Last Updated July 2025
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Click the button below to access a gallery of Texas birds. All images are taken in Texas in the wold by R. Baker unless otherwise designated.
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Introduction to Birds
What makes a bird a bird? Not wings and flying - Bats fly, Butterflies fly. Penguins don’t fly, and neither do Cassowaries, but they are both birds. It isn’t laying eggs (though this is getting closer) - mammals like Echidna and Platypus lay eggs, as do reptiles, fish, and insects. But birds are the only animals that lay hard-shelled eggs. And birds are the only animals with feathers. These two features - feathers and hard-shelled eggs - are what make birds unique from all other extant animals. Texas is a great place to learn about birds - more than 600 species of birds have been identified in Texas (nearly 500 of which are not merely accidentals), more than in any other state in the nation. Texas is part of the so-called Central Flyway, a common migratory pathway for Nearctic-Neotropical birds (those that breed in northern areas like Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States and migrate to warmer southern climes from Mexico through Central America and into northern South America in the winter). According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), nearly some 98.5% of the Nearctic-Neotropical birds in North America have been seen in Texas, and well over 50% of the birds documented in Texas are Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds. Our Texas state bird, the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a very common resident here in Central Texas, singing a variety of songs and at times even mimicking man-made sounds like car alarms. Our unofficial bird of Austin is the Great-Tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus), the shimmering blue-black, yellow-eyed, noisy thief of French fries and sugar packets from outdoor eating venues. Texas is home to one of the United States’ most colorful birds, the Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), the wintering ground of the extremely endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana), and the only breeding ground of the Golden-Cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia). |
Observing, Identifying, and Studying Birds
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The study of birds is called Ornithology, and a person who studies birds an ornithologist. But many people engage with birds not necessarily for scientific reasons, but rather for the joy of watching birds, getting outside, and enjoying the challenge of finding and identifying birds. A recent study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that more than 1 out of 3 Americans 16 years old and older in birding - that is 96 million people in the United States. Birding is an accessible activity - you don’t even need to leave home, you need very little equipment, and you don’t even need a lot of training to get started. Some basic equipment is useful - binoculars, a notebook, and a field guide to aid in identification. You can add in a camera with a long lens, various electronic tools to identify birds by sound, and begin traveling to find specific birds or visit different environments.
When getting started birding, it is important to become comfortable describing birds, which will help you then identify what they are. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a simple way for beginner birders to get started by focusing on four key factors - size and shape, color pattern, behavior, and habitat (see https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/building-skills-the-4-keys-to-bird-identification/). Other bird guides may sort by color, by habit (ie waders, perching birds, etc), or focus on specific field marks (something useful once you have narrowed down the options of what your bird may be). Size and shape help you quickly narrow down the types of birds you may be seeing. Most ducks look like ducks (there are a few others you will need to learn, like coots, mergansers, and the like, but the list narrows quickly when you see a duck-like bird). Warblers, sparrows, and finches are relatively small birds, but if you can get a good look at their beak, you can begin too make an educated guess as to which group you are seeing. Birds with long, skinny legs relative to their bodies are likely waders, those with talons and curved sharp beaks are raptors, if its fairly large and black, it is likely a crow or raven. Once you have put the bird into a group, then focus on color and patterns. Some are really easy. Here in Central Texas, there are only a handful of truly red birds you are likely to encounter - the Northern Cardinal first, then perhaps a Summer Tanager. Out in an open field, you may be lucky enough to spot a Vermillion Flycatcher. And if you are near a bird feeder, you could see the partially red House Finch. Warblers and Sparrows are complicated little birds as they look generally the same at first glance, so you need to be aware of just where certain colors or patterns appear, often by looking closely at the head. Behavior is also often a clue. Some birds like to keep their tail pointed high, others hop around a lot. Some forage in the trees, others on the ground. A bird that only eats berries will not be flying around in complex maneuvers chasing a moth. Not a lot of birds will hammer away at the side of a tree with their bills. Some birds are known for walking upside down down the side of trees, others are often the first to alert every animal around to the presence of some new creature in their territory through loud and repeated calls. Finally, the habitat is a an important clue. Many birds prefer to stay within a particular sort of habitat where their eating and breeding habits are best suited. While they may be out of the norm during migration, they usually like a particular environment. You probably won’t find a Roadrunner in the swamp, or a Cactus Wren in the deep forest. Painted Buntings mostly eat grass seeds, so look around grasslands or where woods and fields intersect to find them. Roseate Spoonbills forage in shallow water, so look for them near estuaries or ponds. Knowing what you are likely to find in a particular environment can quickly reduce the number of possible options you are looking at in your field guide to make a positive identification. |
