Waterfowl Along the Road

Transcription

1 Waterfowl Along the Road Grade Level Third to Sixth Subject Areas Identification & Classification Bird Watching Content Standards Duration 20 minute Visitor Center Investigation Field Trip: 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours Vocabulary Waterfowl Field Mark Materials Laminated sheet of common waterfowl of the refuge Duck ID booklet Worksheets Waterfowl Along the Road Bird ID Experts Learner Objectives Students will: Define waterfowl Identify local waterfowl species by three criteria: behavior, body and bill shape, and field marks Sketch five local waterfowl using one or more of the three criteria Observe local waterfowl on a field trip Getting Ready! Read over background information Make copies of Student Worksheet Take a field trip to the US Fish and Wildlife Visitor Center and along the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour Route Background Information The Klamath Basin is home to huge numbers of wintering waterfowl. Driving along the roads near National Wildlife Refuges you can see hundreds of thousands of waterfowl feeding in a flooded field, floating on the water, or taking to the sky. By studying and learning behavior (how they feed), body and bill shape, and field marks you can identify what type of waterfowl you are seeing. What are waterfowl? Waterfowl are birds that frequent water, distinguishable from upland game or shorebirds by their behavior. Waterfowl can be separated into many different groups, such as: diving ducks, dabbling ducks, and geese. According to a 2006 National survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation, waterfowl are the most popular and watched bird! When identifying waterfowl in the field, it is helpful to look at behavior, body and bill shape, and field marks. For waterfowl identification, behavior is a good place to start, distinguishing a diving duck from a dabbling duck. For instance, dabbling ducks, including Mallards and Northern Shovelers, will submerge their heads and put their tails and feet in the air to reach aquatic vegetation. Diving ducks, including Common Merganser and Bufflehead, will dive disappearing from view as they hunt for food. If bird is not actively feeding, the general body shape or silhouette is another good place to look when identifying what type of bird you are viewing. By looking at the bird s silhouette you can quickly determine what type of bird it is, a duck, a hawk, a heron, etc. While a bird s plumage and coloration can look different in different types of light, their body shape will never change. Field marks are another tool that bird watchers and biologists use to identify birds. A field mark is a unique, indentifying characteristic of a bird that includes coloration and Klamath Bird Observatory 2011

2 Lesson Plan plumage patterns, relative size, and body shape. Identifying marks are often given relative to a birds anatomy, for example a white head. Discuss! 1. Ask students if they know what waterfowl are. 2. Discuss with students what makes a waterfowl a waterfowl. Have students point out examples in the visitor center. Define and discuss adaptations. Share with students the adaptations that make waterfowl unique. 3. Ask students if they know any waterfowl by name. 4. Let students know they will be practicing identification of waterfowl by body shape, field marks, and behavior. 5. Explain to students what it means to identify animals by the body shape. Asking the following questions can help: Is it small or large? Does it have a long neck? What is the head shape? 6. Explain to students what a field mark is. A field mark is a physical characteristic of an animal that helps biologists identify it in the field. For instance, a male Mallard duck has a dark green head in breeding plumage, or a male Bufflehead has a white belly and a large white spot on the back of its head. See Bird ID Experts! lesson for additional information on field marks. Investigate at the Visitor Center! 1. Give each student a Student Worksheets. 2. Have students look at waterfowl in the visitor center and record information on field marks and behavior. 3. Ask students a few questions before sharing information about each raptor. Have you seen this waterfowl before? What are some field marks? Describe its body shape. 4. Ask students to sketch waterfowl. 5. Have students record behavior, body and bill shape, and field marks of each of the five waterfowl in their worksheet. Investigate on the Bus! 1. Give each student a Student Worksheet. 2. Share with students the different types of waterfowl at the refuge. 3. Give students laminated sheet of common waterfowl and have students share field markings for the different types of waterfowl. 4. Using binoculars have students look for the different types of waterfowl noting behavior, body and bill shape, and field marks. 5. Students should fill out the appropriate student worksheet.

