "watch" the migration of birds as they make their way north for the summer. Members without an Internet connection can fax or mail their sightings and will be faxed or mailed a printout of the data collected from other the members.

The bird migration study can take place as a class project, or members might wish to make their own observations at home.

Materials

To participate in this study, members will need to collect the following materials:

a bird feeder and/or bird bath (instructions for constructing simple feeders are included in this issue of The Teacher Connection
a supply of bird seed or nesting materials
a protected space where the bird feeders can be placed
a collection of bird field guides
binoculars or spotting scopes might also be helpful
a large wall map and supply of map pins

Procedures

Set up a bird feeder in a protected space that can be easily observed, such as the school courtyard or outside a classroom window.

Choose a specific time of day to make observations. Generally, early morning and late afternoon are the best times for birding. Any convenient period of the day, such as lunch or "free" periods make good times for students to make their observations.

Using field guides identify, the birds observed at your feeding station. If a specific identification cannot be made, record as unknown [genus] (e.g. unknown warbler).

Send in weekly reports by e-mail, web, fax, or mail.

Attracting birds with recycled materials:

Large pinecones can be rolled in or spread with a mixture of peanut butter and wild bird seed and hung.
Trash can lids or large wooden or plastic bowls fastened to a post, stump, or bricks can be used to scatter bird seed or nesting material on, or filled with water or fine soil and sand for a bird bath.
Large plastic bottles with openings cut in the side can be filled with wild bird seed and hung.
Not all birds are seed feeders. Try supplying fruits and berries collected locally, chopped apples, or meal worms purchased from a local pet store. Put small amounts of food out at a time, but keep your feeding station stocked daily.

Spring is nesting time for many birds. Instead of using food to attract birds, try providing bits of string or yarn, grass, small twigs, dryer lint, etc.

Weekly Reports

Include the following information in your weekly reports:

name of school
name of teacher
return e-mail, address, or fax number
approximate longitude and latitude of your school
listing of the species observed
maximum number of each species observed during an observation period, if possible (estimate large flocks)
method of attracting birds: food, water, dust bath, nesting materials

Check the reports from other members on the web site and plot the sightings on your map.

As the project proceeds, members can make comparisons between Eastern, Central, and Western areas of the Americas, and between Eastern and Western hemispheres. Share those observations, comments, and hypotheses with your weekly reports so they may be discussed by the other members. By following the reports of other members, your students will be able to predict the arrival of certain species to your area.

Birds you might look for

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Scarlet Tanagers
Black-throated Green Warblers
House Wren
Gray Catbird
Veery
Wood Thrush
Gray-Cheeked Thrush
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-winged Blackbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Orioles

Duration of the Project

First sightings are the most important information for the project to allow accurate tracking of the migration. The longer your class is able to report data, the better, with a suggested duration of four to six weeks after the report of the first species. Members from Southern latitudes will obviously start and finish their reporting earlier than Northern members.

Sightings will remain posted at the web site for comparison with subsequent years, and final summaries will be available in June.

Extensions

Behavior Study

Pick one or two common species of birds in your area. Observe their behavior and habits as they visit your feeding station. When your bird arrives at the feeding station do the other birds leave? Are there several individuals of that species present or only one or two at a time? Do the birds you are observing take the same food or nesting material, or do different species have different preferences? Do these preferences change as summer approaches? Help your students learn as much as they can about the bird, and as always, don't forget to share your findings with the rest of The Wild Ones.

Bird Garden

Plant shrubs, trees, and flowering plants to attract birds to the school yard or home. Choose the plants native to your location and climate that produce seed pods or small berries. Consult your local greenhouse or nature center for specific suggestions for your area. Photograph or video tape the process of establishing your bird garden and share it with The Wild Ones.

Submit your own curriculum plans or resource suggestions to The Wild Ones for publication.

Return to The Wild Ones Curriculum Index