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Parts of a Bird - Keys to Communication and Identification
A basic knowledge of external bird anatomy will help you in describing and identifying birds you see. Birds, of course, have a head, feet, and wings, but there are some other useful terms to use to help define coloration patterns and other aspects of birds. Take a look at the following pictures to see some of the parts you may hear about when birding. The head has several of its own terms to be aware of, including the Supercillium (a different color line over the eye, also called the eyebrow), the Malar Stripe (a pair of streaks from the beak area downward, which looks like - and is often also called - a mustache), and the Eyeline (a streak of color that appears to pass through the eye). The top of the head is the Crown, the back of the neck the Nape, the side of the face is the Cheek, the front of the head the Forehead. A bird with color across both eyes meaning in front can be said to have a Mask. Wing markings can also be important, particularly if they have one or two Wing Bars. Also, you may need to look a the color of the break or bill, or at the color of the legs and feet, particularly in some of the similar-looking waders.
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A - Rump
B - Wing Bars C - Flank D - Eye Ring E - Breast F - Malar Stripe/Moustache G - Cheek H - Supercilium/Eyebrow I - Crown Stripe |
J - Throat
K - Crown L - Eyeline M - Tertiaries N - Rectrices/Tail Feathers O - Secondaries P - Primaries Q - Secondary Coverts R - Alula |
S - Primary Coverts
T - Nape U - Crown V - Forehead W - Crest X - Mask Y - Back Z - Head |
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Once you start to be able to recognize the most common birds, you can also move to identifying birds by sound. Several of our Central Texas birds have unique calls. The Northern Mockingbird sings a long song made up of various phrases copied from other birds or sounds. The Northern Cardinal has a very clear strong song that is easy to remember once you hear it a few times. The Carolina Chickadee, among its several calls, mimics its own name, with a Chick-A-Dee call. Our little Carolina Wren has a very loud, sweet, repeating call that rings through the underbrush. The Great-Tailed Grackle has a rattling squeaky metal sound, Dickcissel has a call that resembles its name. A good way to start learning birds by their song is to listen to recordings of local birds (or make your own) before heading into the field. Once I the field, you can use app like Merlin to record bird songs, and have the app check them against a vast audio library to give you the most likely identification. From there, see if you can spot the bird to verify.
When we think about birds and their environment and habit, we quickly see a variety of shapes and sizes that match particular diet or habitat. Think of some of the wading birds. The Roseate Spoonbill has a wide, flat end to its bill that it uses to stir up the sediment, driving its prey into the open to eat. The White-Faced Ibis has a long, thin, curved bill that it uses to poke down into the mud to find its prey. The Green Heron has a dagger-like bill that it uses to catch fish and other aquatic prey, waiting patiently and motionless until its target passes by. Hummingbirds have long, thin bills that allow them to poke into tubular flowers to be able to access the nectar. Cardinals and Buntings have thicker beaks, used for cracking seeds. Swallows and Nightjars have relatively wide mouths, better for catching insects on the wing. Hawks and Eagles have shot, curved beaks to tear at the flesh of their prey. Birds legs and feet are also similarly adapted to their environment and behavior. Wading birds have long legs, swimming birds have webbing on their feet, raptors has sharp talons for catching their prey. Unlike most birds, woodpeckers are Zygodactyl, meaning that two toes point forward, two toes point backwards, which allows them to brace themselves on the side of a tree as they hammer away with their bills. Bird wings also show a variety of shapes and relative sizes - broad wings for soarers and gliders like the Turkey and Black Vultures, sharply pointed and swept back for maneuverability in the Swallows and Swifts, uniquely hinged in the hovering Hummingbirds, short and stocky in the normally ground-dwelling Turkeys and Prairie Chickens, and extra long in the long-distance migrating Sandhill and Whooping Cranes. Looking at these different features can help you take a first stab at understanding the diet, habitat, and habits of birds you observe. And speaking of wings, lets briefly consider the anatomy of a bird wing. We know the wing is the equivalent the arm and hand of a person or a bat. In a bird wing, we can talk