Birds of Prey

"Birds of prey---powerful eagles, hawks, and owls---have very different lifestyles from Florida's backyard songbirds. Also known as raptors, they are predator, hunting and feeding on smaller animals (called prey) such as insects, mice, rabbits , fish snakes, and even other birds. They often eat sick and weakened animals, sometimes even dead animals (called carrion) and they help to keep the population of rodents and insect pests in check." The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida; page 102

Discussion Questions:

1. What physical characteristics do all birds of prey or raptors have in common?
2. Name five types of raptors that can be found in Florida.
3. What animal used to be considered a bird of prey but is no longer considered one by Ornithologists? Why is this bird no longer considered a raptor?
4. What is the difference between a diurnal animal and a nocturnal one?
   

Activities:

1. Go on a field trip to learn more about birds of prey.
2. Choose one raptor to study and include in your notebook.
3. Study the beaks and talons of raptors up close. Draw pictures for your notebook.
4. Print out worksheet and have students circle the raptor talons
   

Suggested Reading:
Peterson Field Guides for young naturalists: Birds of Prey by Jonathan P. Latimer/Karen Stray Nolting

Online Resources:
PDF on Raptors
Conserve Wildlife Raptor Page
Sea World's Raptor Sheet
Raptor Related Words
Skulls Unlimited
IBC (The Internet Bird Collection)
Global Raptor information network

Field Trip Suggestions:

Busch Wildlife Animal Sanctuary

Tour the sanctuary and see several birds of prey on exhibit. Inquire about educational lectures featuring birds of prey.

Okeeheelee Nature Center

Take a nature walk and explore the nature center. Book a group tour and attend the incredible "Raptor Chapter" lecture.

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey
Tour the Audubon Center for birds of prey or book a group tour and get an even more up close look at the amazing birds of prey currently housed at the center.

Introduction to Florida State Symbols

Activities:
Print out the Florida State Symbols PDF and include in your notebook

Suggested Reading:
Florida Facts and Symbols by Emily McAuliffe (2003)

Discussion Questions:
Quiz your students on Florida State Symbols. You may consider making this a game!
Ask your students what their favorite state symbol is and why.

Also see Florida Symbols for more lesson plan ideas and resources

Ten Thousand Islands: An estuary field trip

For part one of our study on the Everglades we went on a field trip just outside of Everglades National Park with 3 naturalists, one of whom is also a U of F Sea Grant Extension Agent. What an amazing learning opportunity this was for our little co-op of 4 adults and 6 children ages 3-9 years old.
During our half day tour with Everglades Area Tours we took a boat through part of Ten Thousand Islands and then set up camp on one of the islands. From there the children explored the beach and estuaries and even had an opportunity to use a seine net. Once the seine net was brought out it was hard to tell who enjoyed it the most----the children or the adults. At any rate, it's safe to say a good time was had by all. We saw some amazing creatures which always reminds me of the incredible Creator we have.


We will include some of the photos below in our Science Notebooks, after we receive a little follow up help from our guide Bryan, in properly labeling and classifying them. The children will then choose one or two of the things we saw today to do additional research on. I am going to take a wild guess and say the Batfish is going to make the short list. For me, a close runner up would be the flat fish. That creature lays on the bottom of the sand with both eyes on one side of its head! It is truly a remarkable looking creature.

During our trip we also had an opportunity to see and touch Sea Pork!

Sea pork got its name because after death, the rubbery tunic bleaches to white, resembling salt pork or fatback.

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Another wonderful find was the Horse Conch, Florida's state shell. After a few false starts with Lightening Welks (left footed) we finally found a couple. It saved us a trip to the local shell store where I most likely would have been talked into purchasing one by the kids.

In addition to the 157 photos taken on our visit, we brought a few treasures home (molt of horseshoe crab, tulip shell, and worm rock). None of them were living, of course.
We are trying to be Young Florida Naturalists after all.

