The Good and The Beautiful Birdwatching Notebook

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© 2021 JENNY PHILLIPS | GOODANDBEAUTIFUL.COM This document may be copied or printed at no charge for use in the home. However, this document may never be shared with others electronically (except for purposes of sending it to a printer for home use). Groups and schools must purchase a printed copy for each child.

Instructions: The main purpose of this Birdwatching Notebook is to record the birds you observe. The most-referenced pages will be the Birdlife List on pages 1–2 and the notebook pages beginning on page 21. Place your Birdwatching Notebook in a binder or on a clipboard to keep the pages contained and to provide a solid surface for writing. Pages do not need to be completed in order, but we recommend you look through the entire notebook before you start using it to get an idea of things to look for. It will be helpful to have a bird guidebook or app for your location to help identify the birds you observe. Binoculars can help you get a closer look at the birds you find. Enjoy your time in nature as you get to know more about birds and perhaps develop a lifelong interest in these fascinating animals!

Materials Needed: • • • • •

writing utensils colored pencils binder or clipboard for stability bird guidebook or app for your area binoculars (optional)

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Table of Contents Birdlife List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1–2

Birdwatching Bingo Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–4 Ethical Birdwatching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Signs of a Bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Feather Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Bird Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 How to Make Your Home Bird Friendly . . . . . . . . . . . 9 How to Use Binoculars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Beak Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Peek at a Beak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Feet Beat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Peek at the Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 State Bird Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 National Bird Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Bird of Prey Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Bird of Interest Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Bird Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19–20 Notebook Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21–41

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Many enthusiastic bird lovers will keep a running list of all the birds they have observed. To help you identify the birds you see, your local library may have books about birds in your area, or you may find a list of birds local to you on the internet. Note the date and location where each bird was sighted for future reference.

Name of Bird

Date

1

Location

Name of Bird

Date

2

Location

Look for the features in each square during your birdwatching expeditions. See how long it takes you to complete all the squares, or challenge someone to a friendly competition to see who can check off a line of squares first.

a bird that is one solid color

a bird with a long neck

a bird I’ve nevernoticed before

a bird with greenanywhere on its body

a bird that has more than two colors

a bird that is camouflaged

a bird of prey

a bird with babies

a bird with striped or spotted coloring

3

Look for the behaviors in each square during your birdwatching expeditions. See how long it takes you to complete all the squares, or challenge someone to a friendly competition to see who can check off a line of squares first.

a bird eating an insect

a bird taking off in f light

a bird preening

a bird defending itself

a bird with arepetitive song

a bird building a nest

a bird on aprecarious perch

a bird in anuncommon place

a bird hopping on the ground

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Be respectful and mindful. Remember that yo u are coming into the bi rds’ environments, an d act appropriately by moving slowly and being quiet. Don’t attempt to frighten the birds. Move aw ay if they act alarmed .

Be careful around roosting and nesting area s; birds will defend their nests. Exercise caution when approaching bird s. Do not disturb their habitats or handle birds, eg gs, or nests in use.

Ethical Birdwatching entally environm n a in e iv L urage and enco , y a w ly friend lue of a ee the va s to rs e oth r birds. nment fo o ir v n e y health er things r or do oth e tt li t o n Do onment. the envir to pollute

not e law. Do Follow th erty. vate prop ri p n o s trespas with the yourself e z ri ia il Fam ny bird rea and a a r u o y laws in rotected such as p , s n o ti la regu sitive reas, sen a g n ti s e n r using or rules fo habitats, s. food lure audio or

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The principal ethical rule for bird-watchers should be to have no [detrimental] impact on birds. -David Sibley

Find evidence of the birds around you by looking for signs in nature. Check them off as you find them, and add other things to the list! Draw some signs you see.

