Birds & Flight

About this Unit Most biologists believe that birds evolved from reptiles, and, more specifically, dinosaurs. One of the earliest known ancestors of modern birds was the Archaeopteryx. This creature was a crow- sized, scaled dinosaur with weak, sparsely feathered wings. Over time, scales evolved into feathers and wings grew stronger. Today, in North America, our most ancient birds are the loons. Loons differ from most other birds in several ways. Their bones are more solid (filled with marrow) than the hollow bones of most other birds. Their feet sit further back on their bodies than those of most other birds. These two factors make flight and walking more difficult for the loon, while conversely making them our best swimmers. There are over 10,000 known species of birds, including around 900 in the United States. People have categorized these different birds in several ways. Loons, ducks, geese and similar birds are often called waterfowl. Hawks, falcons, eagles and vultures are known as raptors. Herons, egrets and bitterns are waders. The shorebird group includes killdeer and plovers. A very broad category, called the passerines, includes perching and singing birds like robins, crows, finches, sparrows and warblers. There are even more groups (and different ways to group the birds mentioned) than those listed here. Can you think of any? One thing most birds have in common is the ability to fly. Light bodies, strong wings and principles of physics allow birds to become airborne. Another commonality among many birds is the behavior of migration. Migration is the act of moving from one place to another. Often, birds cover tremendous distances in very short periods. Birds that migrate have particular reasons for doing so. Birds often have specific habitat needs, including the needs for a suitable range of temperatures and types of available food. Insects, rodents and ripe berries often determine the migration path. So do undisturbed breeding areas. One common misconception about migration is that all birds leave our area in the fall and return in the spring. Many birds indeed follow this pattern, but there is constant movement throughout the year. Some birds arrive here in the winter from Canada; some don’t leave until winter or actually leave in the middle of summer. While it is generally true that migrating birds fly south in colder months and north in warmer months, a more accurate way of saying “fall and spring migration” is to use “outward and inward migration,” suggesting the time frame for leaving and returning to nesting places. A phenology chart lends evidence for the need to use the more updated terms. In this unit, we will discover how birds fly and we’ll study how they migrate. We will consider questions of bird anatomy, natural habitat, and the effects of human behavior on migratory bird populations. We will use several math skills to measure, observe and make predictions. These skills will help us inside and outside the classroom. Take what you’ve learned to the field and share your knowledge with others. Happy birding!

Contributing Writer Ned Dorff Ned Dorff grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He holds regular education and special education licenses and a master’s degree in environmental education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He enjoys teaching, playing guitar, kayaking, reading, and eating soy products.

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Lessons included in this unit:

Lesson 1. Bird Anatomy...... 7. Skill Building: Bird Anatomy Skill Building: Wing Feathers Skill Building: Wing Anatomy Skill Building: Bird Anatomy and Ratios

Lesson 2. Flight...... 13 Skill Building: Lift Experiment Skill Building: Flight Maneuvers Skill Building: Flight Skill Building: Flight Costs

Lesson 3. Species...... 20 Skill Building: Species Familiarity Skill Building: Using Ratios to Compare Skill Building: Wing Angles Skill Building: Species Probability Coefficients Skill Building: Birding Probability Skill Building: How many birds over time? Skill Building: Greater Prairie Chicken Skill Building: Bird Populations and Subpopulations

Lesson 4. Migration...... 33 Skill Building: Why do bird migrate? Skill Building: Carrying Capacity Skill Building: Mapping and Measuring Skill Building: Charting Migration Skill Building: Uncommon Species of the Portage, Wisconsin Area Skill Building: Using Binoculars Skill Building: Measuring Migration Skill Building: Bird Tally Sheet Final Project: Aiding Migration

| 2 | Birds and Flight | Unit 2 Notes for unit planning:

Materials Needed • Bird field guides for Eastern U.S. and/or Wisconsin (several per class) • An outdoor area for study • Maps of Portage, Wisconsin area (1 per student group, 1 class map) • Access to the Internet • Binoculars (several pairs per class) • Compass (for drawing circles) (several per class) • Protractors (1 per student) • Calculators (1 per student) • Digital camera (optional) Suggested Field Guides 1. Ehrlich, Paul R., Dobkin, David S., and Wheye, Darryl. The Birder’s Handbook: A field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster. New York, 1988. 2. Elliott, Lang. Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region. Time Warner Audiobooks. New York, 1997. 3. Feith, John. Who Cooks for Poor Sam Peabody? Learn to recognize the songs of birds from the Midwest and Northeast states. John Feith. Madison, WI, 2002. 4. Janssen, Robert B., Tessen, Daryl D., and Kennedy, Gregory. Birds of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton, 2003. 5. Kaufman, Kenn. Peterson Field Guides: Advanced Birding. Houghton Mifflin. Boston, 1990. 6. Peterson, Roger T. Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Birds. Houghton Mifflin. Boston, 1980. 7. Sibley, David A. National Audubon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf. New York, 2000. 8. Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas. http://www.uwgb.edu/birds/wbba/index.htm. 2002. Math Content: Probability; fractions, decimals, percents and proportions; graphing; measurement and conversion; angles; algebraic equations; budgeting; mapping; population statistics Letters in parenthesis indicate which math performance standard is being addressed with the content. A full standards matrix is located in the appendix.

Non-math concepts: The science of ornithology is prevalent throughout the lesson. Additionally, students need to do a lot of reading and writing, including justifying their answers.

Additional Possibilities: Learning about birds is most exciting when students get to see birds. Taking students outside to see what they are learning about is important. A way to allow students to see the birds close-up would be to set up a bird feeder outside of the classroom window. Even without a great variety of species, it provides for valuable learning experiences. • Flying WILD curriculum guide. This curriculum provides many other lessons about birds and helps teachers and students plan a bird festival for their school or community. • One Bird, Two Habitats curriculum guide. This interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on bird migration from North America to South America.

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Unit Vocabulary

Science Terms Air sacs – air spaces in lungs, body cavities and bones of birds. Alula – three to six small feathers on the movable thumb in the front of a bird’s wing. Anatomy – the arrangement of body parts in an animal. Barbs – tiny parallel threads making up the vane of the feather. Barbules – hooks that keep barbs together. Carpals – larger bones at the base of the wrist. Contour feathers – feathers covering back, sides and most of wings. Crop – food storage area in bird’s neck. Down feathers – fluffy feathers, usually hidden beneath contour feathers. Filoplume – tiny hairs circling the base of contour feathers. Flight feathers – long contour feathers in wing and tail that aid in flight. Flight muscles – large, strong muscles on breastbone that raise and lower the wings. Gizzard – organ in middle of bird’s body for grinding food; filled with sand and pebbles. Humerus – arm bone between shoulder and elbows. Inner wing – wing part from elbow to wrist. Joint – the point of connection between two bones or elements of a skeleton Joules – a measure of work. Lift – upward force causing a bird to stay aloft. Manus – hand section; outer wing. Metacarpals – bones running from wrist to fingers. Newton – unit of force, named after Sir Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics. Outer wing – wing part from wrist to wing tip, aka the hand section. Phalanges – fingers. Phenology – the study of patterns of biological activity through seasons. Physiology – the way anatomy functions. Primaries – long flight feathers on outer wings (hands). Quill – hollow base of the feather.

| 4 | Birds and Flight | Unit 2 Unit Vocabulary

Radius – bone running from elbow to thumb side of the wrist. Retrices – flight feathers on the tail. Secondaries – flight feathers on inner wing between wrist and elbow. Shaft – stiff stem of feather. Tertiaries – wing feathers attached to elbow and upper arm. Also referred to as “tertials” on some graphs. Vane – outer part of feather. Vole – mall rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, and smaller ears and eyes (often called a meadow mouse or field mouse). Watt – the unit of measuring electrical power. Wingspan – distance from tip of one extended wing to tip of the other. Wrist – joint separating lower arm bones from fingers. Math Terms

