Every organism is adapted to its unique environment. This hands-on investigation explores how shape and structure of beaks affects the type of food that birds are able to eat.

Objectives:

  • Students learn that beak shape affects the kind of seeds a bird can eat.
  • Over time, birds with a particular beak shape will survive best on a particular type of bird seed.

Googly Bird's are made from binder clips with googly eyes from a craft store hot-glued on.

Materials

  • Binder Clips in small, medium and large sizes. For fun, glue on Googly eyes to make these “birds” come alive.
  • Bird “Food”
    • rice
    • pinto beans
    • corn
    • lima beans
  • Cups to be used as “bird stomachs”
  • Box to contain seeds

 

Procedure

  • Put variety of bird’s “bird seed” into box
  • Students use Googly-Bird “beaks” to gather seeds and put them in their stomach “cups.”
  • Time this activity for 2 minutes.
  • Students count and compare type of food eaten.

 

The Googly Bird Stomach

 

 

 

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