ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING ABOUT BIRDS and
Urban Bird Studies projects
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"Binocular" Races |
OBJECTIVE: To learn how to identify birds, practice a transect
(as in Birds in the City), and/or use binoculars. (Binoculars are not required!) |
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Variations on Flash Cards |
OBJECTIVE: To learn how to use field guides (books or online).
To begin to learn about one or more species of birds. |
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Web Site Treasure Hunt |
OBJECTIVE: To become familiar with and comfortable navigating
through Urban Bird Studies web site. |
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Use the Urban Bird Studies Bird
Guide. |
Try to figure out which of the birds in the guide
live in your city.
Have each person in your group read a cool
fact about a bird or group of birds. You can photocopy them, cut them
out and have participants choose them from a hat. Or, have them write cool
facts in their journals. Use an Internet search engine to find more cool
facts. Send us your favorite cool fact that we haven't already included
on our web site. |
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Develop a list of birds in your region.
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You can find printed lists of birds in your area
at nearby Audubon chapters, nature centers, or bird clubs. You also may
find lists of local birds at a store where you can buy bird seed and feeders.
If you still have difficulty, ask for help at your local library. Choose
some city birds to look up in a field guide (bird book) to practice using
the guide. Have your group members make lists of their favorite birds (that
can be seen in your region) in their journals. To find an Audubon group
near you click here. |
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Walk around your neighborhood to look for different bird habitats.
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Anyplace where you see a bird is a habitat. In your journal, write the
locations where you see birds and note what they are doing, such as eating,
hanging out, or chasing each other. You also may want to write a description
of where the birds might find food, water, or shelter in this habitat.
Take photos or draw the locations where you see birds. Be sure to
also note what the birds are doing in those locations. Send
us your photos and drawings for possible publication in PigeonScope
or on the web site.
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Investigate how birds are portrayed in art,
literature, and history. |
Find stories about birds or other city animals at your local
library or on the Internet. Investigate how birds appear in art and history,
for example, in ancient cave paintings, on stamps, or in military history.
Also look at uses of bird song and movement in music and dance. Visit your
local art or history museum and find examples of where birds are mentioned.
Write these examples in your journal. Write a story, poem, song, or dance
about birds and send
it to us for possible publication in PigeonScope or on the web
site. |
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GUIDES FOR PIGEONWATCH (easily adapted
for the other projects)
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Leader's
Guide to PigeonWatch
How to recruit participants, conduct workshops, add activities, and
use local contacts. To view or save you need Adobe
Reader (free). |
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Family Guide to PigeonWatch
Activities and how to get started. To view or save you need Adobe
Reader (free). |
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MORE CITIZEN-SCIENCE PROJECTS FROM THE LAB
OF ORNITHOLOGY
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The Birdhouse
Network (studies of birds that nest in birdhouses, spring and summer)
Birds in Forested
Landscapes (studying birds that nest in forests, spring and summer)
eBird (any bird, anywhere,
anytime)
Project FeederWatch (studying
winter feeder birds, November to April)
Classroom FeederWatch
(a middle-school curriculum based on Project FeederWatch)
The Great Backyard Bird
Count (counts of birds during four days in mid-February)
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OTHER CITIZEN-SCIENCE PROJECTS ABOUT BIRDS
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The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service studies shorebird
migration through the Shorebird
Sister Schools Program . "Linking educators, students, biologists, and
shorebird enthusiasts along flyways." |
For a list of other volunteer bird opportunities, across the country,
go to the American Birding Association's Opportunities
for Birders. |
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BEYOND BIRDS A small selection of links
and other citizen-science projects that don't involve birds but may interest
you.
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Garden Mosaics
Garden Mosaics addresses issues related to science education, positive
role models for youth, green space in cities, and sustainable agriculture.
It is a program that combines intergenerational community action, and
learning about different cultures. Youth learn from elder gardeners, who
share their planting practices and cultural backgrounds, and from our
science resources posted online. Information on the web site includes
inquiry activities and database projects.
We recommend that you check out Neighborhood
Exploration. You will learn how to read an aerial photograph of your
neighborhood and find local features on the photograph. Use this opportunity
to find places where you might also see birds!
More information
about Garden Mosaics
Suggested activity: If you have a community garden or other
local green space, you may want to participate in another Garden Mosaics
project called Weed
Watch.
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Citizen-science projects involving animals other than birds
Listed are just a few of the many citizen-science projects that involve
people across the continent.
FrogWatch
USA (National Wildlife Federation)
North American
Amphibian Monitoring Project (Patuxent Wildlife Research Center)
Bat
House Research Project (Bat Conservation International)
Journey North
(studies of migration and seasonal change)
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Action Projects
Many cities have action projects in which you can become involved--check
with your local news organizations to see what's happening in your city.
Some national organizations have action projects that may interest you.
Here are a few examples
The Humane Society's Urban Wildlife
Sanctuary Program
The Jane Goodall Institute's
Roots and Shoots Program
The River Network
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