Display the silhouettes on a bulletin board covered with a marsh background. Spin-Offs Bird checklists Have students divide into teams. Have each group maintain a checklist of birds seen. Bring all the groups together to compare results and discuss bird adaptations. Flocking behavior Have students keep track of the numbers and kinds of birds that flock.
Pelicans are great examples of birds that fly in slow V-shaped flocks.
After watching several different types of flocks ask students to hypothesize why many coastal birds travel and feed in flocks rather than as solitary individuals. Clapper rails will come very close if a recording of a clapper rail is played on the edge of the marsh. The rail thinks it s territory is being challenged and will come out to defend it s home. If your group is near a marsh at night, play a recording of an owl and see if you can identify the owls that respond. Bird food One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to get students involved with birds is to bring loaves of old bread and allow students to feed the bread to flocks of gulls.