about different feather types based on where they are located. The Primaries are the feathers connected to the “hand” bones, at the far end training edge of the wing. In flight, the Primaries are responsible for providing thrust through the wing beat. The trailing edge feathers connected to the Ulna (one of the forearm bones) are referred to as Secondaries, and these feathers provide lift in flight. Tertiaries play a minimal role in flight, and are connected to the Humorous, or upper arm bone. All together, the flight feathers (the largest feathers in a bird wing) are called the Remiges. On the leading edge of the wing are the Coverts and Underwing Coverts, which provide contour and shape to the wing. Two other sections of wing feathers bear mentioning. The Alula are the feathers connected to the “thumb,” the Axillaries are the feathers on the underside of the wing in the “armpit” region. The main tail feathers are collectively called Retrices, and as with the wing, there are Tail and Under-Tail Coverts. |
Magnificent Migrations
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Birds’ ability to fly is none of the reasons we are so fascinated with them. Many early human attempts at flight were with machines that sought too mimic bird anatomy. Some birds seem particularly built for majestic flight - the Turkey Vulture sores on a dihedral, rarely flapping its broad wings, instead catching the thermal updrafts invisible to us. Hummingbirds, at the other end of the spectrum, beat there wings 50-90 times per second while hovering, and during courtship can raise that number to closer to 200 beats per second, and dive at up to 60 miles per hour. The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), found throughout North America, including Texas, can dive on its prey at speeds well in excess of 200 miles per hour, perhaps as fast as 240 mph. That is faster than a Formula 1 race car!
Many birds perform amazing annual migrations, flying from their breeding grounds to their wintering grounds. The longest bird migrations are performed by the Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), which travels from Arctic Greenland to Antarctica and back every year. A recent study by the National Audubon Society, which used both banding and geolocator trackers on Arctic Terns that nested in Maine, showed that they fly a leisurely route south to Antarctica, covering more than 27,000 miles along the coast of Africa and South America over around 90 days. Once in Antarctica, they flew another 14,000 miles as part of their daily routine fishing and spending time amongst the ice pack. When it was time to head back North to breed, they took a more direct route, covering just shy of 14,000 miles, for a total of 55,000 traveling miles in a year. The Bar-Tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) holds the record (quite literally) for the longest non-stop bird migration during its annual flight from Alaska to New Zealand or even Tasmania. Guinness World Records awarded one particular satellite-tagged Godwit as traveling non-stop from Alaska to Tasmania in 11 days - more than 8,400 miles without setting down. The Red Knot (Calidris canutus) flies some 9,000 miles each way during its migration between the Arctic and the southern tip of South America. Birds stay on course on these amazing journeys through several different means. Many birds appear to be sensitive to the earth’s magnetic fields, giving them both a sense of what latitude they may be on the planet (hope far from the poles), and a sense of what direction they are traveling (like a regular magnetic compass). Birds also appear to navigate by the sun (recognizing seasonal changes as well), and by the stars, just as human navigators learned to do. Birds may also use visual clues such as natural and artificial landmarks, and some studies even suggest some birds are able to build a “smell” map of their environment, and can orient in part based on what smells are around and at what distance. There are four major flyways in North America used by Nearctic-Neotropical birds: the Pacific, Central, Mississippi, and Atlantic. These flyways are general routes used repeatedly by particular bird species or communities, and in the North America there are Flyway Councils established to help monitor and manage birds using these general routes. As noted above, Texas sits near the southern terminus of the Central Flyway, which is why the state is such a birding hotspot. The chart below highlights some of the migratory birds that winter, breed, or pass through Texas on their annual migration. |
The four North American Flyways
Courtesy of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department 
Some Texas Migrants
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The Audubon Society has a great online resource for looking at the Central Flyway, where you can see the migration patterns of many birds that pass through Texas (https://www.audubon.org/climate/survivalbydegrees/flyway/central). Bird migration routes are commonly tracked in three ways - annual surveys, banding, gps tracking. By conducting regular surveys of birds in different areas, it is possible to estimate the range and seasonality of species. By banding birds (placing a small band on the leg of a bird), scientists can see when the bird is spotted or recaptures and where, keeping track of a particular individual over time and space. Lightweight geolocation or GPS trackers can be affixed to birds, allowing scientists to collect accurate data on the location and and average speed of birds over time, offering even greater insight into bird migration patterns.