Bird Beaks

Lesson Plans
Eduplace.com Bird Beak Lab
Ranger Rick Naturescope: Birds, Birds, Birds lesson plan

Online Resources:
Backyard Nature Bird Beaks Page
Teacher's Domain Bird Beak Gallery
Bone Clones Osteological Reproductions

Activities:
1.) Visit Peekabeak to learn how birds use their beaks like a tool.
2.) Visit Natural History Museum's Bills and Beak page. Print out and include in lapbook.
3.) Print out the Bird Beak Record Sheet and create a lab activity.
4.) Print out build-a-bird-kit and include in notebook
5.) View Teacher's Domain Bird Beak Gallery with your students and have them guess what type of food the bird eats based on their beak.

Handbook of Nature Study

If you do not have your own copy of the Handbook of Nature Study you can use this online version at no charge.

State Marine Mammal: West Indian Manatee

"In 1975, Florida chose the West Indian Manatee to be the state's Marine Mammal."
The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida; page 5

Manatees are mammals whose body structure has adapted to life in the water. Like all mammals, they have lungs and must surface to breathe every four minutes. Manatees spend about 5 hours per day grazing on aquatic plants and can eat up to 150 pounds of food per day. Adults weigh as much as a ton and are 10-12 feet long.

Manatees give birth to one calf at a time and their pregnancy lasts 13 months. The calf will nurse for approximately two years from the milk glands located just under the flippers.

This gentle giant has no natural enemies except people and has no defense except to flee---slowly. Even in the wild sharks do not bother manatees!

Manatees are considered endangered because their numbers have steadily declined due to loss of habitat, water pollution and boating accidents.

Lesson Plan:

• Read pages 5 & 37 in the The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida
• Using photographs from selected books on Manatees have student identify the following body parts on a manatee: Eyes, Nostrils, Flippers, Finger Nails, Tails, Whiskers, and Mouth
• Using a piece of butcher paper roll out 10 feet of paper and draw a large manatee on it. Have children sit or lay on the paper to illustrate how large a full grown manatee is.
• Download the Manatee Puppet Craft, color and assemble the puppet OR create a 3D Manatee habitat craft
  
• Consider adopting a manatee at the special discounted rate of $20 through the club by identifying yourself as a school group.
• Watch this Manatee video online and the one below.

Discussion Topics:

• Who or what is the manatees only natural enemy?
• What do manatees need to survive?
• What can we do to protect manatees?

Suggested Reading:
Manatees by Kathy Feeney
Florida Manatee by Rod Theodorou
Manatees: Peaceful Plant Eaters by Adele Richardson
Manatees by Jody Sullivan Rake
Sam the Sea Cow by Francine Jacobs (illustrated story)
Saving Manatees by Stephen R. Swinburne (older students)



Online Resources:
Defenders of Wildlife Florida Manatee Page
Save the Manatee Club

Materials to Download:
Manatee Coloring & Activity Book
Manatees an Educators Guide
Manatee Fact Sheet
Enchanted Learning Manatee Notebooking pages
National Geographic Manatee printable
Manatee lapbook from Homeschool Share
Manatee Coloring page

Field Trip Ideas:

1.) Visit a Spring or Rehabilitation Center to view Manatees. When viewing Manatees be sure to follow the federal guidelines for watching manatees. A list of suggested field trip destinations is below.

2.) Volunteer at an event to Save the Manatees.

Places to view Manatees

Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park - From Wildwood, near the convergence of the Florida Turnpike and I-75, take Highway 44 west to 490 (West Homosassa Trail) southwest to Highway 19, then south to the park; call 352-628-5343

Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge-

Blue Spring State Park- Take exit 114 off Interstate 4 and follow the signs. Go south on 17/92 to Orange City, about 2.5 miles. Make a right onto West French Avenue.

Manatee Springs State Park- Manatee Springs State Park is located at the end of S.R. 320, off U.S. 98, six miles west of Chiefland.

Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge - One entrance is south of Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park on Highway 19; call 352-563-2088

Fun 2 Dive - with Captain Joseph Detrick; call 888-588-DIVE

Bird’s Underwater Manatee Tours and Dive Center - As with Homosassa Springs, head west on Highway 44 to Crystal River; call 352-563-2763