Build a Shorebird Adapted from Learn About become familiar with some of the Introduction Seabirds. U.S. Fish and Wildlife most common threats to shorebird Most shorebirds are uniquely Service. survival. adapted to living in open spaces that also provide an abundant Grade level: lower elementary Objectives source of invertebrate foods. Their Duration: one 40 to 60-minute class After this activity, students will be adaptations are both physical (the period. able to: way they are built) and behavioral Skills: vocabulary, discussion, ■ Define the term adaptation (the way they act). This activity visualization, comparing ■ Describe three adaptations focuses on the physical adaptations similarities and differences unique to birds of birds--and then specifically of Subjects: science and history ■ Describe three adaptations shorebirds: their down and contour unique to shorebirds feathers, hollow bones, air sacs, Concepts: ■ Name the most significant threats long and pointed wings, camouflage ■ Shorebirds, like other shorebirds face today plumage, long legs and toes, animals, are adapted in three ■ Name two other human related specialized bills, and oil glands. ways to survive: physically, activities harmful to shorebirds physiologically, and behaviorally. Migration itself is considered an ■ Shorebirds have many physical, Materials adaptation that enables shorebirds or morphological, adaptations ■ Red, yellow, and blue student to take advantage of the abundant to help them walk, find food, flash cards (provided in this Arctic food resources in the spring hide, reproduce, and to fly long activity) and summer yet escape to more distances during migration. ■ Down jacket or vest hospitable southern climates for the ■ Adaptations are naturally ■ Pictures of down and contour winter. Unfortunately, migration selected over a long period of feathers also exposes these birds to a wide time, and specialized animals ■ Two large paper bird wings variety of threats along the way. like shorebirds cannot adapt ■ Several drinking straws or toilet Habitat loss, oil contamination, overnight to habitat damage or paper tubes disturbance, and trash are just a alteration. ■ Chicken bone few examples. ■ Balloons Vocabulary ■ Camouflage patterned hat, vest For more information shorebird ■ adaptation or cloth adaptations go the Shorebird ■ physical adaptation ■ Large enough piece of blue felt or Primer. ■ behavioral adaptation paper to stand on ■ guano ■ Spray bottle ■ habitat ■ Scissors ■ market shooting ■ Duct tape Activity Preparation ■ habitat loss ■ Cardboard bill or tweezers tied 1. Gather the materials listed. ■ plumage on a string necklace Consider enlisting help from ■ down feathers ■ Empty baby oil bottle your students. ■ contour feathers ■ M&Ms or gummy worms 2. Assign your students or a parent ■ migration ■ Popcorn volunteer to construct: ■ camouflage ■ String (20-40 feet) ■ invertebrate ■ Black paper oil splashes ■ one student-sized set of paper ■ Blue paper wetland wings (to be cut and modified Overview ■ 6-pack can rings or a net during the activity) Students will learn about the ■ Clothespins ■ one blue paper wetland to stand physical adaptations unique on to shorebirds by dressing up a ■ one cardboard bill volunteer with bird “adaptations” Optional ■ several black construction paper that gradually transform him or ■ Electric fan cut-outs of oil spills her into a bird-and then into a ■ Rubber boots or waders shorebird. They will discover that shorebirds are a diverse group of birds designed to feed and nest in specific habitats. They will S H O R E B I R D S M 135 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P 3. Photocopy on cardstock and then Procedure 3. Distribute all the flash cards to cut out the activity flash cards 1. Explain the term adaptation the students. Tell them as you (included here) in the colors (a physical or behavioral describe what is needed by the shown below. There should be characteristic that has evolved bird, they should look at their enough so that every student over time to help a species flash cards and raise there hand except the bird volunteer has at survive and reproduce in the if they have the adaptation you least one card. For large classes, environment where it lives). Tell are describing. They will place students can share a card; on the students that they will be their adaptation on the “bird” person reads the card the other exploring the world of shorebird using clothespins. attaches the adaptation to the adaptations by building a “bird”. shorebird. 