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Home , Beak, Down feather, Feather, Rump (animal)

from: Ranger Rick Magazine's Naturescope: , Birds, Birds! Prime Parts National Federation, copyright 1989

Demonstrate how irds are unique. They have differentparts of a 's special body parts that set body work using a them apart from all other variety everydayof m objects. animals. In this demonstra- tion/activity, your kids can learn about Objectives: some of these specialavian featuresas you DeKribe how birds are discuss each one. adaptedfor flight. Com­ pare bird to those ofothe r animals. DEMONSTRATION#1: BALL

Ages: Ask the group if they think birds have Primaryand good vision. Then draw an outline of a Intermediate bird's head on the boardor on a largepiece Materials (part1 ): of easel paper. Ask if a bird's eyes are • chalkboardor easel locatedmore on the sides of the head or on paper the front of the head. (In most birds, the

• elasticbands eyes are on the side. But in some and • blackconstruction , the eyes face forward.) Then have paper • soccerbaU someone come up and draw in the bird's Materials(part 2): eyes. • differentkinds of seeds Next have each personlook at his or her • smaU stones neighbor to see where human eyes are • mortara nd pestle located. (They face forward.) Explain that • a gizzard (optional) people have binocular vision, which means Materials(part 3): both eyes focus on the same image. Most • baby oil or petroleum birds have monocular vision most of the distance better than those withmonocular jelly time because each eye focuses on a dif­ vision.)

• cotton doth( about one ferent image. Most birds have binocular To demonstrate the difference, have squarefoot) vision only when they focusstraight ahead everyone makean eye patchusing a piece Materials(part 4): • (Getfeathers with both eyes focusedon the sameimage. of black construction paper stapled to an onlyfrom a Then have each persongently shut one elastic band. Take the group outside and /arm or zoo; it's against eye or cover one eye witha hand and look have everyone put on his or her eye patch. the law to collect around. Ask if they can tell a difference Then makea largecircle and play catch. Is them.) betweenone-eyed sight and two-eyedsight. it any harder to catch a ball when seeing • overhead projector • paperand pencils (Animals with binocular vision can judge out of only one eye? • Velcro(20 inches) • hand lens( optional) Materials(part 5): DEMONSTRATION#2: GIZZARD GRINDERS • chicken andbee/ (cleaned) Birds do not have teeth, but they do usedis similarto the muscular action in the • stronglight source have a grinding muscular stomach called gizzardof a seed-eating bird-except that a (optional) the gizzard. Many birds also swallow grit bird's gizzardis much stronger. ( One study (small pebbles,stones, eggshells,a nd other showed that a could grind up 24 Subject: Science hard materials), which ends up in the English walnuts, shell and all, in just four gizzard and helps grind seeds, bones, and hours. Another study showed that a turkey other hard-to-digest food. could even grind steel needles to pieces.) To show your group how the gizzard Tell your group that the gizzard helps grinds, bring in some cracked corn, sun­ birds get the most from the food seeds, or other nuts or seeds, and they eat. That means they can get more grind them up using a few stones in a energy from less food, which saves them mortar and pest1e.Pas s around the powder time looking for food. and explain that the churning motion you

12 Note: You might also want to pass around supermarket) so the kids can feel how a real chicken or turkey gizzard (you can thick and tough the gizzard muscles are. get one in a whole chicken or turkey at the Cut it open to show the tough inner lining.

DEMONSTRATION #3: A HANDY GLAND Another "part" that birds have that To show your group how the oil helps other animals don't have is an oil gland. waterproof the feathers so water doesn't The oil gland, or preen gland, is on the soak in and weight the bird down, try this bird's rump, right above the base of the . demonstration. Cut two 6 x 12" (15 x 30- The gland secretes an oil that the bird cm) pieces of cotton cloth. Apply petro­ squeezes out with its bill and spreads on its leum jelly or baby oil to one of the pieces. feathers and feet. The oil helps keep the Dip each into a cup of water and then pull feathers waterproof, flexible, and in good them both out. The water soaks into the condition. cloth without oil but runs off the other.

DEMONSTRATION #4: FEATURES Birds are the only animals in the world Then explain that the vane is made up of with feathers. In this demonstration, your hundreds of barbs that look like skinny kids can learn the parts of a feather and coming off the shaft in parallel rows. how feathers help a bird fly and stay warm. To show the barbs, place a large contour Explain that there are two main types of feather on an overhead projector. The feathers: contour feathers, which are found enlarged silhouette will show how the on the bird's body, wings, and tail; and barbs stick out from the shaft. It will also down feathers, which are fluffier andsofter show the tiny barbules that grow off from and lie close to a bird's body, under the each of the barbs. Explain that the barbules contour feathers. have rolled edges on one side and tiny hooks on the other that interlock side by side and hold the barbs together-kind of like a "ziplock" seal. This "ziplock" system is one of the most important flight features a bird has. The flat, flexible vane stays locked in flight, helping the bird keep its smooth, streamlined shape and allowing each feather to firmly fan the air. But if the vane does split apart between two barbs, the bird can "zip" its feathers back into shape by pressing the barbs together with its . This is one reason birds preen-it helps them fix their feathers and get them back into shape for flying. (See page 41 for more about .) Another way to demonstrate the hook­ BARB If possible, give each person a contour ing system is to pass out a tiny piece of feather and a down feather. (You can get Velcro to each person. Have everyoneseal feathers at a poultryfarm or zoo.) Tell each the Velcro and pull it apart. Then have person to look closely at the contour everyone look at the two parts of the feather. Explain that the hard center tube is Velcro under a hand lens or magnifying called the shaft and the rest of the feather is glass. Each person should be able to see called the uane. Have each person draw a the tiny hooks and loops. (This is not picture of his or her feather and label the exactly the same as a bird's feather, but it's vane and the shaft (see diagram). close.) (continued next page)

13 DEMONSTRATION #5: BONING UP ON BIRDS

Bird bones are not only lightweight but Let the children examine the bones to also very strong. That's because they are see how they are different. If possible, saw hollow or partially hollow, and some have through a chicken wing . Show the thin reinforcing braces inside for support. children the very thin crisscross pattern To compare bird bones with those of other inside. (Warn them to be careful of sharp animals, bring in several chicken bones as edges.) You can also hold a chicken bone well as bones from a cow, lamb, or other and a cow bone up to a strong light to show . (You can get bones from the the difference between bird and mammal butcher or nature center, or you can save bones. You can see light through the some from a meal.) chicken bone but not through the denser cow bone.