Katheryne

Bird Watching Cornell Activities Lesson 2 Activity 1: Look for two birds (either outside or on Bird Cams) that you can tell apart just by shape. Try to identify them using Merlin or a field guide. Share your findings in the discussion. 1.    Northern Cardinal – medium size / long tail / short beak 2.    Carolina Wren – very small / had one on a limb in my back yard / sings very loud / beak has a curve in it   Activity 2: Look for three different birds that have the same color (e.g., black, white, or red), but on different parts of their bodies. Try to identify them using Merlin or a field guide. Share your findings in the discussion. 1.    Carolina Chickadee – Black Head / Black neck in front / beige and yellow sides / white underpart 2.    Black Capped Chickadee – Black head / short beak/ white edges on wings and tail / Black neck in front / gold, beige under wing / white underparts 3.    White Breasted Nuthatch – Black head / back of neck is black but front of neck is white. Under beak all down throat and underparts are white. Black wings have blue tips with some white. After reading further and learning the “parts” of a bird, I have rewritten my descriptions: 1.    Carolina Chickadee – Black head / black throat / beige and yellow flank / white chest and belly 2.    Black Capped Chickadee – Black head / short upper and lower bill/beak / white edges on uppertail coverts and undertail coverts / Black throat / gold/beige under wings / white belly 3.    White Breasted Nuthatch – Black head / Black nape / white throat. White from throat and through belly. Black wings layered with blue and white.   Activity 3: Look for three different birds that are searching for food today. What are their food-finding behaviors? Try to identify them using Merlin or a field guide. Share your finding in the discussion. I have a bird feeder on my patio. The American Goldfinch seem to like only one Goldfinch at a time at the feeder. I have seen them sort of peck at one another. One flies away. The Common Redpoll (male and female) get along quite well. The Wren family is very compatible. The Northern Cardinal are bigger than the American Finch and the Redpolls. The smaller birds will fly away if there is not enough room at the feeder when the Cards come in.   Activity 4: Pick your favorite bird, see if you can describe it using at least three of the bird ID strategies (size and shape, color pattern and markings, behavior, habitat and range, and sounds). Share your description in the discussion. My favorite bird is the Northern Cardinal. It is medium size; very beautiful red for the mail; goldish and some red for the female. Both male and female have a crested head. The male and female seem to have the small calls but the male is louder, I think. Also, I think they talk to each other late in the afternoon. We pretend they are talking about what they will have for dinner!