▫ a cracked seed shell ▫ an empty nest ▫ bird tracks ▫ a feather ▫ bird droppings ▫ a bird flying in the distance ▫ scratches or holes in a tree ▫ a hole that could house a bird ▫ a singing bird ▫ a bird egg ▫ ______________________________ ▫ ______________________________

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On this page tape photos or draw pictures of feathers you find so you can look them up in a bird app or field guide. Be sure to always wash your hands after touching feathers—they can carry germs. It is illegal to have some types of feathers in your possession, so it is best to leave feathers where you find them.

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Draw the bird tracks you find in nature on this page. If you know the bird species that made the track, label it.

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How to Make Your Home Bird-Friendly Would you like to attract more birds to your home so you can see them more closely? There are things you can do to make your area, no matter the size or location, appealing and safe for birds so you can enjoy them at your leisure.

1. Food

4. Habitat

Birds spend much of their time looking for a bite to eat. They will stay close by if they find ready food sources in the area. Research what the birds in your area like to eat so you can prepare the right foods that will keep them near.

Think of your outdoor space as a habitat where birds live. Include plants native to your area that birds love, and provide a variety of plants and plant levels— grasses, bushes, and all sizes of trees. Keep in mind things such as shade, water sources, food sources, shelter, predators, and human activity. Consider increasing your garden space instead of keeping large lawn areas. Birds are very sensitive to chemicals, so avoid spraying herbicides and pesticides in areas where birds may visit.

You can place birdseed in feeders on your property. There are all sorts of feeders you can make at home and place anywhere, whether you have a yard or not. Be sure to put your feeders in places that will protect the birds from predators, such as cats. Try to put the feeders in places where squirrels cannot get to them because they will quickly eat all of your birdseed! In your yard or field, you can leave brush piles, leaves, or fallen trees, where insects like to build their homes and birds like to hunt for those insects.

Do you want to attract acertain species?

Plant trees, bushes, flowers, or other plants that produce fruit, nuts, seeds, nectar, and berries that birds like to eat.

Find out what that bird prefers in all the areas above and set up your

2. Water

property to meet those needs. You

Birds need water to survive, and they love the sound of splashing water! Birdbaths provide water sources, but stagnant water can easily get dirty and be filled with germs, unappealing algae, and insects. Bird fountains with circulating water pumps, drippers, or misters are great ways to attract birds to your property and provide healthy sources of water.

may be able to closely observe your favorite local bird if you do!

3. Shelter Birds need areas that will keep them safe from harsh weather and predators as well as provide protection for their nests. Large trees, shrubs, nesting boxes, and nesting materials can help birds create safe homes for themselves and their hatchlings.

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How to Use Binoculars Read the instructions that come with your binoculars for specific information about your model. Below are general guidelines for using medium- to high-end binoculars.

Center Focus Wheel Eyepiece Ocular Lens Pivot Diopter Adjustment Ring Barrel Objective Lens

1. Care and Maintenance

3. Looking at Objects

Binoculars often come in a storage case to protect the instrument. You may get a soft cloth for cleaning the lenses. This cloth should be stored in a plastic bag to keep it clean; dirt can cause scratches on the lenses. Binoculars usually have a neck strap and lens caps. Place the neck strap around the back of your neck and remove the lens caps when using your binoculars. If the lens caps are not attached to the binoculars, place them in the storage case when not in use. Replace the lens caps and store the binoculars in the case when not in use.

Hold the binoculars up to your eyes with the ocular lenses close to your eyes. Hold the barrels of the binoculars securely with both hands. Some people prefer to cup their hands around the ocular lenses. Find a position that is comfortable for you. Aim your binoculars by first finding your bird with your naked eye, then bring the binoculars up to your eyes as you continue to look at the bird. If you cannot find the bird, try looking for something that is close to the bird but easier to find, such as a tree or a building, then slowly move until you find the bird.