Probability – a measure of how likely it is that an event will occur; 1.0, or 100%, means an event is certain to occur; 0 or 0% means there is no chance it will occur. Coefficient – a unitless number that, using multiplication, helps explain a relationship among variables. Conversion Factors Length Work/Energy 1 in = 2.54 cm Work = Force × Distance 1 m = 100 cm Work is measured in Joules (J) 1 m = 39.37 in A Joule is measured as a Newton 1 km = 1,000 m meter (Nm) 1 km = 0.621 mi 1 J = Nm 1 N = kg(m)/s2 Mass and Weight Another way to write it would be: 1 J= m2kg/s3 1 g = 0.035 oz 16 oz = 1lb 1 lb = 453.59 g Rate of Energy Use 1 kg = 2.205 lb The measurement for how much energy is used over time is Watts Temperature (W). One Watt is equal to one Joule per second. Tc = Temperature in Celsius; 1 W=1 J/s TF = Temperature in Fahrenheit Tc = (5/9)(TF-32) TF = ((9/5)Tc) + 32

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Introduction to Birds

Bones Most bird bones, unlike those of humans, are filled with air sacs. Because these bones contain air instead of marrow, they are much lighter than those of other animals. Birds have other adaptations that reduce their weight, including the presence of strong, light feathers and the absence of teeth.

Wings Wing structure is surprisingly similar to human arm structure. Both start at the shoulders, contain an elbow in the middle and end in fingers. Birders often use the angles of wings as a way to identify birds.

Feathers Feathers serve many functions. They keep the bird warm, attract other birds of the same species, and aid in flight.

Digestion Birds have no teeth. Instead, they take food into their bills, pass it to the crop for storage, and then digest it in the gizzard. The crop is found in the neck. The gizzard, found in the middle of the body, usually contains sand and small pebbles. This grit, swallowed by the birds, helps break down food the way our teeth break down our food.

Types of Flight Birds make use of different types of flight.Flapping flight is the act in which birds beat their wings to stay aloft. Gliding is when birds take a break from flapping and instead hold their wings out straight. Usually, gliding birds are moving forward and downward at the same time. Soaring is a form of gliding in which birds use air currents to maintain altitude. When birds soar, they can stay in the air for hours without flapping much at all. Some birds- not many- have the ability to hover. Hummingbirds and osprey hover at the same location in the air through special types of flapping. Finally, birds can alsodive . Birds of prey, kingfishers, and even some blackbirds practice diving. Diving can be a way to stun prey, snatch a bite, or intimidate an unwelcome guest in a bird’s territory.

Discussion Questions 1. What might be the best way for birds to conserve energy while hunting over an area? 2. Which type of flight might a falcon use to knock out a sparrow? 3. How might a bird conserve energy in flying between a tall branch on one tree and a short branch on a nearby tree?

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Lesson Plan Bird Anatomy • Lesson 1

Learning Objectives Hour 1 1. Students will identify bird anat- (5 min) Introduction to Birds omy and its function for flight. Read page together as a class. 2. Students will use measurement, Answers to discussion questions: geometry and conversion to 1. Gliding or Soaring compare several birds. 2. Diving 3. Gliding Materials (15 min) Skill Building: Bird Anatomy and Wing Anatomy ❒❒ Copies of Introduction to Birds (10 min) Skill Building: Wing Feathers ❒❒ Copies of Skill Building You may need to help students determine a way to estimate pages for each student the area. A good strategy is to use different colored pencils to shade the area of each feather type. Students ❒❒ Rulers can estimate a fraction and then change it to a percent to ❒❒ Protractors see if their answers make sense. This is also a good way to ❒❒ Internet access, vocabulary check to make sure they don’t go over 1 whole or 100%. pages, or dictionaries for (10 min) Skill Building: Wing Anatomy defining bird anatomy (20 min) Skill Building: Bird Anatomy and Ratios Teachers may need conduct a review on how to calculate percentages before this lesson.

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Bird Anatomy http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Birds/MMMN/English/glossary_data.html Directions: Highlight the following terms for the bird’s body parts. Then provide a short definition for each word.

1. Alula -

2. Primaries -

3. Secondaries -

4. Tertiaries (Tertials) -

5. Wrist -

Wing Anatomy

http://www.wfu.edu/biology/albatross/activity.htm

A. Phalanges F. Ulna B. Manus (or hand) G. Radius C. Alula H. “Elbow” D. Metacarpals I. Humerus E. Carpal joint (or wrist) J. “Shoulder” joint

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Wing Feathers Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Directions: These approximations will help you later in bird identification. Use the diagrams of the pigeon’s upper and under wing to find your answers.

The Wing of a Rock Dove (Pigeon) Note the difference between theupper surface and the under surface

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Birds/MMMN/English/glossary_data.html

1. Approximately what fraction of the under wing’s surface area is taken up by the primaries?

2. Approximately what fraction of the under wing’s surface area do the primary coverts take up?

3. Approximately what fraction of the upper wing’s surface area do the secondaries take up?

4. Approximately what fraction of the upper wing’s surface area do the secondary coverts take up?

5. Approximately what fraction of the upper wing’s surface area do the tertials take up?

Birds and Flight | Lesson 1 | 9 | Skill Building Name �� Wing Anatomy Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Directions: Using your vocabulary list, fill in the parts on the diagram. Complete the problems. The problems will help you in future angle measurements.

http://www.wfu.edu/biology/albatross/activity.htm

1. Label the diagram with the following parts. A. Phalanges B. Manus (or hand) C. Alula D. Metacarpals E. Carpal joint (or wrist) F. Ulna G. Radius H. “Elbow” I. Humerus J. “Shoulder” joint

2. Estimate the angle formed at the carpal joint. ______

3. Estimate the angle formed at the elbow. ______

4. Estimate the angle formed at the shoulder and body. ______

5. Do you think these angles ever change? Why or why not? ��

______

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Bird Anatomy and Ratios Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Directions: Solve the following problems.

1. If a 25 g sparrow’s bones make up 10% of its total mass, how much mass is in the bones?

2. If a 25 g sparrow’s respiratory system makes up 35% of its mass, how much mass is in the respiratory system?

3. How much of the sparrow’s mass, in grams, is contained in the feathers, bill and other remaining parts of the bird?

4. Our smallest bird, the ruby-throated hummingbird weighs 3 g, while a baby Canada goose (gosling) might weigh 1.4 kg. Write three equivalent fractions comparing the mass of the hummingbird to the mass of the gosling.

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Bird Anatomy and Ratios, page 2 Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Fractions can easily be turned into ratios. For example, ½ can be written as 1:2. Equivalencies can be made for ratios, such as 2:4 and 10:20. When writing ratios, we usually reduce the original numbers, even if that means using decimals. (For example, 83 to 91 can be written as 8.3:9.1. We could then round the numbers in the ratio to 8:9.

5. Write two equivalent ratios comparing the wingspan of a house wren (6 in) to that of a field sparrow (8 in).

6. Write two equivalent ratios comparing the wingspan of a Red-shouldered hawk (40 in) to that of a bald eagle (80 in).

7. Write two equivalent ratios comparing the length of a sandhill crane (41 in) and a whooping crane (52 in). Round the numbers in one of your ratios to the nearest whole number.

