What Do Birds Do in Winter?

These scientists DIY-ed a smart bird feeder!

How Do Small Birds Survive the Winter?

'What Do Birds Do in Winter?' |Science| G6-8 (en-US)

#### Connection to Research
 In this lesson, students analyze experimental data gathered by research scientists that focuses on how cold temperatures impact the feeding behaviors and physiology of birds, specifically birds that winter in cold places. Students compare the wintering survival behaviors of different bird species. Next, students simulate winter bird feeding behaviors in an interactive dice game to produce simulated data. Finally, they compare their simulated data to the real-world data. 
#### Research Background
 If you ask most people in the Northern Hemisphere what birds do in the winter, they will say, “Fly south.” Actually, about 25% of birds don’t fly south. Drs. Maria Stager and Dai Shizuka are interested in what the birds that don’t migrate (winter birds) do in the winter. One key to how overwintering birds survive the cold is their remarkable physiology that allows them to stay warm, including their feathers for insulation and their ability to generate heat through shivering. The other part of the equation is how birds fuel this physiology by collecting food. The goal of the research is to understand how such ‘feedback’ between physiology and behavior allows organisms to adapt to challenging environments.
#### Learn more about the featured researchers:
- [Maria Stager’s Lab at UMass Amherst](https://www.stagerlab.com/outreach.html)
- [Dai Shizuka’s Lab at University of Nebraska-Lincoln](https://shizukalab.com/)
#### Further Reading:
- Scientific Paper about the Great Texas Freeze killing hundreds of Purple Martins in [*Nature Ecology & Evolution*](https://rdcu.be/e7aUy) 
- [UMass press release about the study](https://www.umass.edu/news/article/great-texas-freeze-killed-thousands-purple-martins-biologists-worry-recovery-could)
- *All About Birds* blog “[How do birds survive the winter](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-do-birds-survive-the-winter)”
- Video series: “[How Birds Stay Warm in the Winter Snow: Backyard Birds Revealed](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-do-birds-stay-warm-in-the-winter/)”


Background

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A data-driven investigation of remarkable adaptations

Science

#### Driving Question(s):
1. How do birds cope with the cold?
2. How does temperature affect the feeding patterns of birds over winter?
#### Hook(s):
Play a trivia game to identify adaptations of birds in winter.
Participate in a simulation modeling the feeding patterns of Downy Woodpeckers.
Analyze data of the actual scientists studying birds overwinter

What Do Birds Do in Winter?

The Gist

Driving Question(s):

Hook(s):

Lesson summaries

Bracing for the Cold

Winter Survival Challenge

Finding Food When It's Freezing

Supporting Multimedia

What Do Birds Do in Winter?