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The
American Kestrel and Iowa’s Nest Box Program
Placing
nest boxes along
Iowa’s
state and interstate highways
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References, books and other Web sites References/Sources
Some
Illustrations by Carroll Rudy, Chilton, Wisconsin Varland,
Daniel E., Ronald D. Andrews, and Bruce L. Ehresman.
1992. Establishing Henderson,
C.L. 1992. Woodworking for
Wildlife: Homes for Birds and Mammals.
St. Paul: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Daly,
M. Allan. 2002. American
Kestrel The Barnyard Friend. College of Agriculture & Natural
Resources: University of Maryland. Lane,
John J., and Richard A. Fischer. August 1997. Species Profile:
Southeastern American Kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus) on Military
Installations in the Southeastern United States. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, USGS, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD – This site presents photographs, songs, identification tips, maps and life history of North American birds, including the American kestrel.
A
Kestrel Falcon Conservation site that documents progress on population
recovery and research activities; explains nest box construction and pole
installation; and offers box plans.
Hawks
Aloft, Inc. Kids
activities, educational resources, bird profiles, photos, maps, quizzes,
etc.
The
Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary
Medicine specializes in the medical care, rehabilitation, and conservation
of birds of prey. Working with about 30 eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons
that are permanent residents, they reach 250,000 people each year through
educational programs and events. The essence of their mission is to
strengthen the bond between humans and birds, to improve the quality of
life for both, and to contribute to the preservation of the natural world.
This site also offers lessons plans for educators.
Web
site of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers physical descriptions of
birds, birdhouse basics, nest box cam, and data links.
Chipper
Woods Bird Observatory Chipper
Woods Bird Observatory, 10329 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis, IN 46280
Based in Chandler, Arizona, the Kestrel Box is a non-profit educational corporation dedicated to the subject of birds of prey. Their purpose is to educate the public about birds of prey. A next box cam is offered on their Web site, as well as educational resources.
The
contents of this Web site were reviewed by:
Book
List
General
Information on Cavity Nesters
Building
Nest Boxes and Landscaping
Web
Sites on Birds for Teachers and Students ALL
ABOUT BIRDS
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/ A lot of information about birds for students. Sections: All About Birds, Bird Printouts, Bird Extremes (see separate listing), Bird Fossils & Extinction, Early Birds, Bird Watching, Birds as Symbols, Birds and People, Bird Jokes, Bird Beak Pop-Up Card, Classroom Activities and more. AMERICAN
BALD EAGLE INFORMATION
Lots of eagle information including: Eagle Descriptions, Bald Eagle History, Eagle Feathers, Eagle Eye Sight, Eagle Migration, Feeding Habits, Nesting & Young, Reintroduction, Where to View, American Emblem, Essence of Eagles, Eagle Poems, Old Abe, The Golden Eagle, Eagles of the World, Eagle Links, Screen Savers, Greeting Cards and more.
AUDUBON
ADOPT-A-BIRD – CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY
Learn about the birds at the Center for Birds of Prey where injured birds are rescued and kept if they cannot be relocated to the wild. There’s a photo album of each of the birds with a short “biography”, information on the species, and information on the Adopt-a-Bird program. (Note: Classroom’s can become a Bird Buddy)
BABY
BIRD MAZE http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/people/eisaku/ A
baby chick sitting in an egg. Print it out and follow the maze. BACKYARD
BIRDS: GUIDE TO BIRDWATCHING
http://birds.sprucenet.com/birds/ There’s plenty of information here on choosing the proper kind of birdhouse, placement, materials, design and more.
BELIZE
ZOO – BIRD VIDEOS http://www.belizezoo.org/zoo/zoo/bird.html Online
videos of birds at the Belize Zoo including the Toucan, King Vulture,
Jabiru, Scarlet Macaw and the Great Egret.
THE
BIRD OF THE WEEK Information, photos and sounds of a different bird every week. You can also look up many other species of birds. THE
BIRDHOUSE NETWORK
http://birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/index.html Monitors
cavity-nesting birds with information on birdhouses and live cams of
nesting birds. Students can
join and monitor birdhouses in their neighborhood.
Includes information on the building and placement of a birdhouse,
monitoring nest behavior, and more. BIRDS
N WAYS A guide to pet birds, pet parrots and exotic birds. Includes purchasing, species information, clubs, veterinary care, bird ezines, links, and more.
BIRD
BANTER – LESSON PLAN
http://www.warrennet.org/lessonplans/ A
lesson plan for grades 3-8 in which students will learn to recognize bird
songs and the importance and differences between them. Sections:
Objective, Background, Vocabulary, Extensions, Materials, Projects &
Activities, and Lesson Assessment. BIRD
FEEDING RECIPES http://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/%7Etross/by/ Eight
recipes for bird feed using suet and peanut butter with seeds.
BIRD
PHOTO GALLERY
http://www.stanford.edu/~petelat1/ A
very long list of bird photos by species.
BIRDING
ON THE WEB Sections
include: Birding, Scientific, Fun & Games, Birder’s Mall, Bookstore.
