Bird/Nest Count
Questions...
-What is the species density around school? (# of sp. per area)
-What are the most common birds in the area, which birds are migrants?
-What habitat are the birds/nests seen in? (ex. fields, woods, human structures, canopy, or at the feeder)
-What birds should be around during this time of year, and why haven’t you seen them?
-What type of birds enjoy the feeder vs. don’t enjoy the feeder?
Activities...
-Using "birding hours" walk around the school and search for birds. Be careful not to disturb other project, but cover the entire school. Record the number of birds/nests, and get an idea of what type of habitat different birds enjoy. -Set up a bird feeder and view the amount/type of birds using the feeder.-You can pick from a spot count, point count, or walking count. (Which is the “right” one?)
-Create a map of the migrant travel patterns.
>Teacher aid...
Help with identifying nests and habitat boundaries. It would be helpful to understand the different types of counts to best inform the students. You will need to have an available bird feeder and feed for this project.