SLIDE 1 Ask the students what they notice around them that might be one of the following:
- Woodlands/Forest
- Grasslands or prairie
- Costal
- Desert
- Wetlands - marshes or swamps (trees in
swamps)
SLIDE 2
BIRD HABITAT BRIDGES TO BIRDING
SLIDE 3 Provides for a diverse environment Provides the four essential survival requirements
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT HABITATS
SLIDE 4
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROTECT HABITATS
SLIDE 5 BIODIVERSITY – IT TAKES A VILLAGE
- Biological diversity is the complex net that holds our planet
- together. All the different species living together increases the
success of a habitat.
- Umbrella species are species selected for making
conservation-related decisions.
- Providing protected habitats for these species indirectly
protect the many other species that make up the whole community of plants and animals.
- Here on the refuge the umbrella species are the GCW and the
BCV
SLIDE 6 BIODIVERSITY – IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Bobcat
t
Jackrabbit White -tailed deer Red-eared slider Red-tailed hawk Northern cardinal Blue jay
SLIDE 7 THEIR SUMMER HOME- THE REFUGE
- Golden-cheeked warblers and black-capped vireos travel long
distances to reach their summer home here at the refuge.
- The refuge provides a safe and secure place for the birds to nest
and raise their young.
- Maintains the habitat that is best for the birds when they are
breeding
- Prescribed fire helps to recycle nutrients in the soil and helps
control invasive species that compete for the resources in the habitat
- Remove old growth to make room for younger growth that
the birds prefer to nest in
SLIDE 8 THEIR SUMMER HOME- THE REFUGE
National Wildlife Refuge System Map Bird Flyway Map
SLIDE 9 GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER
- Typical nesting habitat is found in tall, dense, mature stands
- f Ashe juniper (blueberry cedar) mixed with trees such as
- aks, ash, and cedar elm. This habitat provides an ideal mix of
vegetation for these birds (where) they are often seen foraging.
- GCW use the bark of the juniper trees to make their nests.
SLIDE 10
GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER
SLIDE 11 BLACK-CAPPED VIREO
- The Black-capped Vireo requires a young, semi-open stand
- f small trees and shrubs, similar to the habitat seen at the Shin
Oak Observation Deck, to have a successful nest.
- The birds place their nests low in the vegetation, and can
usually be found in oaks. Dead oak leaves, cedar bark, and spider webs are the main materials found in the nests of this vireo.
SLIDE 12
BLACK-CAPPED VIREO
SLIDE 13 HUMAN INFLUENCE
- One problem is that humans tend to cover the ground with
cement and asphalt. This disrupts the natural water drainage, which creates areas of high erosion and sometimes flooding.
- Erosion removes soil and vegetation from one area and then
moves it away to another location. With the loss of vegetation, the birds loose the trees they need for their nests.
- When buildings and unnatural structures, like homes, are
placed within the habitat used by animals, it reduces the amount
- f habitat available for animals. This in turn creates competition
for space and food.
HUMAN INFLUENCE
SLIDE 14
HUMAN INFLUENCE
SLIDE 15
HABITAT LOSS ACTIVITY
This activity demonstrates what happens when the available habitat that the birds use is removed due to human influences. 1. Place hula hoops on the ground. 2. Have one student stand in each hula hoop representing a GCW and its territory. 3. Presenter takes away a hula hoop and states what type of human influence is happening. Examples: a new subdivision, a shopping center, a school, a new ball field etc. 4. Continue until all the GCW are in one hula hoop. 5. Discuss how this affects the four essential requirements for life, water, food, shelter and space.
SLIDE 16
HABITAT LOSS ACTIVITY
