Learn more at Secondary Unit Lesson 5- Blue Shark Adventure: Student Resources - Page 11

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1 Afterschool Project - Migration Background Information Migration - The large scale movement of an animal species from one place to another. They are usually related to seasonal changes in weather and feeding patterns or mating an breeding patterns. Migration is a response to the instinct for survivial. Types of Migration: Irruptive migration - species move from one place to the next when they ve exhausted the food supply in one area. Complete migration - when every member of a species migrates Partial migration - when some members of a species stay in an area while others migrate Altitudinal migration - When animals that live at high altitudes move to lower altitudes during colder seasons Removal migration - migration due to a major change in the environment or climate. This can occur with human development. Seasonal migration is migration that corresponds with the change in seasons. Most migration fall within this category. Many altitudinal, longitudinal, latitudinal, and reproductive migrations take place when the seasons change. Latitudinal migration is the movement of animals north and south. Reproductive migration is the movement of animals to bear young. What cues an animal to migrate? Daylight changes - As the days get shorter instincts tell animals to move south. Temperature Internal Cues - such as fat reserves in the body Circadian rhythm - internal calendars that signal the time to migrate How do animals navigate when migrating? The sun - starlings and ants Landmarks - whales Moon and stars - birds Scent - salmon finding spawning ground Weather - birds fly downwind Magnetic field - bats and sea turtles Secondary Unit Lesson 5- Blue Shark Adventure: Student Resources - Page 11

2 Afterschool Project #1 - Bird Migration Research Question: Will birds migrate a short distance when they run out of food? Introduction: Have you ever noticed that some birds are only around during some parts of the year, while others stay all year long? For example, if you live in the eastern United States, you might have noticed that the ruby-throated hummingbirds all disappear for the winter, but return for summer and spring each year. Or maybe you ve seen large flocks (groups) of Canada geese come spend the winters at your local ponds, but fly away again once spring arrives. This movement of animals from one place to another is called a migration. It isn t only birds that migrate. Many different types of animals do, too! There are lots of reasons why an animal might migrate. Two of the most common reasons are food and temperature. If the temperature is getting too cold, an animal might choose to migrate somewhere where the temperatures are warmer so that they don t freeze. Animals also migrate when the local supply of food is too small to support the population. This is often the case with herds (groups) of antelope, buffalo, or other grass-eating mammals that move from one grassland to the next as they eat up all the available grass. In some cases, animals migrate in order to find a good place to hatch or raise their babies. Some migrations take place over many days as the animals travel hundreds of miles. Others are shorter in both time and distance. In this science fair project, you ll see if you can create a miniature bird migration. You ll use food as a reason for the birds to migrate. With the help of some friends, you ll start out by feeding the birds in two locations. Then you ll see what happens when one of the locations runs out of food. Will the birds migrate from the location that doesn t have food to the one that does? Start the feeding frenzy and get ready to find out! Try starting your own miniature bird migration in this science fair project! Materials: Place where you can feed birds such as ducks, geese, pigeons, or seagulls. Bread (3 loaves) (can consider other bird safe foods for this project too) Volunteers (5, including you) Plastic bags (2) Measuring tape, 20 feet long String or rope, 40 feet Scissors Clipboards (2) Paper (2 sheets) Pens or pencils (2) Stopwatch Graph paper Lab notebook Secondary Unit Lesson 5- Blue Shark Adventure: Student Resources - Page 12

3 Afterschool Project #1 - Bird Migration (continued - page 2) Procedure 1- Find a place with a large group of birds (at least 15) that you can feed. Make sure to read any signs posted at the location. If the signs say please do not feed the birds then you ll need to find another place where bird feeding is allowed. 2 -Preparing for the Experiment 1. Before going to the bird-feeding location, tear one loaf of bread into chunks the size of a quarter coin. 2. Put one-third of the chunks into one plastic bag, and the remaining two-thirds into the second plastic bag. 3. Using the measuring tape and scissors, cut two pieces of string or rope, each 20 feet long. 3- Doing the Experiment Two people will be in charge of feeding the birds Two other people will count how many birds are around each bird-feeding station The fifth person will be in charge of using the stopwatch. (an adult if possible) 1. All 5 people should go to to the bird-feeding location. Be sure you have all the materials you need from the list above. Make sure there are no other people nearby who are feeding the birds. If there are, they could affect your experiment, so you ll need to wait until they re done or move far away from them. 2. Place the two people who are going to feed the birds 20 feet apart using the measuring tape to check the distance. Try to position these people < 10 feet from the birds. The birds may run away from you as you set up the experiment. That s okay, they ll be back once you start offering them food. 3. Make a circle around each bird-feeding person using the pieces of string or rope you prepared. One birdfeeding person should stand in the middle of each circle. Each bird-feeding person should hold a bag of bread chunks. Bird Feeder #1 - The person holding the bag with one-third of the loaf of bread Bird Feeder #2 - The person holding the bag with two-thirds of the loaf of bread The people who are going to be the bird counters should stand outside of the circles. Each bird feeder should be watched by one bird counter. Make sure the bird counters each have a good view of the bird feeder they ll be watching, as well as that person s entire circle. The bird counters should each have a clipboard with a data table on it and a pen or a pencil. The fifth volunteer should hold the stopwatch. 4. When everyone is in position and ready to begin, the person with the stopwatch should yell, Go! and start the stopwatch. The bird counters don t need to count any birds just yet. Both bird feeders should start feeding the birds bread as soon as they hear the word go. Feed the birds at a slow, but steady, pace. Decide with the group the pace beforehand the pace. Try to have both bird feeders keep the same feeding pace. It may be a good idea to have the two bird feeders practice this side-by-side before the actual bird feeding begins (not at the park though, or your birds might start migrating before you re ready for them to!). Both bird feeders should make sure to throw the bread within the circle. Secondary Unit Lesson 5- Blue Shark Adventure: Student Resources - Page 13