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Lesson Plan Flight • Lesson 2

Learning Objectives Hour 1 1. Students will use geometry (5 min) Skill Building: Lift Experiment and algebra conversion to This experiment takes a little practice. There are a few measure the differences in tricks. First, use a light weight paper (copy paper works flight speed among birds. well) Second, using only your index finger and thumb, 2. Students will use algebraic equations hold the paper at least 3" from the top. Third, adjust the to measure the amount of effort angle at which your breath is hitting the paper to make exerted by several birds during sure you are blowing over the top. The part of the paper three different types of flight hanging loose should rise with a more forceful breath. (flapping, gliding and soaring). (10 min) Skill Building: Flight Maneuvers (20 min) Skill Building: Flight Materials This lesson may require a review (or even ❒❒ Copies of Skill Building introduction) of the Pythagorean Theorem. pages for each student Suggested Extension: Number #4 on Skill ❒❒ Rulers Building: Flight could be graphed using a slope of -3 and a y-intercept of 2,000. ❒❒ Protractors ❒❒ Copy paper for lift experiment Hour 2 (60 min) Skill Building: Flight Costs Suggested to teach this as a whole class, do sample problems on the whiteboard.

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Lift Experiment Materials needed: A piece of notebook paper

Procedure: Hold your notebook paper at the corners so that the paper drops down the long way. Move your fingers up a few inches from the corners so that you create a curve in the paper. Blow over the top of the paper. Observe the difference between a strong breath and a weak breath.

1. What happened as you blew over the top of your paper?

2. Was there a difference between a strong breath and a weak breath? What was it?

3. Why do you think there was a difference?

Lift is the force that holds a bird in the air. It is created when air pressure above the bird is less than the air pressure below the bird.

In your experiment, you moved the air over the top of the paper. This reduced the pressure pushing down on the paper. However, the pressure underneath the paper stayed the same.

The pressure below was higher than the pressure above. Thus, the paper rose.

This is the same thing that happens when birds fly. The curves in the cross-sections of their wings forces air to move faster across the top than it does across the bottom. Theangle of attack is the angle at which the wing faces the oncoming air. If birds tilt their wings upward, the angle of attack increases and air flows faster over the wing.

It might seem strange, but birds are able to take-off easier when they face the wind. A stronger wind creates more lift, as you noticed in your experiment.

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Flight Maneuvers: Undulation and Diving Birds use different maneuvers in flight.

1. Some, including cardinals and woodpeckers, fly with anundulating motion. Picture the motion of waves- up, down, up, down. There is a crest at the top and a trough at the bottom. It may seem like the birds are bouncing on air. Help our cardinal get to the feeder. Draw an undulating flight path.

2. Diving is another flight maneuver, often used by birds of prey. Help this peregrine falcon get a snack. Draw it flying out of the sky and dive at an 80-degree angle, relative to the ground (angle of elevation). Use a protractor. Before it hits, the ground, have it knock out the starling.

(Starling)

(Ground)

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Flight Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Directions: Complete the following word problems.

1. A bird needs a breeze of 10 mph to create enough lift for flight. The breeze blowing to the south is only 5 mph. How fast, and in which direction, will the bird need to walk so it can take off?

Speed =

Direction =

2. Perhaps the bird needs an extra boost to get in the air. It might raise its angle of attack. Assume its original angle is 15 degrees relative to the ground. It then raises the angle another 20 degrees. Use a protractor to draw and label these two angles.

3. A hawk in a kettle (flock of hawks) is riding a rising current of air. As it rises, it moves in a circular pattern– imagine a slowly twisting tornado of hawks. Over the course of rising 2,000 ft, it rotates 1440º. How many full 360º revolutions has it made? How many feet did it go for every full rotation of 360º?

4. At the top of the kettle (2,000 ft), the hawk decides to glide as far as it can without flapping. Imagine it moves forward 3 feet for every 1 foot it drops. How far forward will it move if the ground stays level and the hawk never flaps? Remember it moves at a ratio of 3:1.

5. Fill in the missing lengths on the triangle that represents the hawk’s glide. Round your answer to the nearest tenth. Remember the Pythagorean Theorem: A2+B2 =C2

2000 ft C=

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Flight, page 2

6. Soaring is a type of flight where birds don’t have to flap very much to stay at the same altitude. They take advantage of wind currents to stay aloft. Imagine that a wandering albatross moves on a current at 35 miles per hour. How fast is this in km/h?

7. Now imagine that our albatross has to flap once every 5 minutes. If it flies a total of 200 km, how many times will it flap?

8. If a hovering ruby-throated hummingbird flaps its wings 60 times per second, how many times will it flap in 1.5 minutes?

9. If an accelerating hummingbird flaps 200 times per second, how many wing beats will it make in half a minute?

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Flight Costs Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Just as it takes a lot of energy for a plane to get off the ground and stay in the air, it takes energy for birds to fly. Birds must use their muscles both in flapping and in holding their wings straight out during a glide. To offset the amount of work they put into flying, birds can take advantage of air currents. By making the air do more work, birds can do less.

Flight cost (W) is measured in Joules (J) per second (s), also called Watts. Think about a light bulb. A 100-Watt light bulb uses 100 Joules per second. Joules is a unit that stands for the amount of work done. Another way to write Joules is Newton meters (Nm) per squared second or Nm/s2. Newtons are units that measure how much force is needed to move an object. Newtons can be written as kilogram meters per second, or kg(m)/s.

So, in terms of equations, here’s what we have: W=J/s J=Nm/s2 N=kg(m)/s

W=kg(m)/s • m/s2 → W=m2kg/s3

Hopefully that makes sense. Just use the first equation when completing the following problems.

Let’s do sample problems together.

Example 1. We want to find the total amount of work done by a 73 g European starling as it flies at 10 m/s for 25 minutes through the city. Its flight cost is 9.0 Watts, or 9.0 J/s.

Our goal is to find the total amount of Joules used by the starling. We will have to get rid of the time unit. To do this, we multiply our wattage by the amount of time, in seconds, that the starling flew.

First, we put the time into seconds. There are sixty seconds per minute, so we multiply 25 minutes by 60 seconds per minute. We get 1500 seconds.

Now, we can multiply our W by time. 9.0 J/s x 1500 s = 13,500 J

Example 2. Let’s also find how far it flew. Remember the formula for distance: D = r • t If the bird flew 10 m/s, we can multiply its total time by its rate. 1500 s x 10 m/s = 15,000 m.

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Flight Costs, page 2 Directions: Fill in the blank boxes in this table. Use the equation W=J/s to solve the total work problems. To make the problems easier, all speeds are given in meters per second. You may use a calculator to solve. Write out your equations.

Flight Total Species Body Costs Total Work Duration Speed distance Mass (g) (W) Done (J) (min) (m/s) (m) Pine siskin 12.5 3.03 56 15 Hermit 30 4.3 480 13 thrush Purple 50 4.1 360 8 martin Rock Dove 425 34.1 12 19

1. Pine siskin

2. Hermit thrush

3. Purple martin

4. Rock dove

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Lesson Plan Species • Lesson 3

