Nest/Breeding Strategies

Nest/Breeding Strategies

 

Questions to answer…

Are all nests created equal, and do all birds need them?

Monogamy vs. Polygamy?

What are a few of the common nesting/breeding strategies for a few of the common birds in this area?  

Activities…

-Build your own nest; each member of the group should create a different type of nest with natural materials

-During “birding hours”, look for possible nests or breeding behaviors in the area.  Record and graph your results.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       *Here the idea is to record activity (feeding, roosting/displaying, singing, fighting, or nest making). Create a pie chart of how the birds spend their time, also include a territory map. 

-Present your findings in a fun/informative 15 minute presentation.  Include a few of these vocabulary words (precocial, altricial, monogamy, polygamy, parasitism, polygyny, polyandry, and promiscuity).

>Teacher notes...

Encourage the students to be creative with their research.  They can create their own study plots and hypothesis, but try and keep it focused on Nesting/Breeding Strategies.  

You might have to lend a helping hand with a usable data table to help with time constraints and efficiency.  Also, identify possible types of behaviors/attitudes.