Bird banding, tracking, and surveys are also used to ensure the protection of birds, particularly in preserving habitat. The destruction or fragmentation of habitat for bird breeding and nesting or foraging is one of the biggest challenges to bird species. Other risks include poisons and toxins in their food chain, collisions with buildings and vehicles, and neighborhood cats. In teh past, many birds in the United States were hunted as pets or for their feathers. To manage and preserve birds, the United States signed a series of treaties with Canada (1916), Mexico (1936), Japan (1972), and Russia (1976), collectively known as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA).
The MBTA makes it unlawful to “at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture, or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to barter, barter, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, export, import, cause to be shipped, exported, or imported, deliver for transportation, transport or cause to be transported, carry or cause to be carried, or receive for shipment, transportation, carriage, or export, any migratory bird, any part, nest, or egg of any such bird, or any product, whether or not manufactured, which consists, or is composed in whole or part, of any such bird or any part, nest, or egg thereof…”
That means it is illegal to kill birds, of course, but it also means it is illegal to keep a bird feather you find, possess an empty bird nest, or even collect fragmented eggshells from an older bird nest. It may seem extreme, but there is little way for someone to know whether you picked up a feather from the ground after a bird molted, or whether you captured and killed a bird for its feather. As we study birds, we can look at nest, eggs, and feathers in the field, but we cannot collect these and take them home without a special scientific or educational permit. There are certain game birds that are legal to hunt with a permit, and introduced non-native species are not protected.
Bird banding, tracking, and surveys are also used to ensure the protection of birds, particularly in preserving habitat. The destruction or fragmentation of habitat for bird breeding and nesting or foraging is one of the biggest challenges to bird species. Other risks include poisons and toxins in their food chain, collisions with buildings and vehicles, and neighborhood cats. In teh past, many birds in the United States were hunted as pets or for their feathers. To manage and preserve birds, the United States signed a series of treaties with Canada (1916), Mexico (1936), Japan (1972), and Russia (1976), collectively known as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA).
The MBTA makes it unlawful to “at any time, by any means or in any manner, to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture, or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to barter, barter, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, export, import, cause to be shipped, exported, or imported, deliver for transportation, transport or cause to be transported, carry or cause to be carried, or receive for shipment, transportation, carriage, or export, any migratory bird, any part, nest, or egg of any such bird, or any product, whether or not manufactured, which consists, or is composed in whole or part, of any such bird or any part, nest, or egg thereof…”
That means it is illegal to kill birds, of course, but it also means it is illegal to keep a bird feather you find, possess an empty bird nest, or even collect fragmented eggshells from an older bird nest. It may seem extreme, but there is little way for someone to know whether you picked up a feather from the ground after a bird molted, or whether you captured and killed a bird for its feather. As we study birds, we can look at nest, eggs, and feathers in the field, but we cannot collect these and take them home without a special scientific or educational permit. There are certain game birds that are legal to hunt with a permit, and introduced non-native species are not protected.
