ODS Curriculum - Long Station - Birds page finished. Transferred with minimal changes from previous animals curriculum site.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology link leads to some particularly useful bird information.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology link leads to some particularly useful bird information.
What makes a bird a bird?
Beaks - all birds have beaks, but so do octopus and squid. Birds have no teeth so their gizzard grinds up food into pulp with the help of stones the bird has swallowed. What do birds use their beaks for? Do all birds use their beaks the same way?
Wings - all birds have wings, but so do insects and bats. Wings are good for flying, but they can also have other uses. Brainstorm some other uses for wings. Look at some of the examples of wings. Examine their shapes and the arrangement of the feathers. Can you draw some conclusions about your observations and how they relate to habitat, adaptation, and niche?
Flight - not all birds fly, other animals do fly. Most of a bird's energy is used in take-off. Flight takes a lot of energy and birds have a high metabolic rate, so they need to eat a lot to keep the energy flowing. The phrase "eat like a bird" implies not eating much, but birds eat great quantities every day. Think of some birds that don’t fly. Think of some non-bird animals that fly.
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Beaks - all birds have beaks, but so do octopus and squid. Birds have no teeth so their gizzard grinds up food into pulp with the help of stones the bird has swallowed. What do birds use their beaks for? Do all birds use their beaks the same way?
Wings - all birds have wings, but so do insects and bats. Wings are good for flying, but they can also have other uses. Brainstorm some other uses for wings. Look at some of the examples of wings. Examine their shapes and the arrangement of the feathers. Can you draw some conclusions about your observations and how they relate to habitat, adaptation, and niche?
Flight - not all birds fly, other animals do fly. Most of a bird's energy is used in take-off. Flight takes a lot of energy and birds have a high metabolic rate, so they need to eat a lot to keep the energy flowing. The phrase "eat like a bird" implies not eating much, but birds eat great quantities every day. Think of some birds that don’t fly. Think of some non-bird animals that fly.
Read More...
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