Learning Objectives Hour 1 1. Students will use measurement, (5 min) Introduction: Discuss with students what is ratios and estimation to compare meant by “areas of highest concentration.” and contrast familiar birds. Areas of highest concentration are the places where 2. Students will gain familiarity with the most of a given species are likely to be found. To several of the most common birds study birds in the wild, it is important to make an of the area. Using probability and educated guess about what you might find in an area. mapping, they will predict where Birds can be found in several types of areas, and when these species can be seen. depending on where their food is found. In the 3. Students will work with coefficients, Portage, Wisconsin area there are woods, grasslands, tables and algebraic equations to farms, urban areas, lakes, wetlands, and rivers determine the probability of seeing/ (25 min) Divide the class into five groups. hearing certain species of birds. They will go on to predict how many Small group directions: Each group will choose birds will be seen in a given time. four birds from Skill Building: 20 Common Birds in the Portage, Wisconsin Area and predict where 4. Students will use basic number you might see them in the surrounding area. operations, fractions, ratios and proportions to compare the size Using an aerial photograph of area (or check out and changes of populations and Google Earth if you can’t find one), explain to students subpopulations of several birds. how to interpret the vegetation cover. Student groups should get copies of this photograph. Students can group landforms on the map into Materials broader categories of: woods, grasslands, farms, ❒❒ Copies of Skill Building urban areas, lakes, wetlands, and rivers. Have students pages for each student mark on the map where they predict their four different birds may be seen, according to habitat. ❒❒ Rulers Compare your plotted points to those of ❒❒ Protractors your classmates. In which area did your class ❒❒ Aerial photograph of your area predict one could find the most birds? (20 min) Skill Building: Species Familiarity This activity is intended as a preparation for doing upcoming fieldwork. It reviews a few mathematical concepts introduced in earlier lessons including size and angles on wing and tail. (10 min) Skill Building: Using Ratios to Compare

| 20 | Birds and Flight | Lesson 3 Hour 2 (20 min) Skill Building: Wing Angles (20 min) Skill Building: Birding Probability Skill Building: Species Probability Coefficients Discuss what coefficients are with the students. Explain to them that before the class can go outside to observe birds, they need to determine how probable it would be to see different bird species at this time. One of the keys to great birding is being familiar what species may be in a given area.

Hour 3 (30 min) Skill Building: How many birds over time? (5 min) Skill Building: Greater Prairie Chicken (discussion on maps) (20 min) Skill Building: Bird Populations and Subpopulations

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20 Common Birds in the Portage, Wisconsin Area

Species Food Requirements

Great blue heron fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals

Great egret frogs, lizards, snakes, small mammals

Canada goose aquatic vegetation, new grass, grain

Mallard seeds of sedges, willows and pondweeds, young amphibians and fish eggs, grain

Red-tailed hawk voles, mice, rabbits, birds, amphibians and reptiles

Barred owl mice, voles, squirrels, amphibians, birds

Belted kingfisher fish, aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles

Red-bellied woodpecker insects, seeds, nuts, fruit, sap, small amphibians, bird eggs, small fish

Blue jay nuts, berries, eggs, nestlings, birdseed, insects, carrion

American crow small vertebrates, carrion, eggs and nestlings, berries, seeds, human food waste, grain

Horned lark seeds, insects

Black-capped chickadee insects, spiders, birdseed

White-breasted nuthatch invertebrates, nuts, seeds

American robin insects, earthworms, berries

Cedar waxwing insects, berries, wild fruit

Song sparrow cutworms, beetles, grasshoppers, ants, seeds, wild fruit

Northern cardinal seeds, insects, berries

Red-winged blackbird seeds, grain, invertebrates, insects, berries

House finch seeds, berries, buds, flower parts

American goldfinch thistle, birch and alder seeds, insects, berries

Listed in taxonomic order

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Species Familiarity Comparing Sizes and Angles Directions: Most American bird books give length and wingspan in inches. To be more consistent with scientific measurement, we will use the metric system. Therefore, units for our answers should be based on the meter (m). This includes centimeters (cm), kilometers (km), etc.

Helpful Conversions: 1 in = 2.54 cm 1 ft = 0.3 m 1 oz = 28.3 g 16 oz = 1 lb 1 lb = 0.45 kg

Length 1. An American robin is 10 inches long from head to tail. How long is it in centimeters? ______

2. A yellow warbler is half the length of a robin. How long is it in centimeters? ______

Wingspan

3. The wingspan of an adult American robin can reach 17 inches. How long is that in centimeters? ______

4. A yellow warbler’s wingspan is one inch less than half of the robin’s wingspan.

How long is it in inches? ______In centimeters? ______

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Using Ratios to Compare Comparing Length

Example 1. A yellow warbler is half as long as a robin, so we can say it has a 0.5:1 ratio to the robin. Thus, we can multiply the robin’s length (10 in) by 0.5 to find the yellow warbler’s length. Going further, if we say a cattle egret has a 2:1 length ratio to a robin, we would multiply the robin’s length by 2 to find the length of the cattle egret. Directions: Find the following lengths of birds. Each ratio compares them to the length of an American robin (10 in). Put all lengths in terms of centimeters or meters. Round your answer to the nearest hundredth.

1. What is the length of the robin in centimeters? ______

2. Dark-eyed junco 0.625:1 Length =

3. Great blue heron 4.6:1 Length =

4. Turkey vulture 2.6:1 Length=

5. American crow 1.75:1 Length=

Comparing Wingspan Example 2. Now, let’s compare the wingspan of the same birds to that of the robin (17 in). Let’s try it with the cattle egret. Its ratio to the robin’s would be 2.17:1. In other words, the egret’s wingspan is a little over twice as large as the robin’s. Multiplying 17 by 2.17, we get 36.89 in. Now, we multiply 36.89 in by 2.54 cm/in and arrive at 93.7006 cm. Round it up to 94 cm. Use the same process on the following problems. Round your answer to the nearest whole number.

6. Dark-eyed junco 0.54:1 Wingspan=

7. Great blue heron 4.23:1 Wingspan=

8. Turkey vulture 3.94:1 Wingspan=

9. American crow 2.29:1 Wingspan=

| 24 | Birds and Flight | Lesson 3 Skill Building Name ��

Wing Angles Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers!

1. Eagles soar with their wings at 180 degrees. Imagine you are watching it head-on (facing you). Draw that angle.

2. Red-tailed hawks soar with wings slightly less than 180 degrees, usually near 175 degrees. Draw how this would look.

3. Turkey vultures soar with wings even less than red-tailed hawks. Their wings form a 170º angle at the shoulder. Draw what that would look like:

4. Ospreys have a “crooked wing” that bends at the wrist. It’s easiest to see the bend if you are looking up at their underside. The wing often bends as much as 75 degrees. Draw wings with 75-degree angle bends on this bird:

Use a bird guide to compare your drawings to those of the illustrator.

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Species Probability Coefficients Conspicuous Species Time of Day Season (abundance) Habitat Suitability Tc Behavior

Morn Noon Eve Night W Sp Su F Wet Urb F P Great blue 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.1 R C C C 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.6 0.2 0.8 heron Great egret 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.1 R C C C 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.8 0.2 0.8 Canada 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.1 C A A A 1.0 0.6 0.3 0.6 1.0 1.0 goose Mallard 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.1 A A A A 1.0 0.6 0.2 0.4 1.0 1.0 Red-tailed 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.1 C A A A 0.8 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.03 0.9 hawk Barred Owl 0.4 0.1 0.4 1.0 C C C C 0.1 0.1 1.0 0.2 0.05 0.9 Belted 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.1 U C C C 1.0 0.2 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.9 kingfisher Red-bellied 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.1 C C C C 0.1 0.6 1.0 0.1 0.2 0.8 woodpecker Blue jay 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.1 C A C A 0.2 0.8 1.0 0.6 1.0 1.0 American 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.1 C A A A 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.0 crow Horned lark 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.1 C A A C 0.1 0.2 0.1 1.0 1.0 0.6 Black-capped 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.1 A A A A 0.1 0.8 1.0 0.1 1.0 0.9 chickadee White- breasted 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.1 C C C C 0.1 0.8 1.0 0.1 0.9 0.8 nuthatch American 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.1 U A A A 0.6 1.0 1.0 0.6 1.0 1.0 robin Cedar 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.1 U C C C 0.6 0.6 1.0 0.4 1.0 0.6 waxwing Song sparrow 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.1 U A A A 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0 0.8 Northern 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.1 C C C C 0.2 1.0 1.0 0.2 1.0 1.0 cardinal Red-winged 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.1 U A A A 1.0 0.4 0.2 1.0 1.0 1.0 blackbird House finch 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.1 C C C C 0.1 1.0 0.2 0.6 1.0 0.9 American 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.1 C C A A 0.1 1.0 0.6 1.0 1.0 1.0 goldfinch A = Abundant, C = Common, U = Uncommon, R = Rare • Abundance coefficients A= 1.0; C = 0.8; O = 0.5; U = 0.3; R = 0.1 Habitat Types: Wet= Wetland, river or lake; Urb= Urban, including streets and lawns; F= Forest; P= Prairie and weedy fields Conspicuous Behavior Refers to how visible or audible a bird is likely to make itself when it is active Listed in taxonomic order

