Flashy Flyers

SUMMARY:	Learn more about the importance of bird's coloration in protection and mating. Create a camouflaged bird to blend in with its surroundings. This lesson is part of a series. Select this text to learn more about the series and how to extend its usefulness.
OBJECTIVES:	Students will learn the importance of camouflage and how bird's protect themselves.
SUBJECTS:	Science and Art
GRADES:	K - 5
LENGTH:	Quickie

Background: Birds are unusual in the animal kingdom in that they can distinguish colors and use this to communicate with each other, impress each other, and hide from others. Males often display impressive plumage during mating season. Females are often less colorful so they don't draw unwanted attention to their nests and chicks. The females use the pattern and color of their feathers to blend in with their background. This camouflage protects birds from predators and also helps predatory birds hide from their prey. (In a few species it is the female that is brightly colored and the male who performs most of the duties at the nest.)

Materials: Cut-out bird outlines, torn up pieces of multi-colored tissue paper, white paper, glue, and scissors.

How to:

1. Discuss what camouflage is and how it helps birds.
2. Give each student a bird cut-out outline and a blank piece of paper. They can decorate their bird by gluing on different pieces of tissue paper.
3. Once the bird is finished, instruct them to decorate their background piece of paper so their bird is camouflaged and difficult to find when placed on top of the background.
4. Glue the decorated bird to its camouflaged background.