4 Afterschool Project #1 - Bird Migration (continued - page 3) 5. When the stopwatch reads 2 minutes, the person holding it should yell Time! and both bird counters should quickly count the number of birds in the circles and record the number in their data tables. Note: The bird feeders, should continue feeding AND the person with the stopwatch should restart it again right after yelling Time. Bird counter #1 should count the number of birds in the circle around bird feeder #1. Bird counter #2 should count the number of birds in the circle around bird feeder #2. The bird counters should try to be as accurate as possible, but if there are birds moving in and out of the circle, it is okay if the final count is off by one or two birds. 6. Repeat step 5 every 2 minutes until bird feeder #1 runs out of bread. When bird feeder #1 runs out of bread, he or she should yell out of bread and the person with the stopwatch should immediately reset the time. Bird feeder #2 should still have bread, because they started with twice as much bread as bird feeder #1 did. He or she should keep feeding the birds at the same pace as before. Bird feeder #1 should continue to stand in his or her circle, hands at his or her sides. He or she should still be holding the bag. If the birds were to get a hold of the bag, it could cause them harm. 7. Now the stopwatch should be counting up from zero again bird feeder #1 should be standing still inside his or her circle bird counter #1 should still be watching and ready to count the birds inside circle #1 bird feeder #2 should still be feeding the birds bird counter #2 should be watching and ready to count the birds inside circle #2 8. When the stopwatch reaches 2 minutes again, the person holding it should yell Time! and both bird counters should count the number of birds in the circles and record the number in their data sheets. Even though bird feeder #1 is out of food, bird counter #1 should still count how many birds are in bird feeder #1 s circle. Bird counter #2 should count the number of birds in the circle around bird feeder #2. 9. Repeat step 9 every 2 minutes until bird feeder #2 also runs out of bread. 10. Repeat steps 1-10 two more times, either on different days at the same location or at different locations, but with the same type of bird. ** Can you define the different variables in this research? Secondary Unit Lesson 5- Blue Shark Adventure: Student Resources - Page 14

5 Afterschool Project - Bird Migration (continued - page 4) Analyzing the Data Combine the data collected by both bird counters in one large data table in your science notebook. Make a new table for each of the trials. Calculate the average number of birds around each bird feeder before and after bird feeder #1 ran out of bread. Do this for each of the times you did the experiment (each one is called a trial). Using your graph paper, draw bar graphs of your data. Make a bar showing the average number of birds around bird feeder #1 when he or she had bread, and a bar next to that when only bird feeder #2 had bread. Make two more bars for the averages for bird feeder #2. Label each bar so you know what it represents. Using the same method, make bar graphs for each trial. When you are done, you should have a total of three graphs. If you prefer to make your bar graphs on the computer, try using Create a Graph: Look at your graphs. What happened to the number of birds around bird feeder #1 when the bread ran out? Did it increase, decrease, or stay the same? What about around bird feeder #2? When bird feeder #1 s bread was gone, did the birds migrate to bird feeder #2? How does the number of birds change in the circles of each bird feeder over time? Try answering this question by making a line graph showing all the data for each trial (use the counts for each time point, instead of the averages you calculated). Time should be on the x-axis and the number of birds around each feeder should be on the y-axis. In the end there should be three line graphs, one for each trial. Each line graph should have two lines one for each bird feeder s data. Additional Research Questions: 1. Do different species of birds behave differently in this experiment? Find out by repeating this experiment with different types of birds. 2. What happens if the bird feeders alternate feeding the birds. First, bird feeder #1 feeds them, but stops after a few minutes, just as bird feeder #2 starts, and then the cycle repeats. Will the birds keep migrating back and forth between the two feeders? Design an experiment to find out. 3. What is the maximum distance you can put between the two bird feeders and still see a migration occur? Experiment to discover the answer. Additional Resources: Animal Migration: (Nature Education): National Geographic: Great Migrations Photography: Migrating Animal Printouts: Blue Sharks: Migration: Types of Animal Migration: Credit: Science Buddies Staff. (2014, October 10). With a Little Bread as Bait, Can You Make a Bird Migrate?. Retrieved March 19, 2015 from Melissa Bowlin, PhD, Martin Wikelski, PhD, Sandra Slutz, PhD, Science Buddies Secondary Unit Lesson 5- Blue Shark Adventure: Student Resources - Page 15

6 Participants (5) : Afterschool Project #1 - Bird Migration Date: Location: Bird Species: Other Factors (weather, type of food): Secondary Unit Lesson 5- Blue Shark Adventure: Student Resources - Page 16