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Birding Probability Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Some birds are easier to spot than others. Population size, season, type of habitat, and time of day all factor into the probability of seeing a species of bird. Fortunately, we can make predictions about the kinds of birds we’ll most likely see or hear on a birding trip. By using an equation that incorporates several coefficients, we can reasonably guess at the types of birds we’ll be able to identify. Pb Probability of identifying a bird Ctd Time of day coefficient Unofficial “birding probability” formula: Cs Season coefficient Pb= Ctd × Cs × Chs × Tc × Ccb Chs Habitat suitability coefficient Tc Territory coefficient Ccb Conspicuous behavior coefficient Remember that a coefficient has no unit following the number. The lack of any label makes it easy to derive a percent chance of seeing a bird from the formula.

Example. If we look for an American robin in springtime in a suburban lawn, we will expect to see one almost every time. So, its Pb should be close to 1.0. Of course, we can’t be certain to see it, so the probability will be less than 1.0. Directions: Use the Probability Coefficients Table to answer the following questions. Put all your answers into % form. Remember, to get from a real number to a percent, multiply by 100% (or move the decimal point two places to the right). For example, 0.25 × 100%= 25%. Calculator use is acceptable, as long as all of the work is written out.

1. How likely are we to see or hear a cedar waxwing on a fall morning in a forest?

2. What chance do we have of identifying a blue jay in a prairie on a summer’s night?

3. When and where would it be most likely to find a barred owl?

4. Fill in the blanks and have a classmate solve the problem. Make your problem different than those above. Solve the problem to check your classmate’s work.

How likely is a birder to find a(n) ______during the month of

______at ______, while visiting a(n) ______area.

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How Many Bird Over Time? By allowing ourselves more time outside, our chances of seeing more birds increases. Using the probability formula and an estimation of population size, we can reasonably predict the number of birds we’ll see in an area. Remember, our probability formula looks like this: Pb= Ctd × Cs × Chs × Ct × Ccb

Unofficial “How Many Birds Over Time” formula:

Pb • (1 bird) + (# of hrs) • (# of birds/hour) • (Fc) = predicted # of birds

We take our answer from the probability formula and add it to the answer of 1 hr times ratio of birds per hour times the flocking coefficient (Fc). The flocking coefficient describes how many birds of the same species you’ll see in one area. Some birds flock regularly, while others are very territorial. The ration of birds per hour will vary depending on species. For the sake of this assignment, use the table below to help you. We will assume that all values are for the peak times of day for each bird. Real world values will fluctuate widely. During migration, you may see hundreds or eventhousands of a certain bird in an hour.

Use the seasonal abundance table to determine when specific birds are common, uncommon, etc.

Hypothetical Abundance over Time POPULATION SIZE PEAK #BIRDS/HOUR Abundant (a) 30 Common (c) 20 Occasional (o) 5 Uncommon (u) 2 Rare (r) 1 Example 1 If our Pb for a bird is .08, we have an estimated 80% chance of seeing one at that time and place. Let’s say our bird is uncommon and has an Fc of 0.7. If we spend an hour looking for it, we would use this formula:

[0.8 • (1 bird) + 1 hr • (2 bird/hr)] • 0.7 = predicted # of birds (0.8 birds + 2 birds) • 0.7 = 1.96 birds predicted With an answer of 1.96, we might expect to see 2 birds during our hour of observation. Example 2 If, instead, we spend 2 hours, our formula would look like this: [0.8 • (1 bird) + 2 hr • (2 bird/hr)] • 0.7 = predicted # of birds (0.8 birds + 4 birds) • 0.7 = 3.36 birds predicted So, over two hours, we might expect to see 3 or 4 birds.

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How Many Birds Over Time? page 2 Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Calculator use is acceptable, as long as the equations are written out.

1. How many red-bellied woodpeckers (Fc = 0.5) can we expect to see on a fall morning in a forest if we spend 2 hours looking?

2. How many house finches (Fc = 2) can we expect to see in downtown Portage if we spend an hour over lunchtime looking for them?

3. How many horned larks (Fc = 0.4) can you expect to find in a prairie on a summer evening if we take a three-hour hike?

4. Many owls have relatively large territories. How many barred owls (Fc = 0.05) might we hear if we spend six hours camping in the woods at night (as long as we’re awake to hear them!)?

5. If we didn’t consider the flocking coefficient (Fc = 0.5), how many barred owls would we expect to hear in six hour? Why would that be an unreasonable number?

6. How long would it take to identify 10 great blue herons during a summer morning on a wetland?

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Greater Prairie Chickens

Year of Last Known Sighting per County

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/Org/land/er/factsheets/birds/images/map15.gif Maps Comparing Range in 1800 and 1990

http://www.uwsp.edu/wildlife/pchicken/history.aspx

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Bird Populations and Subpopulations Due to natural occurrences and human activity, bird populations have fluctuated over time. In North America, habitat loss and pollution have driven many of our birds to the brink of extinction. Two of these birds that can be found in Wisconsin are the whooping crane and the greater prairie chicken. In this lesson, we will discover the reasons behind the decline of the populations, as well as how the populations are recovering today.

The Wisconsin cranes and prairie chickens are significant fractions of each species’ entire populations. In other words, they are significant subpopulations. The Wisconsin whooping cranes constitute around 20% of all wild whooping cranes. Our greater prairie chickens probably constitute 2.5% of all wild greater prairie chickens (over 90% of which are found west of the Mississippi River).

Greater Prairie Chickens Although the greater prairie chicken has not been hunted in Wisconsin since 1955, over-hunting and habitat loss has taken an incredible toll on many of our nation’s grassland game birds. If we compare today’s greater prairie chicken range to its former range and assume a similar concentration of birds, a pre-European estimation for this species population in Wisconsin could be 750,000 birds. There are only around 1,500 today in Wisconsin.

Directions: Calculator use is permitted to solve the following problems. Show all of your steps.

1. What percent of greater prairie chickens remains in our state?

2. Scientists and concerned citizens are working hard to protect the greater prairie chicken. Assuming the state population grows by 10% each year, how long will it take to reach 2,000 birds? Remember to readjust your percentage for each year’s population. Remember, you can’t have a fraction of a bird, so be sure to round down, not up.

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Bird Populations and Subpopulations, page 2

Whooping Cranes There has been a ban on hunting whooping cranes since 1916, however, they were over-hunted prior to that time. Fortunately, there is a worldwide effort to protect them and all other species of crane. That effort is centered in Baraboo, Wisconsin at the International Crane Foundation.

Whooping cranes were probably never numerous. A high estimate for the mid-1800s puts the original population at 1,500. By the early 1900s, only two small flocks remained. Through international efforts, the total population of wild and captive whooping cranes stands at about 500 birds. In the wild, there are an estimated 325 adults.

3. Assuming that one chick survives to adulthood every year for every six adults in the wild, about how many young whooping cranes will reach adulthood next year?

4. Whooping cranes don’t usually reproduce until the age of 4. Using your answer from #1 and the original 325 adults how many total adults will live in the wild next year? Exclude additional mortality.

5. Keep using the 1:6 ratio. How many years will it take the cranes to reach half of their original wild population? Exclude additional mortality. Year 0 population is 325.