4. Begin to transform your volunteer into a bird with the ■ General Bird Adaptation Cards 2. Ask for a volunteer. This person yellow flash cards. Use the - yellow will be turned first into a bird, Teaching Notes 1-4 to guide the ■ Special Shorebird Adaptation then into a shorebird, and finally students through the activity. Cards - blue into a Western Sandpiper. He Repeat this process until all the ■ Threats to Shorebird Cards - red or she will also be subjected to yellow cards have been read and some threats a shorebird may the adaptations added to the face. volunteer S H O R E B I R D S M 136 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Teacher Notes: General Bird Adaptations (Yellow Cards) Adaptation Description Material Needed 1. Down Feathers Feathers are a unique Dress bird in down jacket and Ask students to imagine they adaptation found only in birds. bird wings. are birds in flight. How does All birds have two kinds of it feel to be soaring above the feathers: Study comparison pictures of earth? Is it cold? Is skin enough down and contour feathers. to insulate you up there? 1) Down feathers — a kind of You will have had to adapt to bird underwear — fluffy, under- temperature extremes. How? feathers for insulation With feathers. 2) Contour feathers — strong 2. Contour Feathers outer feathers for flight that What sort of material is strong are also the bird’s clothes and and flexible enough for the coloration wings and tail to help you fly? 3. Hollow Bones Hollow bones reduce weight. Attach drinking straw or Ask students to think about Most of the bird’s weight is in cardboard paper roll to down how much they weigh. How the breast and wings (where the jacket. much do you think a Bald Eagle flight muscles are). Our bones weighs? It only weighs between are not hollow but instead are Pass chicken bone around for 8–14 lbs. and has a 7–8 ft. wing filled with marrow for red blood the students to examine. span. cell production. Birds have marrow only in their breast bone. 4. Air Sacs Air sacs help birds take in Attach the balloons with Ask a volunteer to stand up enough oxygen for rigorous clothespins to your volunteer. and become a crow by flapping flight. Birds have lungs like we Each student with a yellow card his or her wings 20 times in do, but that is not enough. Air places one balloon on the bird. 10 seconds. Does flapping like sacs, like balloons, extend from a bird make you breath faster the lungs, between and into than just walking? Yes! hollow bones. During inhalation and exhalation, air flows through the lungs and the air sacs to maximize the absorption of oxygen. S H O R E B I R D S M You and your class have created a bird! 137 I Explore the World with Shorebirds! S A T R ER G S RO CHOOLS P Teacher Notes: Special Shorebird Adaptations (Blue Flash Cards) Adaptation Description Material Needed 5. Long, pointed Wings Shorebirds migrate (fly long Use the scissors to shape the tip Think about the different shapes distances) between their habitat of the volunteer’s paper wings so of bird wings. Why do penguins where they breed and the habitat they look long and pointed. have short, stubby wings while where they winter. Long, pointed an eagle has big, broad wings? Do wings help shorebirds fly fast you think that wing shape might over such long distances. be related to the bird’s lifestyle? There wings also allow them to do aerial maneuvers to escape predators. 6. Camouflage Plumage Cryptic coloration, or camouflage, Place the camouflage clothing on How can a small bird protect makes birds less conspicuous. the bird. itself from larger predators? Their brown, black and white Would small shorebirds have plumage blends in well with much luck fighting with hawks their habitat--mudflats, beaches, on the beach or with foxes on the or grassy tundra. Larger tundra? shorebirds, like avocets and oystercatchers, cannot hide as easily and therefore are not so camouflaged. 7. Long Legs Shorebirds seldom perch in trees Place the blue material Do you need long legs to sit in but rather walk or roost on the representing a wetland on the a tree, fly, or walk? How about ground. Many shorebirds walk ground for the shorebird to walk running from the waves? What on shorelines or mud to find food. on. do humans use to walk and work Having long legs helps them in wet conditions? wade through water or mud. (The Optional: Put the rubber boots/ length of the legs of a shorebird waders on the bird. gives a clue to where it feeds.) 8. Long Toes Most shorebirds do not spend Using duct tape, attach three long What are your toes for? Toes are much time swimming. Therefore, drinking straws to each toe of for stability in walking. they do not need webbed feet, the bird. just long toes for stability and walking. 5. Now, explain that the class is going 6. Spray the volunteer lightly with 7. Continue with using the Teaching to continue adding adaptations, the water spray bottle and have Notes 5–11 to guide the class this time with adaptations unique them stand on the blue felt or through the blue flash cards.