BIRDSOURCE
– BIRDING WITH A PURPOSE
Devoted
to bird study and conservation measures.
Includes information on recent bird counts.
Sections: Projects, Features, Bird Facts.
BIRDS
DOWN UNDER Articles,
Facts, Stories and Environment information on the birds of Australia.
BIRDS
OF THE EVERGLADES http://www.florida-everglades.com/ Photos of birds of the Everglades.
BIRD
STUDY – LESSON PLAN
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sci/sci14.txt A
grade 3-6 lesson plan on birds introducing birds common to the area of the
class. BIRD
WORLD
http://sdcd.gsfc.nasa.gov/test-bin/ Jones.cgi/ISTO/Birdtracks/birdworld2/birdworld2.html How
scientists study birds to help endangered species.
Slideshow (photos of scientists tagging birds and studying them)
Project Reports (trip reports as scientists attempt to safely capture
endangered species), and Bird Data with flight data on bird populations.
BLACKWATER
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, MARYLAND – OSPREY CAM
http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/ Visit
a live cam view of an osprey nest in a wildlife refuge in Maryland.
BUILDING
A BIRD HOUSE
http://www.osweb.com/kidzkorner/ Step-by-step instructions for building a bird house for kids. BUBA
THE TALKING BIRD http://www.dublclick.com/coconutinfo/ The web site of Buba, a 14 year old African Grey Parrot in Hawaii. Buba says 200 phrases, some of them in Hawaiian. Includes video clips and audio clips. Fun. CLOUD
FOREST ALIVE
http://www.cloudforestalive.org/ Information on the cloud forests of Central America and their wildlife. Includes live Web cam images. Sections: Quetzal Cam (terrific page); Weekly Lessons (search the archive for the bird lessons); Hummingbird Cam; Bat Cam; Cloud Forest Research; Cloud Forest Sounds; Wallpaper; Maps, Facts & Figures; Take a Cloud Forest Quiz and the Christmas Bird Count.
CRANES
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
http://www.jkinder.com/jkinder/ Information on cranes around the world from crowned cranes to whooping cranes. Includes information on habitat and images. CRUISE
THE SUPER SHOREBIRD FLYWAY ON THE INTERNET
Information on the Shorebird Sister Schools program along with information on the birds, their habitat, migrations and more. The Just for Kids section includes: Photo Gallery, Shorebirds Coloring Pages, What is a Wetland?, What are Shorebirds?, Shorebird Quiz, Games, Kids Gallery, Gee Whiz Facts, a Shorebirds ID Field Guide and more. Includes teacher materials.
DINNER?
IT’S FOR THE BIRDS
http://www.osweb.com/kidzkorner/ Several
ideas for simple bird feeders kids can make.
Also a chart with which bird eats which food. DUCKS
OF THE WORLD
http://www.utm.edu/departments/ Photos and species information on duck species.
FOR
THE BIRDS http://www.accessexcellence.org/atg/ data/released/0346-CarolynNevin/description.html A
five-part project biology activity focusing on birds.
FOR
THE BIRDS – LESSON PLAN
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sci/sci200.txt A K-3 lesson plan in which students make simple bird feeders and record the numbers and kinds of birds that feed there.
GREG
KUNKEL’S BIRDSONGS
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ Dedicated to recording bird vocalizations. Species: Hawks & Eagles, Wrens, Sparrows & Buntings, Cardinals & Grosbeaks, Wood Warblers, Finches, Blackbirds & Orioles, Tits, Tree Creepers, Vireos, Thrushes, and Tanagers. Includes brief information on each species and WAV files of their songs.
HELP!
MY BIRD ESCAPED!
http://www.cockatiel.org/articles/escaped.html Information on how to keep a pet bird safe indoors and how to find it if it escapes from the house. HUMMINGBIRDS.NET
Information on attracting, watching, feeding and studying North American hummingbirds. Includes: Quick Q&A, Attracting Birds, Feeders, Answers, Species, Hummer Notes, Anecdotes, Gallery, Migration Maps and more.
IDEAL
BIRD MOBILE - LESSON PLAN
http://www.warrennet.org/lessonplans/bird_mobile.html Pairs of students will choose a bird to research. After locating and printing information from the internet, encyclopedia etc. students will use the research and construct a mobile to hang. It will consist of a large reproduction of the bird and information hanging from a branch in a clever arrangement.
JOURNEY
NORTH
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/spring2001/species/ Follows
the spring migration of the several species of birds as they move
northward. Includes
information on how to chart the migrations and much more.
Bird species: Bald Eagle, Hummingbird, Loon, Oriole, Robin, and
Whooping Crane. KESTREL
CAM http://www.kestrelbox.org/home.htm A
new kestrel nest in Arizona with a live camera view.
MILK
CARTON BIRD FEEDER http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/Education/ How to make a bird feeder from a waxed milk carton. Also what feed to use and where to place it. NATIVE
SONGBIRDS IN COLOR AND SOUND http://www.naturesound.com/birds/birds.html Twelve
color photos of familiar songbirds with audio clips of the songs of each.
