Week Seventeen
Lesson 17: Life Cycle of Birds; Observations & data continued
S2L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the life cycles of different living organisms.
a. Ask questions to determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal such as a cat, dog or classroom pet, a bird such as a chicken, an amphibian such as a frog, and an insect such as a butterfly.
The Egg
Birds start their lives inside
an egg. This egg is usually a hard shelled, whitish yellow covering that protects the
underdeveloped embryo. The baby bird soon grows a bony structure around its beak, which it uses to break out of its shell when ready.
Hatching
Once the bird comes out of the egg, it is known as a hatchling. Now, the bird has soft delicate feathers, but are not strong enough for flight. It is taken care of by it's parents, and also is a target for many predators because of it's vulnerability.
The Nestling/Fledgling
In this stage, the baby bird begins to learn how to fly, and its body and wings start to become stronger. Once the bird becomes a fledgling, it develops solid muscles and takes flight, but does not wander too far from it's nest.
Juvenile Stage
Juvenile birds are just like a bird version of teenagers. In this stage, the bird experiences its first plumage (which is a layer of quills that cover the exoskeleton of a bird), and grows to look more like an adult bird. The plumage of this bird starts out soft, and they also endure periods of shedding.
Adult
Now, the bird has adult plumage, and are mature enough to reproduce and assume dominance in their territory. Once the bird becomes an adult, it mates and lays eggs, and the life cycle starts over.
The data recorded above was collected from February 17th to 23rd. The same methods as the previous week of data collection were used. Over this period of time the weather fluctuated from rainy to sunny with temperatures varying from upper 40 degrees to upper 60 degrees. More birds on average were seen than the previous weeks. This time, the maximum number of birds seen was 8, most prominent in the afternoon between 12:00 and 2:00pm. The minimum number of birds seen was just 1.
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