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While we cannot capture or keep wild birds, we can attract them to our yards for a closer look. Before you set up feeders, consider the habitat your yard, patio, or balcony presents. You can plant native plants in your yard, or in pots on your patio, you can put out a small bird bath or other way to provide water. If you don’t have trees, and only have a small space, perhaps you can get some small branches or such so the birds have a place to rest or hang out. Consider the species in your area and put up a small birdhouse. If you decide to feed the birds, consider foods that match the diet of birds in your area, keep your feeders clean and your cats inside, and consider how feeder may attract other animals (squirrels, raccoons, or insects). If you provide shelter, water, and food, you are likely to get birds.
Keep a checklist near your window to keep track of what birds you see. Look for changes in how many and what species come at different times of day, in different seasons. How do they act, what do they eat, how do they interact with each other. You can learn a lot about birds even from a small space outside your window or in the corner of your yard. For a really interesting bird you can easily attract, consider the hummingbird. Here in Central Texas, the Black-Chinned Hummingbird is a common summer resident. This tiny bird feeds on the nectar of flowers, so you can plant or pot things like Flame Acanthus, Turks Cap, native Sages, Lantana, Red Yucca, or vines like Coral Honeysuckle or Trumpet Creeper. You can also add a hummingbird feeder. Use only sugar water, never honey or other sweeteners, as they may grow fungus or bacteria. The basic recipe is 1/4 cup sugar per 1 cup water, and do not add artificial colors to try and attract the hummingbirds. In hot weather, change the sugar water at least every other day, and clean your feeder thoroughly each time you change the solution. Your feeder will give you a great place to watch hummingbirds close up. Their wings are unique among birds - the way they attach to the shoulder gives them a greater range of motion than in other birds, and the have a relatively short humerus and relatively long “hand” bones, meaning that they have a lot more room for Primaries than Secondaries. The have much more robust breast muscled for their size compared to other birds, something they need to beat their wings at 50-80 beats per second during hover and regular flight, and up to 200 times per second during courtship displays. Hummingbirds are so fast and agile that they display little fear of larger animals, as they are confident they can quickly evade or escape. To keep up with these speeds, hummingbird hearts can beat up to 1200 times a minute. Hummingbirds can hover and even fly backwards, something unique among the birds. Hummingbirds may eat half their body weight in food a day to keep up with their rapid metabolism, and to assist in this, they have a long, forked tongue that allows them to more readily drink nectar deep in tubular flowers. |
Flightless Birds
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From the tiny, quick-flying hummingbirds, we turn to the oddity of flightless birds. There are some 60 extant flightless bird species worldwide, though none are currently native to North America, Europe, or Asia. Many flightless birds live in remote areas or on islands, where lower predation has allowed them to continue to exist. Other extant flightless birds are very large, offering them protection from potential predators.
A selection of flightless birds
A selection of flightless birds, mostly photographed in zoos or aquariums, though the Ostriches are from a farm in Texas, and the Fairy Penguins are in the wild in Australia.
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There are five orders made up of only flightless birds, comprising 32 species. These include 5 different Kiwis, 2 types of Ostriches, 2 Rheas, 3 Cassowaries, 19 Penguins, and one Emu. In addition, there are several other flightless birds, including three of the four species of Steamer Ducks from far South America, and the only flightless parrot, the nocturnal Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), from New Zealand.
Order Apterygiformes (Kiwis) - 5 species
Order Casuariiformes (Cassowaries and Emus) - 4 species
Order Rheiformes (Rheas) - 2 species
Order Sphenisciformes (Penguins) - 19 species
Order Struthioniformes (Ostriches) 2 species
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Some Texas Bird Life-Cycles
Red-shouldered Hawk
This series shows the cycle of a pair of Red-shouldered hawks that bred at Bull Creek in north Austin in 2011. There were two chicks, which survived through the season to fly away. The pair did not nest at the same spot the next year.
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Northern Cardinal
Although this series shows the various stages of Cardinal development, it is not from following a single nest. Cardinals do not seem to do a very good job of hiding their nests, and the parents get noisier the closer you get, so they are relatively easy to find and watch.
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Ring-billed Gull
Although the Ring-bill Gull is found in Texas, these pictures are from breeding birds in Niagara Falls.