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Lesson Plan Migration • Lesson 4

Learning Objectives Hour 1 1. Students will use a table and (30 min) Skill Building: Why do birds migrate? algebraic equations to derive (30 min) Skill Building: Carrying Capacity a carrying capacity for a bird species and its prey. Hour 2 2. Students will use maps to measure (20 min) Skill Building: Mapping and Measuring both the distances traveled by migrating birds and the approximate (30 min) Skill Building: Charting Migration: Assignment 1 ranges of several birds. Hour 3 3. Students will use online data and reasoning to fill in missing data (60 min) Skill Building: Charting Migration: Assignment 1 and 2 on a table of uncommon local birds. Students will also use data Hour 4 and estimation to design a graph (20 min) Skill Building: Uncommon Species of the Portage, Area that compares the abundance of species within a given group. (10 min) Skill Building: Using Binoculars 4. Students will use data collection, (30 min) Outside: migration routes and probability to Skill Building: Measuring Migration predict the suitability of an area for several migrating birds. Students will Skill Building: Bird Tally Sheet create an algebraic model of species Hours 5, 6, 7 use and/or suitability of an area. 5. Students will use multiplication and (60 min) Final Project: Aiding Migration reasoning to discern the abilities and Allow 2-3 class periods for students to complete drawbacks of different binoculars. their research and create their final project. They will also gain familiarity Unit Extension with the use of binoculars. Journey North is a great on-line tool to use to track migration! http://www.learner.org/jnorth/ Materials ❒❒ Copies of Skill Building pages for each student ❒❒ Rulers ❒❒ Protractors ❒❒ Binoculars

Preparation ❒❒ Reserve time for student computer access. Skill Building: Charting Migration and the final project requires extensive computer time.

Birds and Flight | Lesson 4 | 33 | Skill Building Name ��

Why do Birds Migrate? Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Directions: Calculators are acceptable to solve the problems, as long as you show all of the steps.

Any given environment can only support a particular amount of one kind of life form. This number of living beings that can exist in an area is known as the carrying capacity of a habitat. An organism must have enough food, water, cover, and space to survive.

Like many other animals, birds change their behavior as the weather and resource availability change. Many birds respond by migrating.

Take the magnolia warbler, for example. This small bird feasts on insects and spiders. As the temperatures drop, fewer insects and spiders breed and food becomes scarce.

Let’s suppose that in a square kilometer in northern Wisconsin, there exist 20 magnolia warblers and 200,000 of the warblers’ favorite spiders and insects. Because the bugs can replace their population rather quickly, assume the number stays constant from July 1st to July 31st.

Now, let’s say that 20 birds eat a total of 1% of all the spiders and insects in a square kilometer each day.

1. How many bugs will these 20 birds eat in one day?

2. What percent of bugs can one of the birds eat?

3. How many bugs does each bird eat?

Let’s assume that the answer you found in question 1 is the necessary amount of food to keep a bird healthy every day. Imagine that on August 1st, the population of spiders and insects drops by 10% and stays at that level through August 7th. Remember, the birds can only catch 1% of the available spiders and insects.

4. How many bugs are left? (Hint: 20,000 is incorrect)

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5. How many magnolia warblers can stay healthy on this reduced population of spiders and insects? (Remember, the birds can only catch 1% of the bugs.)

6. How many birds will have to leave the area to meet their food requirements?

7. On August 8th, the population of spiders and insects drops to 60% of the original total. How many bugs are left?

8. How many birds can survive now?

Going Further 1. What do these birds do as temperatures fall and resources dwindle? Why?

2. Why do fish-eating birds migrate south in the colder months (especially before the temperatures fall to 0 degrees Celsius)?

3. Why might certain birds, such as pigeons and black-capped chickadees, remain in Wisconsin all year?

4. How might global warming affect migration?

Birds and Flight | Lesson 4 | 35 | Skill Building Name ��

Carrying Capacity Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! This table shows hypothetical values for the number of long-eared owls and voles found in an area over the course of a year. Because long-eared owls eat voles, we are checking for a correlation between vole populations and long-eared owl populations. Carrying capacity can be defined as the number of individuals that a resource within an environment can support. Do the following data suggest that the population of voles affects the carrying capacity of owls?

Year Long-eared owls “Lo” Voles born “Vb” Voles dead “Vd” Rainfall “R” (cm) 1990 30 500 200 60 1995 42 700 280 80 2000 47 790 316 90 2005 26 430 172 50

Lo= Owls Vb= Voles born Vd= Voles dead R= Rainfall

1. Scientists might use an algebraic equation to explain the amount of voles being born. Does the equation Vb= 8(R) + (R - 20) work to do that? Why or why not. Test it out.

2. Suppose a scientist attempted to make an algebraic equation that estimated the amount of long- eared owls one could find in an area. Remember, estimates usually don’t give exact answers. Would the equation (8(R) + (R - 20) - Vd) ÷ 10 = Lo make sense? Test it. Remember to follow the order of operations!

3. Using our equations, predict the number of long-eared owls that would be found if 70 cm of rain fell on an area over the year. Look at the relationship between “Lo” and “R”. Your answer will be an estimate, not exact.

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Challenge. Go back to the equation in question 2. Can you figure out a simpler way to write this equation?

Extension. Create a line graph that shows the population shifts of voles and long-eared owls as a function of rain. You will need to use two lines (one for the owls, one for the voles). Your x-value will be amount of rainfall and your y-values will be population. You may use graph paper or Microsoft Excel.

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Mapping and Measuring Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers!

1. Imagine the concentration of bald eagles in Columbia County is 6 eagles for every 10km2, or (6 birds/10km2). Approximately how many eagles live in Columbia County?

Step 1. Use the map to find the total area of Columbia County.

Step 2. Write an equivalent fraction using algebra.

6 birds/10km2 = x birds/ total km2

Step 3. Solve your equation for x

2. The greater prairie chicken has a range of 11,000 acres on the Buena Vista Grasslands and perhaps up to 30,000 acres in the Mead Wildlife Area. Some estimates put its former range between 50 and 70% of the entire state of Wisconsin (see map on page 39). If the state is 65,500 mi2 then what percent of the former range is still in use by greater prairie chickens? Note: You will need to convert acres to square miles! 1 acre is equal to 0.0015625 square mile (1 square mile is equal to 640 acres).

3. If a common tern flies from northwestern Ashland County to the shores of Milwaukee without flying into Wisconsin’s boundaries, what is the shortest distance (km) it can travel? (Create your path outside of the state map lines).

| 38 | Birds and Flight | Lesson 4 Skill Building Name ��

DOUGLAS BAYFIELD WASHBURN SAWYER

ASHLAND IRON PRICE VILAS ONIEDA

FLORENCE BURNETT MARINETTE POLK BARRON RUSK

LINCOLN

LANGLADE FOREST TAYLOR OCONTO CHIPPEWA ST. CROIX DUNN

MARATHON MENOMINEE CLARK

PIERCE

DOOR

EAU CLAIRE WOOD PORTAGE WAUPACA SHAWANO BUFFALO PEPIN A U N E K E W J A C K S O N A G M I E T R E M P A L U

O U T BROWN

JUNEAU ADAMS WAUSHARA CALUMET

C O W

MONROE O

T I

LA CROSSE

N A MARQUETTE M WINNEBAGO SHEBOYGAN

VERNON

G R E N L A K FOND DU LAC SAUK COLUMBIA DODGE

RICHLAND EE K O N

CRAWFORD OZAU

DANE A S H I N G T W WAUKESHA IOWA A U K E W

GRANT M I L J E F R S O N

GREEN ROCK WALWORTH RACINE LAFAYETTE

KENOSHA

Scale: 1 inch = 43.73 miles

Birds and Flight | Lesson 4 | 39 | Skill Building Name ��

Charting Migration Assignment 1 Phenology is the study of seasonal events in the natural world. All over the world, people practice phenology by charting birds they see throughout the year. Over the next several days, you will be studying and conducting phenology for the birds in your area.