2. Adjusting Fit

4. Focusing

You may need to adjust your binoculars each time you use them, especially if other people also use them. The center hinge of the binoculars, called a pivot, is typically flexible; this allows you to adjust the distance between the left and right barrels to match the distance between your eyes. Adjust the pivot until you can see a single image and the binoculars fit comfortably. The eyecups on the small ocular lenses of the binoculars may also be adjustable for those wearing eyeglasses.

Typically, there is a center focus wheel (near your fingertips when you’re holding the binoculars up to your face) that adjusts both eyepieces of the binoculars simultaneously. Spin this wheel until the object you are looking at comes into focus.

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Some binoculars have eyepieces that allow you to adjust the focus of each side independently. This allows you to compensate for any visual differences between your eyes.

For Cracking

For Picking

Seedeaters, like sparrows and cardinals, have thick, strong beaks that can break open the shells of nuts.

Insect eaters, like warblers, have thin, precise beaks used to pick up tiny insects.

For Shredding

For Skimming Spoonbills sweep their bills back and forth in the water. When a food source touches the sensitive receptors inside, the bill snaps shut.

Birds of prey, such as eagles and falcons, have sharp, hooked beaks that can tear meat into bite-sized pieces.

For Chiseling

For Fruit Eating

Some birds have long, strong beaks that can bore holes into trees as they search for insects to eat.

This substantial beak can both collect and skin fruit that is the bird’s preferred food source.

For Filtering

For Scything

Some ducks and flamingos have flat bills that skim water and filter out bits of plants and animals.

This upturned bill is used to sweep through mud or shallow water and collect small insects and crustaceans.

For Nectar Feeding

For Probing

Birds that drink nectar have bills that are long and thin. These bills may be slightly curved so the birds can dip them into flowers and lap up the nectar.

These birds use their long, pointed beaks to poke holes in the ground in search of worms, insects, and burrowed crustaceans.

For Spearing

For Extracting

Birds like herons have slim, pointed beaks that can spear fish for food.

The crossing bill tips allow these birds to efficiently extract the seeds from pine cones, their primary food source.

For Hooking

For Netting

Some fruit eaters, such as parrots, have a bill with a curved tip that does a great job of slicing through thick fruit skins and crushing nuts.

Folds of skin on the lower mandible— called a gular pouch—can expand and contract. Pelicans will scoop up fish into their pouches, let the water drain, then throw their heads back and swallow the fish. 11

Nare (nostril) Maxilla (upper mandible) Lower Mandible Chin

Gape

Observe and Draw!

Observe a bird and take a close look at its beak. What do you notice? Is it pointy? Is it curved? What does the shape of the beak tell you about this bird? Draw the beak you see.

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For Running

For Scratching

Emus and ostriches have forward-facing toes that help them reach great speeds on land, which is needed because they can’t fly.

The shape of this foot is perfect for scratching the ground and finding insects and seeds to eat. Many types of poultry have this foot shape.

For Climbing

For Carrying The toe positioning and long claws on these feet help birds carry their food (often fish that are plucked from the water) through the air.

The shape of this foot enables a bird like a woodpecker to cling to vertical tree bark with ease.

For Wading

For Holding

This foot shape is found on birds such as herons that wade through shallows and walk on mud in search of food.

Some birds, such as parrots, use their feet like hands to hold their food and help them maneuver along branches and trees.

For Paddling

For Alternating Use

Webbed feet help birds like ducks propel themselves through water.

Birds that divide their time between land and water, such as American coots, may have lobed toes instead of webbing.

For Perching The slender, flexible toes on birds such as jays can grasp a tree branch securely enough for a bird to sleep.

For Grasping Prey Strong, muscular feet work in tandem with long, sharp talons to securely grasp and sometimes even dispatch their prey.

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2

3

1

4

23

4

2

1

Zygodactyl

3

4

1

Syndactyl

Anisodactyl

3

4

1 2 34

2

1

1

Heterodactyl

Pamprodactyl

Zygodactyl:

Syndactyl:

• two toes in front • two toes in back • some birds can rotate a toe forward or backward • woodpeckers, ospreys, owls, parrots

• three toes in front • one toe in back • the second and third toes are mostly connected • kingfishers, hornbills

Anisodactyl:

Heterodactyl:

• three toes in front • one toe in back • songbirds, perching birds

• two toes in front • two toes in back • trogons, quetzals

Observe and Draw!

