Date: Fri 20-Nov-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

school-Audubon-program

Full Text:

Why Birds Are The Way They Are

(with photos)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

Parents and first graders at Head O' Meadow School tried their hands at

pulling worms with straws and cracking nuts with chopsticks. Why?

They were using tools that mimic a variety of bird beaks in order to figure

out what the birds eat.

Hummingbirds have straw-like beaks. It would be impossible for a hummingbird

to gobble up a mouse. Children figured out that hummingbirds must suck

something, like nectar from a flower. And because they need the nectar to

survive, they need to live near flowers.

The children cut paper mice with scissors, to mimic the real mice that the

American kestrel eats. They also discovered that the northern cardinal, with

its strong nutcracker-type beak, must eat seeds and nuts.

Once the children had figured out what seven different birds eat based on

their beaks, they drew a bird of their own. These imaginary birds had beaks

specially adapted for their favorite food, whether it be ice cream or

lollipops.

Just as birds have adaptations, the children learned that people do, too.

Volunteers agreed to have their thumbs taped down and found out just how

important thumbs are to holding tools, like chalk.

Parents volunteered to bring this Connecticut Audubon Nature Explorers Program

to every first grade class at Head O' Meadow School.