Birds
Vibrant, intelligent stewards of the environment; birds captivate the human imagination
As the closest living relatives to dinosaurs, birds are endlessly fascinating to learn about. By simply observing birds, you can learn so much about them; does it soar like a hawk? It is probably a prey bird! Does it have a short, thick beak? It is likely a nut-eating bird, like a sparrow! Becoming curious about birds and their behaviours helps us understand an ecosystem more fully, as we start to engage with questions about their food sources, territory, and travel patterns.
Splushing as you go
Splushing is a fun (and effective) way to encourage bird songs in the forest. Simply make the sound 'ssshhhp ssshhp ssshhhp' in a quiet area, then carefully observe for birds in your surroundings coming to investigate the sound.
Remember, you do not have to be an expert to be an incredible bird observer! Begin by keeping your eyes and ears open for movement patterns, markings and exciting noises, and you will naturally become more aware of birds all around you.
Learning Language: Birds
Natural history
The natural history of birds is especially exciting because birds are one of the only animal groups that evolved to have the ability to fly. They are also direct descendants of dinosaurs!
Birds evolved from small carnivorous dinosaurs in the Jurassic period. This discovery was made by finding the fossil of the Archaeopteryx, pronounced (ar·chae·op·ter·yx), an intermediate species along the line of evolution from reptile to bird.
Characteristics seen in Archaeopteryx fossils such as feathers, and the separation and eventual loss of digits (fingers) are key elements to this discovery. Early birds would have branched off from reptiles by evolving the ability to fly, letting go of characteristics that are not conducive to flying, like solid bones, teeth and jaws and instead adopting wings, beaks and hollow bones.
Ecology
Ecology refers to the relationships animals and plant species have with their environments. Birds of all shapes and sizes are hugely important to the well-being of our collective environment, including the ecological niches (smaller environments) they occupy.
Pollination: As birds travel, they pollinate food sources for other animals. For example, the Ruby-throated hummingbird, which lives in PEI in the summer months, spreads pollen between male and female flower parts while gathering nectar, which is their food source. This allows fertilization, meaning the plant can produce fruit and flowers for summer. Plants like the American fly honeysuckle attract birds with its bright colours, which the hummingbird can see in ultraviolet. The bright colours indicate a good source of nectar, which will be worth the energy for the bird to visit. This shows the relationship between these two interdependent species.
Spreading seeds: Birds eat and excrete seeds from berries and fruit, planting them in different areas as they move around. This is an excellent example of the symbiotic (beneficial to both) relationship between birds and plants throughout evolution. Shrubs like hawthorn, elderberry and serviceberry have evolved to produce juicy berries that birds can’t resist. Thanks to birds, the shrub’s seeds will spread further, enabling that plant's genetics to spread. Birds have a unique ability to fly great distances, so seeds can be planted far and wide.
Food Web: They are important in the food web. Birds occupy every habitat imaginable in PEI; their ecological niches include marshes, beaches, riparian areas, meadows, forests, towns and cities. Carnivorous birds, like the Bald eagle and Red-tailed hawk feed on rodent and amphibian species who collect their energy from plants and insects, meaning no energy is wasted. Many birds are also opportunistic eaters, meaning they will eat what is available to them, like roadkill or french fries in a parking lot.
Pest control: Birds keep the insect populations in check, including disease-carrying insects that may be harmful to other animals and plants.
Characteristics
What makes a bird a bird? Birds lay eggs, have feathers, and can fly (although not all do). Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates and have hollow bones to make them lighter in flight.
Birds have many special adaptations that allow them to be incredibly successful creatures:
Birds have beaks, not teeth. So how do they digest their food? Birds use their beaks to catch bugs, rip meat, and spear prey in the water like fish and frogs. Birds swallow their food whole and have two-chambered stomachs - called a glandular stomach and a gizzard – that break down their food. Many birds swallow grit, such as sand and small stones to store in the gizzard. Grit helps the thick muscles of the gizzard pulverize food and digestive fluid so that food can be digested.
Migration- Because birds can fly, they have the unique ability to travel long distances. Birds migrate so that they can seek food and more tolerable climates. It is not fully clear how birds know how and where to migrate, but there are likely factors such as plant and animal clues around them, temperature, and inherited (genetic) learning. Some fly for 500 miles, to their new destination, while others can travel across the entire world for weeks, or sometimes months on end. They reduce energy spending by catching wind channels and flying in aero-dynamic group patterns.
Flight- Flight is not unique to birds (bats fly, insects fly), but it is certainly a defining characteristic. The ability to fly gives them a whole new territory to hunt and be hunted, allows them to travel great distances while using less energy, and moves incredibly quickly.