Pamprodactyl:

• two inner toes in front • the two outer toes rotate to the front or back • mousebirds, some swifts

Observe a bird and take a close look at its feet. What do you notice? Are they webbed? Do the feet have claws? What do the feet tell you about this bird? Draw the feet.

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4

State Bird Study

Look up your state bird. If your state does not have a state bird, look up the official bird of a place that has meaning to you. Learn about the bird and answer the questions below.

What are some unique features of this bird?

Why did your state choose this bird?

What does this bird eat?

Where can you find this bird?

Sketch or place a picture of the bird you just studied here.

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National Bird Study

Look up your national bird. If your country does not have a national bird, look up the official bird of a place that has meaning to you. Learn about the bird and answer the questions below.

What are some unique features of this bird?

Why did yourcountry choose this bird?

What does this bird eat?

Where can you find this bird?

Sketch or place a picture of the bird you just studied here.

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Bird of Prey Study

Choose a bird of prey you would like to learn more about. Is there one you find especially interesting? Research the bird and answer the questions below.

What are some unique features of this bird?

What are the hunting tactics of this bird of prey?

What does this bird eat?

Where can you find this bird?

Sketch or place a picture of the bird you just studied here.

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Bird of Interest Study

Choose a bird you would like to learn more about. Is there a particular bird that fascinates you? Research the bird and answer the questions below.

What are some unique features of this bird?

Why did you choose to study this bird?

What does this bird eat?

Where can you find this bird?

Sketch or place a picture of the bird you just studied here.

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Shape & Silhouette Birds within the same family often have similar body shapes. When you become acquainted with the overall look of different groups of birds, it helps you identify the types of birds you observe. Questions to ask include the following: What is the bird’s body shape: round and short, or long and slim? Are the legs slender or chunky? Does it flap its wings or glide? Are the wings straight or in a V shape while flying? Does it lean while perching or stand up straight?

Songbirds

Crows

Doves

Swallows

Hummingbirds

Woodpeckers

Herons

Geese

Ducks

Gulls

Hawks

Owls

Can you find a bird from any of these groups? Record the group and where you saw it.

Group Name

Where You Saw It

(such as “hawk”)

(such as “in a tree”)

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Field Marks Field marks are the unique markings of color, pattern, and other feather features on a particular bird. Knowing some bird anatomy is helpful when you start to identify birds by their field marks; you can be more specific with your descriptions. Ornithologists divide up a bird’s body into parts, specifically the beak or bill, head, throat and neck, back, breast, wings, tail, legs, and feet. They may further divide these areas. Sometimes you can identify one or two key field marks and know which species you saw, but sometimes different species have nearly identical field marks that require some close observation to notice the difference!

Field Marks on the Head Crest Crown Eyebrow Stripe Eyeline Whisker Mark

Field Marks on the Body

Eye Ring Lore

Back

Upper Beak

Coverts

Lower Beak

Secondary Feathers

Throat Patch

Breast Wingtip

Primary Feathers

Belly Undertail Coverts

Tail

Note: Some species look nearly identical, so you need other clues to identify them, such as their size, where in nature they are found, or if they travel in large groups. The field marks of a particular bird can also change with age, molting, and season, making identification even more challenging!

Crow

20

Raven

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

Date Name of Bird (common and scientific, if possible)

Location

Appearance

Behavior

Find a picture of your bird (printed from the internet or copied from a book) and paste it below, or draw a picture of your bird. You may wish to label key features, use color, or draw the bird in different positions or angles.

Notes

Size Feather Color Bill Color Foot Color Distinctive Features

SKU 197