SUGGESTION: Get a book with pictures of birds in it and use it to brainstorm about birds.

What is a bird?

What makes them different from other animals?

- all birds have feathers covering their bodies (do penguins have feathers?)
- all birds have wings, but can all birds fly?

Who can't? - penguins, ostriches, Big Bird - all birds have a hard bony beak for a mouth (and no teeth) - all birds lay eggs

What other animals can fly? - only bats, and some insects. 'Flying' squirrels, fish and frogs don't really fly; they can only glide.

Each animal has its own special place in the world and special features or talents that help it survive. (Try brainstorming on adaptations for different animals.) For example, cheetahs are fast to catch prey; giraffes have long necks to reach the high leaves; porcupines have quills to protect them from predators. Birds come in all shapes and sizes too. They have different shaped beaks for eating different things; different colours - some to hide and some to look pretty for their mates; different legs and feet for different kinds of environments.

Describe or look at some different beaks and guess what they might be good at: ('Eyewitness BIRD' book has some excellent ideas) - eagles have strong curved pointy beaks for eating meat - finches have short stout beaks for cracking seeds - humming birds have long pointy beaks for getting nectar out of flowers - ducks have broad flat bills for eating water weeds

Describe or look at some different legs and feet and guess what they might be suited for. - talons (eagles & hawks) for catching prey - medium length toes and claws for perching in trees - long legs for wading in water - short legs and webbed toes for swimming

Feathers are wonderful - birds are the only animals that have them. Most scientists believe that birds evolved from reptiles and that feathers evolved from the reptiles' scales.

Why are feathers so light? - the shaft is hollow. This makes them strong and light yet flexible enough not to break easily. Try a demonstration of this fact using straws. Notice that the feather is not completely hollow like the straw.

Why? (the inside structure gives added strength without too much weight).

What do feathers do? - keep the bird warm - keep out the rain - help the bird hide (camouflage) - for pretty (to attract a mate) Usually, the boys have brighter and more colourful feathers than the girls.

Do you think that birds keep the same feathers forever?
What would happen if they did? - the feathers would wear out, fade in the sun, start to break - the feathers wouldn't be able to do what they are supposed to Once a year, usually in the late summer birds loose their feathers and grow new ones (called MOULT). When ducks loose their wing feathers, they fall out almost all at once and for a few weeks they cannot fly. This usually happens about the same time that their babies are little and need their mothers around all the time.

What is an egg? - it's an amazing package containing an embryo and all the food it needs to grow - it has a protective covering (the shell) that keeps it from drying out too fast and helps to keep the dirt out

What kinds of animals lay eggs? - birds, fish, insects, reptiles, amphibians, worms, in fact practically all living things lay eggs except mammals

Who doesn't lay eggs? - only mammals - exceptions: duck-billed platypus and spiny anteater - notice most of the animal kingdom lays eggs. Some fish and reptiles have the ability to hold their eggs inside their bodies until they hatch.

How does an egg grow into a baby? - process called incubation

What happens during incubation? - the embryo grows from a few cells into a fully developed baby

What is required for incubation to be successful? - egg needs to have been laid with sufficient nutrients to let the baby grow and thrive until it hatches - egg needs to be fertilized - egg needs oxygen - egg needs sufficient heat & moisture - some eggs need motion (to be moved or turned)

How are these things provided during incubation? - nutrients: all there when laid - fertilization : usually there when laid (most fish & amphibians and some insects do this after the eggs are laid) - oxygen : passes through the pores in the shell - heat & moisture : laid in a moist, warm place or provided by the mother when she sits on them

Eggs come in many different shapes & colours. Can you guess why this might be useful? - some eggs are very pointy at one end, these eggs are laid by birds who make their nests on cliffs and ledges. The pointy eggs roll in very tight circles so they don't fall off - some eggs have markings and colours that make them look like their surroundings - this way predators have a harder time finding them

SUGGESTION: Get pictures of eggs from different birds and animals. Brainstorm about who laid them. Describe the colour, size, and shape of the egg. Try and explain why it looks the way it does.

Ducks are part of the group of birds known as waterfowl. They have webbed feet for swimming, and glands at the base of their tails that produce oil which they can spread on their feathers to keep them water-proof.

How do you tell male ducks from female ducks? - most males are more colourful than their female counter-parts - mallard-type ducks (including ALL domestic ducks except muscovies) have a 'drake-feather' in the males. This is a curled tail-feather that can be seen on top of the base of the tail. The females don't have one. - mallard-type ducks can also be distinguished by their voices: only the females quack. The males all sound like they have laryngitis and their voices are quite hoarse.

What makes ducks (waterfowl) different from chickens (landfowl)? - bill vs. beak - webbed feet - thick down (chickens don't have down under their feathers) - oil gland - the legs of waterfowl are situated farther back on their bodies (this is better for swimming but not so good for walking) - the legs of waterfowl are usually shorter and not as strong as those of landfowl

What do ducks eat? - mostly weeds and grains/seeds - some insects, as well as small fish, tadpoles and frogs - domestic ducks like many kitchen scraps - especially spaghetti!

Domestic ducks usually have their first set of full feathers by the time they are 6-7 weeks old. These are called the juvenile feathers and both sexes look very much alike. This helps to keep them camouflaged before they can fly.

Almost immediately after getting their juvenile feathers, the ducks will begin to moult again; this time the new feathers that grow in are their proper adult colours. They do not get new wing feathers at this time.

All male mallard-type ducks moult twice a year once they are adults. After the mating season is over (around July) they gradually loose all but their wing feathers, replacing them with colours much like the females (ever wondered where all the males on the ponds go this time of year?). Then while they are dressed in 'drab' (this is called the ECLIPSE moult) and can hide more easily, they loose their wing feathers and replace them too. They will usually keep these colours until the next breeding season, when they moult again to get their bright 'going-out' feathers for mating.

Females only moult once per year. They begin to moult once their babies are hatched, and will be able to fly again about the same time the babies are ready to learn how to fly too.

Ducks loose most of their body feathers gradually over a 6-10 week period so they are never 'naked'. Their wing feathers come out almost all at once though and for a few weeks while the new ones grow in, they are very vulnerable and spend much of their time just hiding.