3 Teacher Tips Identify Waterfowl by Behavior, Body and Bill Shape, and Field Marks Tundra Swan Behavior: To achieve flight, swans face the wind, run along the surface of the water for 15 to 20 feet, flap their wings, and beat the water with their feet alternately until they have gained sufficient headway to launch into the air. Body Shape: very long wings and neck and large body. Field Marks: Smallest North American Swan, males and females have a grayish head and neck with a flat black bill. Canada Goose Behavior: Usually is in large groups most of the year. During mating season, they will separate from the group into mating pairs. Body Shape: Bulky and heavy body, flies with its neck and head outstretched. Field Marks: Black head and neck with a white chin strap, brownish body and white under tail coverts Greater White fronted Goose Behavior: The Greater White fronted Goose grazes while walking on land, and dabbles when in the water. Body Shape: Long, narrow wings, and long straight neck. Field Marks: Named for the white band on the front of the goose s face. Speckled belly and bright orange legs. In flight two white bands are visible on the goose. Snow/Ross s Goose Behavior: Snow Geese forage mostly by walking in shallow water or on land, usually in flocks that may include other geese. They rip vegetation from the ground and can cause damage to areas where there are large numbers of geese. Body Shape: Heave, short necked goose with large wings. Field Marks: Dark wing tips, white body. Larger head and bill than Ross s goose. Mallard Behavior: Dabbling Duck. Body Shape: Broad wings and slow wing beats. Field Marks: Males and females have white wings bars. Males in breeding plumage have dark green head, dark breast and pale body. Females and non breeding males have brown eye stripe and dark cap, brownish body. Northern Pintail Behavior: Dabbling Duck. Body Shape: Slender duck with long neck and tail. Field Marks: Males in breeding plumage have dark head with white chin strap and breast, gray

4 Teacher Tips body and long, black tail feathers. Females have buffy scalloped plumage with a dark gray bill and long neck. Northern Shoveler Behavior: Dabbling Duck, but rarely tips, rather flitters water and mud through bill. Body Shape: Pointed wings, neck and head appear long due to large bill. Field Marks: Large, heavy flat bill. Breeding males have green head, white breast, and rufous flanks. Females have brown scalloped pattern Lesser Scaup Behavior: Diving Duck, often seen sleeping on the water with bill tucked behind wing. Body Shape: Long wings, neck and head during flight. Field Marks: Adult breeding males have dark head and neck, white underbody and gray back, and dark tail. Females are brown in color with a slight crest at the back of their head. Both males and females have bluish gray bill with a black tip. Common Merganser Behavior: Diving Duck. Body Shape: Long slender body; flies with neck out in a straight line; medium sized straight bill Field Marks: Males have dark green head (breeding plumage) with a red bill, all white body with a black back. Non breeding males and females have reddish to dark brown head, streaked gray body, reddish orange bill. American Coot Behavior: Often seen running across the water or swimming with short, sharp movements of the head. Body Shape: Legs trail behind in flight, very short tail, short wings and large head Field Marks: Dark gray body, with dark head and red flesh above bill. Bufflehead Behavior: Diving Duck. Body Shape: North America s smallest duck; short tail and large, raised head; small bill; rapid wing beats Field Marks: Males have a large white patch on their head and a white body. Females are duller with a brown head and small white cheek. In flight, males have large white wing patches. Common Goldeneye Behavior: Diving Duck. Body Shape: Large, dark head, heavy body Field Marks: Males in breeding plumage have a mostly white body with some black striping, tall dark green head with round white spot below the eye. Females have dull brown head with gray body.

5 Name: Date: Student Worksheet: Waterfowl Along the Road While exploring in the Visitor Center, choose one raptor to sketch. Make sure to include one of the three identification criteria. Waerfowl Name: Behavior: Body and Bill Shape: Field Marks: Sketch Version 1.0

6 Name: Date: Student Worksheet: Waterfowl Along the Road During the field trip, scan fields, irrigation canals, marshes, lakes, and the sky for waterfowls. Record your observations below. Waterfowl Total Seen Location Description (Behavior & Field Marks) Use the space below to sketch any bird(s) that you observe. Include any observations you have about the wings, bills, feet, plumage (feather colors), and flight. Version 1.0