NEW
ZEALAND BIRDS Information
on the birds of New Zealand; many of which are found nowhere else in the
world. Includes a photo
gallery of Endemic Birds, Native Birds, Introduced Birds, Extinct Birds,
and English Index. NORTH
AMERICAN BIRD SOUNDS
http://www.naturesongs.com/birds.html#swha A huge site with WAV files of bird sounds; not just songs, but other kinds of sounds, too. Also includes bird love songs and “mystery” birds.
THE
NUTTY BIRDWATCHER
http://nuthatch.birdnature.com/ A well done site on birds. Sections: Introduction, Survival Needs, Bird Identification, Gallery & Profile (contains both a Photograph Gallery and a Painting Gallery), Habitats of Birds, Bird Migration, Odds & Ends, and Resources.
Articles,
Photo Gallery, Research, Conservation Alerts, Education, Resources and
more. THE
OWL PAGES
Extensive information on owls. Sections: List of all World Owls, Physiology of Owls, Rehabilitation, Mythology & Culture, Educational & Fun Stuff, Web Links, Owls of the World, Owl Photo Gallery, Reproduction, Nest Boxes, Articles and more.
THE
PENGUIN THEMATIC UNIT PLAN LESSON PLAN
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/penguins.htm A
unit plan for grade 3. Includes
a: Focus, Objectives, Materials, Printed Resources, Computer/CD ROM
Resources, Internet Resources, Literature Resources (Fiction, Poetry,
Non-Fiction), Activities, Discussion Questions, Literature: Specific
Activities (Fiction, Non-Fiction) and Related Literature.
PETERSON
ONLINE
http://www.petersononline.com/ Learn about birds from one of the world’s best-known ornithologists, Roger Tory Peterson. Includes: Identification, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Peterson’s Perspectives, Calendar, and excerpts from Kingbird Highway.
THE
RAPTOR CENTER – TEACHER LESSON PLANS
http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/ 16 Lesson plans on raptors and their environment. (See example below) 1/Radical Raptors 2/It’s All Interconnected 3/Predator/Prey Relationships 4/Lake and Pond Study 5/ River Study 6/The Rainforest 7/Wetland Wonders 8/Nest Watch 9/Make Your Own Sampling Tools 10/Water Quality Testing for Lakes 11/Macroinvertebrate Study 12/Seining 13/ My Favorite Meal 14/Raptors and Culture (see below) 15/The Road South and 16/ The “Write” Stuff. TIPS
FOR HELPING INJURED WILD BIRDS http://www.rainieraudubon.org/birdcare.htm Information on caring for injured baby birds – nestlings, and fledglings – Includes Flying into Windows, Cat Attacks, Handling Techniques, Miscellaneous Tips and more.
TALKING
BIRD SITES WITH SOUND FILES
http://ezratheparrot.tripod.com/ezlinks-trip.htm Links
to several sites where people have recorded their birds singing or
talking. Includes: African
Greys, Amazons, Budgies, Cockatoos, Eclectus, Lories, Macaws, Quakers, and
Senegal Parrots. TIPS
FOR HANDLING INJURED RAPTORS http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/ A
resource sheet telling what to do if you find an injured raptor.
TOP
200 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDING HOT SPOTS
http://www.birding.com/top200hotspots.htm A list by state of the 200 top spots in the U.S. for birding. New Jersey’s Cape May is listed as one of the top 10. VIEW
NESTING BIRDS http://www.pitt.edu/~dziadosz/ Links
to a long list of live nest cams around the world by species.
Check the species list for locations and current nesting.
THE
VIRTUAL BIRDER http://www.virtualbirder.com/vbirder/ Go
birding without leaving the classroom as this site takes you to several
birding sites around the country. Includes looking for hawks in Cape May, NJ.
Click the location on the map and begin birding.
WHERE
DO YOU WANT TO GO BIRDING TODAY?
Information
on what birds to see where around the world: North America, Central
America, South America, Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia,
Australia/Pacific, and Country Index. Sections: Featured
Images, Bird Photo Index, World Bird Gallery, Photographers’ Index, Fun
Stuff and more. Check out the
Fun Stuff section for lots of great stories.
WILD
ABOUT BIRDS http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/ Bird
Cam – Educational Materials – Bird Facts – Includes 12 lesson plans
for teachers.
WILD-EYED
ALASKA Cameras
placed around Gull Island, Alaska give viewers a look at colonies of
seabirds nesting on Gull Island. Includes video clips. WILDBIRDS.COM
A
huge site with information on wild birds.
Sections: Feeding Wild Birds, Attracting Wild Birds, Identifying
Wild Birds, Watching Wild Birds, Your Favorite Birds, Protecting Wild
Birds, Photographing Wild Birds, Kids’ Corner, Pests, Wild Bird Links
and more. Each section has
several subsections. WINGED
WISDOM – A PET BIRD EZINE
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ An online magazine with articles about pet |
