Watching and Journaling Suggestions
already spotted your first robin of the season, don't stop looking! You
can see all kinds of interesting behaviors by observing robins carefully.
Take your journal with you so you can capture what you see and hear and
write down questions you have.
for the first female robin to appear. Females usually come
1-2 weeks later than the males. The females' feathers are noticeably
duller than those of the male; in fact, they look faded — like
clothes that have been through the washing machine too many times. Count
the number of days between the arrival of the first robin (presumably
a male) and the arrival of the first female. Write down the date when
you see your first female.
to follow a female for as long as you can. Write down everything
she does. Bring a watch along so you can record how long each behavior
carefully. When male robins arrive, they don't sing as frequently
as they do once the females are in town before their eggs hatch. Once
a week, go outside where you know there are robins. Sit quietly for
5 minutes and count the number of times you hear a robin sing. How does
that number change over time? Try to actually see a robin singing, and
watch him as long as you can. Does he stay in the same position on the
same branch or does he move around? Is his mouth open or closed while
he sings? Does he seem to have his eyes peeled for predators?
what time the sun rises in your area. Try
to wake up one morning an hour before sunrise. Listen for the first
birds to sing. When does the first robin pipe in? What does the sky
look like at that time? How many minutes before sunrise does he start
for battles between males and between females. What do you
notice? When territories are set up for the breeding season, the fiesty
males work hard to earn the best land they can. Some robins even battle
their own reflections in a window! But males aren't the only ones who
fight. Once the females arrive, they often fight one another for the
best male and territory.
for as many other interesting behaviors as you can. List the
ones you see, describing as many details as you can in your journal.
Try to record the date, time, and sex of each bird you're observing.
Look for the following behaviors. How many can you spot?
other food items (e.g., fruit)
when a hawk flies over
Science Education Standards
- Ask a
question about objects, organisms, events.
have basic needs. For example, animals need air, water and food.
- The behavior
of individual organisms is influenced by internal cues (such as hunger)
and by external cues (such as a change in the environment).
- An organism's
behavior patterns are related to the nature of that organism's environment,
including the kinds and number of other organisms present, the availability
of food and resources, and the physical characteristics of the environment.