National Schoolyard Birding Challenge (NSBC)
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| Do you want to incorporate birds into your specific curricular area? Contact Fledging Birders for ideas ! |
What does the winning team get? Check out our exciting Updated Prize Information!
How many "winners" are there? Again, visit our Updated Prize Information!
What if our school is in an urban area? There's no way we can win! One of the best
things about birds is they can be found almost everywhere all the time. Take your students
out to really observe some of the "urban specialties" and submit your checklist.
Thanks to Wild BIrds Unlimited, we can now offer additional prizes opportuntites for all
participating schools via random drawings each month!
How can we find more birds at our school? Some ideas to find more birds include:
What if the teacher is not a bird watcher? At the school's discretion, each participating
group can have a parent Chaperon that helps the students learn about the birds and
assists with field identification. You can include the chaperone's name on the submission
form.
How can we do this if we don't have a field guide? Actually, not having a field guide can
make your participation in the NSBC even more beneficial for the students. Here's how
you can still ID birds without carrying a guide into the field:
Use your notes field notes to fill in the "Attributes" section of the page. As you
add more details, the list of possible bird species will get smaller.
5. Discuss the ID possibilities: If students disagree on a particular identification,
have them state their case based on observation, notes, and info found online.
6. Record the species on your monthly list!
How many "winners" are there? Again, visit our Updated Prize Information!
What if our school is in an urban area? There's no way we can win! One of the best
things about birds is they can be found almost everywhere all the time. Take your students
out to really observe some of the "urban specialties" and submit your checklist.
Thanks to Wild BIrds Unlimited, we can now offer additional prizes opportuntites for all
participating schools via random drawings each month!
How can we find more birds at our school? Some ideas to find more birds include:
- recruit new teammates - more eyes always helps!
- study the field guides and birdsong cd's
- come to school early - stay late (with a teacher - of course!)
- putting up bird feeders
- planting a garden of native plants
- getting a bird bath
What if the teacher is not a bird watcher? At the school's discretion, each participating
group can have a parent Chaperon that helps the students learn about the birds and
assists with field identification. You can include the chaperone's name on the submission
form.
How can we do this if we don't have a field guide? Actually, not having a field guide can
make your participation in the NSBC even more beneficial for the students. Here's how
you can still ID birds without carrying a guide into the field:
- Encourage your students to list as many details as possible for each bird: Start
with overall size, shape, and behavior. Then, working from head to tail, take in
feather patterns/color of various parts, shape of bill, and other features (ex: crest,
wing bars, etc.) Write down these field notes so they are not forgotten! - Have students compare notes: They may have noticed different features or even
been looking at different birds! - Try to narrow to a group of birds: If they find a long legged bird spearing fish at
the edge of a pond, this would indicate the heron family as opposed to a sparrows - Use an online resource to identify each species: In addition to generously
supplying feeders as prizes, Wild Birds Unlimited has a wonderful interactive
guide for identifying birds.
Use your notes field notes to fill in the "Attributes" section of the page. As you
add more details, the list of possible bird species will get smaller.
5. Discuss the ID possibilities: If students disagree on a particular identification,
have them state their case based on observation, notes, and info found online.
6. Record the species on your monthly list!
* Fledging Birders is a component of the Education Programs developed by National Biodiversity Parks
| Online NSBC Submission Forms Eastern North America Western North America NEW JERSEY ONLY Get ready for the 2008-2009 season starting this fall! |
| Record bird observations in the Fledging Birders' SBC Field Journal! |
National Biodiversity Parks would like to thank the OUR SUPPORTERS of our
Schoolyard Birding Challenge. It is through their generosity that we have been able to
enrich our prize offerings.
Schoolyard Birding Challenge. It is through their generosity that we have been able to
enrich our prize offerings.
Click below to learn how you can also . . .