Technology Connection: eBird.com is a site that allows people all over North America to keep an electronic record of birds they’ve seen. If you want to see the birds others have viewed in the Portage area, go to http://www.ebird.org/go/GuideMe?cmd=changeLocation and choose Counties in this state [Wisconsin]. Select “Adams, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green Lake, Marquette, and Sauk” and hit Continue to see data from your region. When the next screen comes up, you can change the date range and check out, for example, what people have seen over the last 10 years. You can even sign up on eBird and add your own bird list to this data. As of yet, not much data exists for Columbia County. You could change that soon!

1. Choose a family of birds (ducks, gamebirds, birds of prey, warblers, etc.)

2. Choose between 5 and 10 birds in the family.

3. Pick a season.

4. Using eBird data and your own estimation skills, you will create a graph comparing the abundance of specific species in that bird family for your seven county area in a particular season.

5. You will be comparing the relative percentages of these birds. For example, out of the total population of birds of prey, red-tailed hawks might make up 40% of all sightings, American kestrels 15%, bald eagles 25%, etc. Use the back of this sheet or a separate page to write your estimations.

6. Determine the best kind of chart to show a comparison like this (bar graph, pie chart, line graph, etc.).

7. Using Microsoft Excel, enter your data. You should have one column (your x) for Bird Species and another (your y) for Percent of Sightings.

8. Highlight your data and create your graph. The Chart Wizard can help you through this process.

9. Make sure your graph has a title and a key. Print your graph, write your name and date, and turn it in.

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Charting Migration Assignment 2

1. Choose a species that is present, but not usually abundant in your seven county area. You will be creating and presenting a short (1 page) research project on the bird. If you and a classmate choose the same bird, check with your teacher first. It might be fun to choose one that has shown up in the current season, as you will soon be heading outside to do a bird survey.

2. Using eBird data and information from a field guide, attempt to determine the habitat suitability of the region for your bird. Are there good areas nearby that would meet its resource needs?

3. Using online resources and field guides, write a short description of the physical characteristics of this bird. Make sure to include wingspan, length, colors and any unique characteristics that would help someone identify this bird in the field.

4. Using online resources and field guides, write a brief natural history of this species. Where does it like to live? What does it eat? How has its population changed?

5. Present your findings to your class. Your presentation should last between 5 and 7 minutes.

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Uncommon Species of the Portage Area

Species Food requirements Check the birds you might see American wigeon Aquatic plants, young shoots in fields, invertebrates Gray partridge Waste grain, seeds, insects Least bittern Small fish, tadpoles, frogs, leeches, crayfish Greater yellowlegs Aquatic invertebrates, small fish Long-eared owl Voles, mice, shrews, small rabbits, birds, amphibians Whip-poor-will Mosquitoes, blackflies, midges, beetles, moths, grasshoppers Northern shrike Small birds, shrews, rodents, large insects, snakes, frogs Brown creeper Invertebrates found under tree bark Orange-crowned warbler Invertebrates, berries, nectar, sap Evening grosbeak Seeds, buds, berries, insects, licks mineral-rich soil Before you go outside, take a look at ten uncommon species found in your area. Is this a good time of year to see any of them?

Directions: Use eBird.com to fill in the missing Seasonal Abundance data for your 7-County region (Adams, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green Lake, Marquette and Sauk). Use the provided R,U, and C’s in the table to help judge the level of abundance at which each bird should be listed. If no records for the bird exist in a certain time period, list it as ‘X’.

Winter= December-February, Spring= March-May, Summer= June-August, Fall= September-November.

A = Abundant, C = Common, U = Uncommon, R = Rare Seasonal Conspicuous Species Time of Day Habitat Suitability Abundance Behavior Morn Noon Eve Night W Sp Su F Wet Urb F P American wigeon 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.1 C 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.8

Gray partridge 0.8 0.6 0.8 0.1 R 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.8 0.6

Least bittern 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.1 R 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.8 0.2 Greater yellowlegs 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.1 C 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.6 0.8

Long-eared owl 0.2 0.1 0.4 1.0 X 0.8 0.4 1.0 0.8 0.2

Whip-poor-will 0.4 0.1 0.8 1.0 X 0.1 0.4 0.8 0.8 0.9 Northern shrike 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.1 X 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.8 0.8 Brown creeper 0.8 0.4 0.8 0.1 X 0.8 0.2 0.8 0.1 0.4 Orange-crowned warbler 0.9 0.4 0.9 0.1 X 0.1 0.3 0.8 0.1 0.6 Evening grosbeak 0.9 0.6 0.9 0.1 X X X X 0.1 0.6 0.6 0.1 0.6

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Using Binoculars

Magnification If you have a pair of binoculars with you, take a look at the top. There should be two numbers with an “×” in the middle. One example is 8×30. The first number is the magnification number. It tells you the power of the lens. In our example, an object would appear 8 times larger than it actually is. The larger the number, the larger your object appears. Interestingly, a higher power usually reduces the amount of light that enters your eye; making the object appear slightly darker.

Field of view The second number on the binoculars is the field of view (FOV) number. It is measured in millimeters (mm). The FOV indicates how wide of an area you are able to view through your binoculars. The larger the number, the more area you can see, and the more lighted the area will appear. 8×30 is a desirable power and FOV for binoculars. This is because it provides a relatively high magnification, but allows enough light in to pick out important colors and shapes. Further, it provides a wide enough view to easily locate a bird.

Comparisons and contrasts

1. An adult red-eyed vireo is about 6 inches long. How long (cm) would the vireo appear in a pair of 8×30-powered binoculars?

2. How long would it appear in a 5×40 pair? What would be an advantage and a disadvantage of this pair over the 8×30?

3. How long would it appear in a 15×30 pair? Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of this pair as compared to the 8×30.

Focusing your binoculars: First, space out the eyepieces according to your eyes. Grasp the barrels firmly and move them in or out. Second, if the eyecups can be pushed/screwed in and out, adjust those, too. The eyecup height can make a difference. Third, focus your eyepieces. There are usually two focus adjustment wheels on your binoculars. Look at something through the binoculars. Turn the wheel on the eyepiece first. It’s usually found on the right eyepiece, so you might try to close your left eye during this part (eventually, you’ll want to try it with both eyes open). After the right eyepiece becomes clear, adjust the focus wheel in the middle of the binoculars. It will take some playing around. You’ll have to readjust if looking at something nearer or farther than your first object.

Finding your target: Pick something you want to look at. What do you see around it? Is it near a bright red leaf, a dead paper birch tree, a dock in a lake? Raise your binoculars to your eyes while looking at your object. If you can’t find your object, try to find the thing(s) you noticed were nearby. This may help you zero in on what you’re looking for.

Birds and Flight | Lesson 4 | 43 | Skill Building Name ��

Measuring Migration Remember: Show your work and make sure you use the correct label on all your answers! Directions: Your class will be collecting data in the field. You will be recording the birds you see and hear within the boundaries of a transect. A transect is line running through an area of study that you will determine before beginning your count. The boundaries can be as narrow or as wide as you and your teacher decide.

Recording For each transect, record the type and number of birds you identify. A table is provided. You may have to extend it or make more copies for your field study. The study can last as long as you and your teacher decide. Record the time period (beginning and end) of your recording period. Often, completing a field study at different times of day will yield different species.

Mysteries If you come across a species you don’t recognize, write down what you see and hear in the notes section. Size, shape, behavior, location, and song are all important factors in figuring out a mystery species. You can always go back to the field guide after making your observations.

