Reference no: EM133418313

Exercise: Observing and noting Bird Behaviours

Now that you have spent some time getting to know our birds at the feeders, let's observe what they are doing. Researchers and Naturalists will also use different bird behaviors to help identify species. The following are some common examples...
Typical behavior - how a species commonly behaves that is noteworthy. ie. penguin waddle
Communication - the specific songs or calls
Matting behavior - dances or displays for mates
Nesting behavior - nest placement or type
Flight pattern - soaring, gliding or flapping - maybe no flight
Flocking behavior - does the bird move in large groups or is it found mostly alone.

Understanding the bird migration patterns for your area is key to knowing if the bird you think you see is likely to be in the area at a specific time. Learning bird songs is a great way to identify birds hidden by dense foliage, faraway birds, birds at night, and birds that look identical to each other. In fact, when biologists count birds in the field, the great majority of species are heard rather than seen. We will focus on bird foraging behavior as new birders.

Understanding how birds forage and noticing subtle variations between birds can help birders better identify species by their feeding behavior. Foraging is the simple act of gathering food, either for immediate consumption or future storage. This act is anything but simple, however, and bird bills are highly evolved with different shapes and lengths to gather preferred foods best. Bird tongues, senses, talons, and flight abilities also play great roles in how they forage, and there are many different ways birds can gather food.