Communication: Birds are excellent communicators. They use different calls depending on their circumstances: to send out alarms, mate, indicate domination, and claim territory. They also communicate through behaviours, body language and colour. Male birds are typically more colourful and showier to attract females.
Click this link to listen to birdsongs of many different species.
Life cycle
Nest: A nest is an incredibly sophisticated structure built by parent birds to keep their eggs safe from predators and outside elements. Birds use a huge variety of different materials to build their nests, like spit, mud, spiderwebs, sticks, bones, feathers- and more! Some birds, like ravens and crows, will even decorate their nests with items they think are special, or beautiful. Each bird's nest is unique and well-crafted to suit their needs.
Eggs: The breeding season on PEI starts around mid-May. The grouping of eggs that are laid is called a clutch. Clutches vary in size, shape, number and colour depending on the bird species.
Incubation: Baby birds must be kept constantly warm to survive inside the egg. Some bird parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm, while some depend on the female solely to do this job. Female birds are typically less vibrant in colour so they are protected by camouflage from predators to fulfill this role.
Hatching: Many birds may be vocal one or two days before hatching, while still inside the egg! It will make small calls to parents, who respond. Baby birds inside the egg use their beaks to break the membrane and shell of the egg to emerge. This is called pipping.
Nestling: This is the baby bird phase of the lifecycle, where the bird stays in its nest for protection before it has learned to care for itself. Birds that are down-covered after hatching are usually more active and independent, whereas birds born naked or blind require more care and attention from parents.
Learning Language: beaks, feet, and field marks
By using descriptive words, we can create a pathway of learning. Let the student be the interpreter by using descriptive words to explore a bird they see in nature or a photo.
Habitat: Where is this bird? Is there water nearby? Note the surroundings, like the amount of tree coverage, or if there's any water in the area. This helps us contextualize what we see so that when we are remembering a bird we saw, we associate it with its habitat.
Shape: What does its shape look like? Even without any experience with birding, we know that a duck looks very different from a hawk, who looks different than a crow, who looks different from an owl.
Wings: When a bird is in flight, even though it's far away, we can see how its wings move! Are they moving up and down, or straight? How fast do they move? If its wings are straight out in a hovering or soaring position, it is likely a hawk or an eagle, looking for prey.
Beaks: See Beak Diagram Beaks are the tool birds use in place of teeth to eat their food! What does the bird's beak look like? does it remind you of any tools you have seen in your life? Beaks can be of different shapes and sizes. Here are some common beaks you might encounter:
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Short, thick beak (seed eater) like a finch, for cracking nuts and seeds open.
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Net-like beak (insect catcher) like a swallow, opening wide to catch insects.
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Tweezer-like beak (insect eater) like a warbler, for picking insects from leaves or bark.
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Hooked beak (meat-eating), like an eagle for ripping meat.
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Chisel-like beak (for boring holes in bark), like a woodpecker. Their beak allows them to peck through the wood of a tree trunk to find insects living within or attract them with the holes it makes.
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Long, spear-like beak (frog and fish-eating), for spearning fish and amphibians in and around the water.
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Medium thick, pointed bill (like a crow) for eating various things like worms and insects, and strong enough to crush seeds.
Feet and walking See Feet Diagram There are many different ways birds are adapted to use their feet. When looking at a bird, what is it doing with its feet? Here are some common examples of what you might see:
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Perching feet (walk, scratching on the ground, hopping around), like a robin. Birds that perch have four toes that extend from the same level on the leg. Three toes point forward and one back.
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Talons (for catching and holding prey), like eagles and hawks. Talons have razor-sharp points for snatching prey.
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Webbed (for swimming and diving), like a goose, or duck.
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Wadding and walking (for walking in uneven, watery places), like a sandpiper, or great blue heron. Long legs with small back toes make it easy to balance on sand, mud, and in watery places.
Body Position: Look at how the bird is sitting, or flying. This can tell you a lot about the kind of bird it is, and we can start to put some characteristics together.
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Upright - Birds that position their bodies upright are typically hunters or predator birds. They are looking outward for prey. The upright position of a hunter means it will also have a hooked beak and talons, like a hawk!
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Flying in a circular pattern- Birds that hunt flying insects will often perch, upright, and then attack their prey in a circular flight, which can be described as hawking. If they hunt insects while flying we know it must have a net-like beak, like a swallow!
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Forward - Birds that look like they are leaning forward can be described as gleaners and are looking for food hidden amongst leaves and bark. This means they have a food source in amongst bark and plants, so they will likely have a beak that looks like a tweezer, and be well-suited to perching, like a warbler!