Using your Results After conducting your survey, you can input your findings into eBird.com.

You should also note how many common vs. uncommon birds you saw in your survey. Do your results tell you anything about the environment you surveyed?

Cornell University has a great web site that might answer any questions you have about doing a bird survey: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/urbanbirds/ubs_BIHMainEN.html

Begin your field study.

1. Describe, in as much detail as possible, the area in which you are conducting your survey: ______

______

| 44 | Birds and Flight | Lesson 4 Skill Building Name ��

Bird Tally Sheet Weather (Sunlight, wind, precipitation): ______

Temperature: ______Snow Cover:______

Time Beginning______Time Ending______

Species In Transect Out of Transect Flyovers Notes

Field Notes:

Birds and Flight | Lesson 4 | 45 | Final Project Name ��

Aiding Migration It’s time to help our feathered friends. Choose a bird from your eBird search and seek out information on it. You will be spending some time looking at bird guides and browsing the Internet to find your information. Make sure to write down each source you use.

After completing your research, write a short essay using your statistics that would persuade others to donate money and time restoring habitat for your bird.

Here is some information you should find:

1. Size of the bird’s former population (nationally, regionally, statewide)

2. Size of present population (nationally, regionally, statewide)

3. Former range in Wisconsin (can be an estimate)

4. Current range in Wisconsin

5. Habitat requirements

6. Changes in that type of habitat in Wisconsin over the last 200 years

7. Cost of restoring that type of habitat per unit of land area (acre, square mile, etc.)

8. How this species can help humans (how many bugs, rodents it can eat per day, etc.)

| 46 | Birds and Flight | Lesson 4 Unit Answer Keys Some of the answers will be shown in steps to guide instruction. The steps will be separated by arrows. Lesson 1

Skill Building: Definitions in unit vocabulary Bird Anatomy Skill Building: 1. 45% Wing Feathers 2. 18% 3. 21% 4. 14% 5. 6% Skill Building: 1. Refer to page 8 Wing Anatomy 2. 80° 3. 85° 4. 60° 5. Answer will vary by student (answers 2-4 are approximate) Skill Building: Bird 1. 2.5 g Anatomy and Ratios 2. 8.75 g 3. 55% or 13.75 g 4. 3∕1,400 = 1∕467 = 2∕933 Skill Building: Bird 5. 6:8 = 3:4 Anatomy and Ratios, 2 6. 40:80 = 1:2 7. 41:52 ≈ 4:5 Lesson 2

Skill Building: 8. Answer will vary by student. ex: The paper would rise Lift Experiment 9. Yes. The stronger breath made it move up more. 10. Answer will vary by student. ex: It changes the pressure. Skill Building: Flight 1. speed: 5 mph direction: directly into the wind

2. 3. 4 full rotations, 500 ft per rotation 4. 6,000 ft 5. b = 6,000 ft c = 6,325 ft

Birds and Flight | Unit 2 | 47 | Skill Building: 6. 56.4 km/hr Flight, 2 7. 42 flaps 8. 5,400 flaps 9. 6,000 flaps in half of a min Skill Building: 1. Pine siskin: 10,181 J, 840 m Flight Costs, 2 2. Hermit thrush: 123,840 J, 374,400 m 3. Purple martin: 88,560 J, 172,800 m 4. Rock dove: 24,552 J, 13,680 m Lesson 3

Skill Building: 1. 25.4 cm Species Familiarity 2. 12.7 cm 3. 43.2 cm 4. 7.5 in, 19.1 cm Skill Building: Using 1. 15.9 cm Ratios to Compare 2. 116.8 cm 3. 66 cm 4. 44.5 cm 5. 23 cm 6. 182 cm 7. 169 cm 8. 98 cm Skill Building: 1. about 38% Birding Probability 2. about 5% 3. 72% 4. Answer will vary by student Skill Building: 1. 40.5 predicted birds How Many Birds 2. 20.6 predicted birds Over Time? 3. 90.7 predicted birds (in Spring or Summer) 90.6 predicted birds (in Fall or Winter) 4. 120.8 predicted birds 5. 28.2 minutes Skill Building: Bird 1. 2.5% Populations and 2. 4 years Subpopulations Skill Building: Bird 3. about 54 chicks Populations and 4. 383 adults Subpopulations, 2 5. 7 years (assuming no mortality)

| 48 | Birds and Flight | Unit 2 Lesson 4

Skill Building: Why 1. 2,000 bugs for 20 birds per day do Birds Migrate? 2. 0.05% 3. 100 bugs per bird per day 4. 171,178 bugs 5. 17 birds 6. 3 birds 7. 120,000 bugs 8. 12 birds

Going Further Answers will vary by student Skill Building: 1. Answer will vary by student, ex: It is not perfect, but it is close Carrying Capacity 2. Answer will vary by student, ex: prediction is highly accurate 3. about 35 long eared owls 4. Challenge: Answer will vary by student 5. Extension: View map Skill Building: 1. 1,209 birds Mapping and 2. 0.14% Measuring 3. 468 km Skill Building: Answers will vary by student and birds chosen Charting Migration Skill Building: 1. 48" Using Binoculars 2. 30" 3. 90", advantage: almost twice the magnification of the 8 × 30s, disadvantages: object will be harder to find (smaller field of vision versus magnification); the object will be less brightly lit

Birds and Flight | Unit 2 | 49 | Unit References (All web sites accessible as of 11/20/2006) 1. Anderson, John M. The Changing World of Birds. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.. New York, 1973. 2. Arnold, Caroline. Birds: Nature’s Magnificent Flying Machines. Charles- bridge. Watertown, Massachusetts, 2003. 3. Berthold, Peter. Bird Migration: A General Survey. Oxford University Press. Oxford, 2001. 4. Burne, David. Eyewitness Books: Bird. Dorling Kindersley Limited. London, 1988. 5. City of Portage, WI. City of Portage Web site. http://www.ci.portage.wi.us 6. Columbia County, WI. Columbia County Map. http://www.co.columbia.wi.us/ColumbiaCounty/Default.aspx?tabid=652 7. Cornell University. All about Birds. http://www.birds.cornell.edu 8. Freedman, Russell. How Birds Fly. Holiday House. New York, 1977. 9. Indiana State University. Map of Wisconsin. http://baby.indstate.edu/gga/gga_cart/basewi.gif 10. Kaufmann, John. Birds are Flying. Thomas Y. Crowell. New York, 1979. 11. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature. Glossary of Ornithology Terms. http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Birds/MMMN/English/glossary_data.html 12. Nedin, Chris. All about Archaeopteryx. The Talk Origins Archive. http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/archaeopteryx/info.html 13. Paine, Laura. Managing for birds and profit. Graze Online. http://www.grazeonline.com/birds.html 14. Paten, Dorothy Hinshaw. Feathers. Cobblehill Books. New York, 1992. 15. Pennycuick, C.J. Bird Flight and Performance: A Practical Calcula- tion Manual. Oxford University Press. New York, 1989. 16. Stehn, Tom. International Whooping Crane Recovery Team: Whooping Crane Recovery Activities, April 2006 - September 2006. Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/crane-info/recv2006a.htm#Aransas 17. University of Texas. Map of Wisconsin http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/wisconsin.gif 18. Videler, John J. Avian Flight. Oxford University Press. Oxford, 2005. 19. Wake Forest University. How Big are your Wings? Lesson Plan. http://www.wfu.edu/biology/albatross/activity.htm 20. Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative. Wisconsin All Bird Plan: Greater Prairie Chicken. http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/plan/species/gpch.htm 21. Wisconsin Online. Columbia County. http://www.wisconline.com/counties/columbia/

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