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A few interesting bird facts
Whooping Crane (Grus americana)
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Biblical Birds
Birds are first mentioned in the Bible in the Genesis story of creation. Genesis 1:20-23 (NKJV): Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Many different species of birds are mentioned in the Bible, though different translations may use different modern names. Leviticus 11, which discusses clean and unclean animals, provides a large list of different bird species, including (in the NKJV translation) the eagle, vulture, buzzard, kite, falcon, raven, ostrich, short-eared owl, sea gull, hawk, little owl, fisher owl, screech owl, white owl, jackdaw, carrion vulture, stork, heron and hoopoe. Deuteronomy 14 also lists clean and unclean animals, mentioning among the birds the eagle, vulture, buzzard, red kite, falcon, kite, raven, ostrich, short-eared owl, sea gull, hawk, little owl, screech owl, white owl, jackdaw, carrion vulture, fisher owl, stork, heron, and hoopoe. Some useful NKJV verses about birds to remember include Isaiah 40:31 (eagle), Luke 3:22 (dove), Luke 12:6-7 (sparrow), Luke 12:24 (raven), Psalm 84:1-4 (swallow), Mark 14:27-31; 66-72 (rooster). David and Christ also use the imagery of a mother bird protecting her young under her wing (Psalm 91:4, Luke 13:34) |
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Bird Honor Requirements
1. Give two characteristics which set birds apart from all other creatures. 2. Name three flightless birds, tell what their diet consists of, and name the country or continent in which each one lives. 3. Give the day of the week when birds were created. Find in the Bible the names of five birds and be able to name them from memory. 4. Write or give orally three ways in which God's love and purpose is shown in the creation of birds. 5. Make a list of thirty species of wild birds, including birds from at least five different orders, that you personally have observed and positively identified by sight out of doors. 6. Make a list of five species of wild birds that you personally have positively identified by sound out of doors. 7. Do one of the following: a. Set up a feeding station and report on the bird visitors observed for a period of seven days. b. Find a bird's nest, during the nesting season, identify the species of bird that built it, describe the nest in detail, observe the nest for five days, and report what happened at the nest on each of the days. c. In the Western Hemisphere: Maintain a hummingbird feeder for 2 months. i. What does man-made nectar consist of? ii. Why shouldn't you use food coloring or honey? iii. When should the feeder fluid be changed? iv. How should the feeder be cared for? d. In other areas of the world: Select at least three different habitats in your area and make comparative bird lists of them indicating the differences in birds expected and found. |
Bird Honor Advanced Requirements
1. Have the Birds honor. 2. Know the laws protecting birds in your state, province, or country. 3. Describe a bird accurately by using standard names for each part of its body. 4. Find answers to either a. OR b. a. In what ways are the feet, legs, and beak of birds variously modified to adapt them to their environment? b. On hummingbirds: i. What do hummingbirds eat in the wild and how often? ii. Why aren't hummingbirds afraid of large mammals or birds? iii. How do their wings move differently from other birds? iv. How fast do they fly? v. How fast do the wings and heart beat? vi. How is the tongue shaped? 5. Identify on a bird's wing the primaries, secondaries, coverts, axillars, and alulae. 6. Describe the functions and purposes of bird banding, telling in particular how banding contributes to our knowledge about bird movements. 7. Name the main migratory bird flyways used by birds in your continent. 8. Give the migration routes and terminal destinations for ten different migratory bird species. 9. Describe at least three different ways that birds are able to orient themselves in their movements across the globe. 10. Make a list of 60 species of wild birds, including birds from at least ten different families, that you personally have observed and positively identified by sight out of doors. For each species on this list note the following: a. Name b. Date observed c. Place observed d. Habitat (i.e., field, woods, river, lake, etc.) e. Status where observed (permanent resident, winter resident, summer resident, migrant, vagrant) 11. Present lists of birds, showing the greatest number of species seen out of doors in: a. One day (with at least six hours in the field) b. One week c. Your lifetime (all birds observed by you since you began birding to date) 12. Make a list of ten species of wild birds that you personally have positively identified by sound out of doors, and describe or imitate these bird sounds as best you can. 13. Lead a group in a bird observation walk or tell two Bible stories in which a bird was significant. |