Birds

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Birds is an All Ages Award from the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Council.

# Activities

Birds
Developed by Audubon Texas and Lone Star Council

Program Age Level Requirements:
Daisy: 4 activities
Brownie: 4 activities
Junior: 6 activities
GS 11-17: 7 activities

Basic Level:
1. Visit a local park or area in your neighborhood where you can observe birds. Listen and look for birds singing in early morning. Think about the different kinds of sounds they make.
2. View one of the “Audubon’s Animal Adventures” videos available in Kodosky Program Center Resource Library.
3. Read the book On the Wing, What is Migration? or other storybook about birds.
4. Know the following terms and be able to explain them to your group:

□ Binoculars
□ Migrate
□ Habitat
□ Christmas Bird Count
□ Native Species
□ Nesting Box
5. Find out all you can about birds. Go to your local library or visit the Audubon website at http://www.audubon.org to find out the following information about birds:

□ What birds live in your area?
□ What are some of the different kinds of birds?
□ How and when do birds migrate?
□ What do different birds eat?
□ How do birds care for their young?
□ How are birds helpful to humans?
□ Describe bird anatomy.
Intermediate Level:
6. Make a poster and display about birds and put it up in a school or other place where people can learn more about birds.
7. Find out what kind of birds live in different habitat types like woods, desert, beaches, etc. Select one habitat type and learn how the birds that live there interact with the plants and other animals that live there.
8. Go on a field trip with Travis Audubon Society or with others who are knowledgeable about birds. Discuss with your troop or group your observations.
9. Build a birdhouse and put it in an appropriate place in your yard or another location.
10. Demonstrate that you know how to use a bird field guide. Show your troop leader a species of bird that is native to Central Texas and point out its wintering, breeding, and/or year-round ranges.
11. By using the public library or the National Audubon Society’s website at http://www.audubon.org, find the name and location of the Christmas Bird Count nearest your home and obtain the results of the most recent count. Note what kinds of information are collected, and which species are the most and least abundant.

Advanced Level:
12. Observe and be able to identify at least 20 species of wild birds. Keep a field notebook with a separate page for each species, and record the following information from your field observations and other references (like a field guide):

□ Note the date and time.
□ Note the location and habitat type where you saw the bird.
□ List two types of food that the bird is likely to eat.
□ Note whether the bird is a migrant or a summer, winter, or year-round resident of Central Texas.
13. Show that you are familiar with the terms used to describe birds by sketching or tracing a perched or flying bird, and then labeling 15 different body parts.
14. Explain the need for bird study and why birds are useful indicators of the quality of the environment. Explain how information gathered during bird counts is used.
15. Demonstrate that you know how to properly use and care for binoculars. Show how to adjust the eyepiece and how to focus for proper viewing. Show how to properly care for and clean the lenses.
16. Find out about organizations that organize bird watching trips in your area, like Travis Audubon Society in Austin. Have someone from the organization talk to your group about birds or attend the local society meeting with your troop.
17. Participate in a bird walk or field trip, keeping a checklist of all the birds you observed. Tell your group some of the birds you saw and why some species were common and why some were present in small numbers. Explain why the area you visited is good for finding birds.
18. Plant native trees, shrubs, and/or other plants that birds can use for food and cover in your backyard or another appropriate place.
19. Find out about organizations and efforts for bird conservation.

*Resources:*
□ Visitation or Service Projects can be arranged by contacting the property owner, Susan Schaezler. She and her husband Don welcome (pre-arranged) day visits from area groups. Their property is located near New Braunfels, TX, in the far western corner of Guadalupe County. The property has a large outdoor patio and garden equipped with birdbaths and bird misters. Troops should call or email Susan at 210-602-8621 or susan@schaezler.net . Also Troops can arrange to do a community service project too during their visit to meet the badge requirements. Website: www.schaezler.net/birding
□ The National Audubon Society (http://www.audubon.org), Audubon Texas (http://tx.audubon.org), and Travis Audubon Society (http://www.travisaudubon.org) are non-profit organizations dedicated to bird conservation, research and education. They can be contacted for information about birds in your area and how to watch and protect them.

The following are available in the Kodosky Program Center Resource Library.

□ Eyewitness Video: Birds
□ What is Migration?
□ Everybody’s Everywhere Backyard Bird Book