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Birdfeeders

Details
Activity Length
20 mins.
Topics
Animals
Activity Type
Make & Take
Language
English
Print

Students build a birdhouse to attract common bird species to their homes. 

Birds, like all animals, have specific needs for survival. In a city, birds may find water in puddles or in a pond. They may make their home out of a hole in a tree, or they may create a nest out of bits of hair or fabric they find in a yard. Having a bird feeder to watch is a great way of bringing different bird species into your backyard. Creating a birdfeeder might also help birds find food during times of year when finding food is difficult (such as winter).

Objectives

  • Identify requirements for bird survival.
    Identify common bird species (once built).

Materials

Key Questions

  • Can you identify the birds that feed from the birdfeeder? Does the weather affect the bird feeder visits? Do you notice a pattern to the time of day the birds visit?

What To Do

Preparation: Trays with shortening and trays of birdseed should be prepared in advance.

  1. Tie string/pipecleaner onto pinecone.
  2. Roll pinecone in shortening (hint: the more shortening on the pinecone, the more seeds will stick to it, so try to encourage students to coat their entire pinecone in shortening). 
  3. Roll pinecone in seeds. 
  4. Place pinecone feeders in a small plastic bag for transporting home.
  5. Observe what birds and other creatures visit your feeder

Extensions

  • Keep a journal of animal sightings. In the spring, help birds find nesting material. Put out short pieces of pet or human hair, string and yarn in an onion bag or in a small basket. Keep the pieces shorter than 5 cm so birds don’t get tangled. Try and put bird feeders in different locations and compare animal sightings Research your favourite bird sighting and present it to your class Create a tally/bar graph of the different creatures you observe Research and create a bird feeder that house attract different types of birds

Other Resources

Science World Resources | Full Unit | Backyard Biodiversity