Build a Bird Feeder to Discover What Animals Need

Background Information for Teachers

Birds are a large group in the animal kingdom. Scientists estimate 10,000 different species of birds exist worldwide. You don't have to go far to see some of the different birds nature has to offer. You will find them around your home or in your backyard. But how are they able to survive in the wild? What do they need to live and grow? They need exactly the same things that we as humans need to survive: food, water, shelter, and air to breathe, as shown in Figure 1. The following paragraphs go more into detail about why these four basic needs are so important to us and any other living animals on Earth.

Image Credit: Svenja Lohner, Science Buddies / Science Buddies
Figure 1. In addition to air, birds need food (left), water (middle) and shelter (right) to survive in the wild.

Food is the energy source for every single animal. Animals need to eat regularly to get energy for their bodies to function. What kinds of foods an animal eats depends on the type of animal; some animals hunt or prey on other animals (carnivores), whereas others will search for foods like plants or fruits (herbivores) or eat both plants and fruits and other animals (omnivores). A wild bird's diet consists of plants such as grains or seeds and animals like insects, worms, or fish. Each animal chooses to live where they can find the food they need to survive.

Water is also important. An animal's body can consist of as much as 90% water. Most animals lose water when they sweat or exhale. In order to replenish their water supply, they have to drink on a regular basis. Some animals that live in the desert where there is not a lot of water get most of their water from the food they eat.

Almost every animal needs air, or a special gas called oxygen that is part of the air. Even fish that live under water need to take up oxygen with their gills. The oxygen is important to keep the processes in the body going. For example, oxygen is needed to make energy from the food an animal eats. Because birds need lots of energy and oxygen for flying, they have special air sacs in addition to their lungs for breathing.

Shelter, or a protected place to live, is important for all animals. Each animal can only live within a certain temperature range. When the temperature gets too high or too low, an animal will die. A shelter can help protect them from temperatures that are too high or too low. In addition, a shelter is a place where animals can raise their young and helps protect them from dangers such as predators. The type of shelter, or home, an animal builds or chooses can vary. Some animals build underground borrows, some build nests in trees, and others prefer to live in caves. In the wild, birds build nests made of twigs and other materials as their shelter. This is where they lay their eggs and raise their young. Some birds also live in hollow trees.

The basic needs are the same for animals in captivity and animals in the wild. No matter where they live, an animal that lacks one of these four basic needs will not survive. Building a place that provides birds with some of the things they need to survive, such as a bird feeder, is a great way to learn more about the birds in a certain area. In this lesson, each student will create a bird feeder from recycled materials. While coming up with their own designs, students will discuss what basic needs an animal has and how they can meet these needs with the structure they build. The bird feeder built in this lesson aims to meet three basic needs of a bird: 1) food in form of the bird seeds that are added to the feeder, 2) water, which is filled into the mini cup, and 3) shelter, as the milk jug offers protection from strong winds and the cold. Thus, a bird feeder can be attractive to a lot of birds. This allows bird watchers to get a closer look without disturbing the birds. People who study birds are called ornithologists. They try to learn as much as they can about each of the different types of birds. They study what each bird looks like, what they eat, where they fly, how they sound, and much more.

Additional Background Links

• What do birds need?, eschooltoday
• The Basic Needs Of Living Things, eschooltoday
• The Needs of an Animal (song for kids), Harry Kindergarten Music

Prep Work (15 minutes)

• Make sure all the milk jugs and containers have been cleaned with water and soap.
• Print out a worksheet for each student.

Engage (15 minutes)

1. Ask your students if they have ever observed birds in the wild such as in their backyards or at the playground, etc.

   Have you ever watched birds in your backyard or at the playground? What do they do?

   Listen to student's responses and then continue with the next step.

2. Show the three bird pictures in the slideshow one by one to your students. When showing each picture ask:

   What is the bird in this picture doing?

   Have your students describe the behavior of the bird in each picture. Elicit responses that point out that one bird is eating, one bird is drinking, and one bird is taking shelter (or nesting) in a bird house.

   Why do you think this bird behaves this way or does this?

   Prompt students to state that birds get hungry and need food (picture 1), get thirsty and need water (picture 2), and get tired and need a shelter to rest, be safe, and raise their young (picture 3). This is a good time to introduce "shelter" as a vocabulary word if you have not already.

3. Once you have shown all three pictures, ask:

   Do you think these birds would be able to survive without food, water, or a shelter? Would you be able to survive without these things?

   Use your student's answers to point out that food, water, and shelter are the basic needs of birds and every animal on Earth (including humans). Another important thing that birds and all other animals need is air to breathe. Without air, they would also not be able to survive. By the end of this discussion, your students should be able to list the four basic needs: air, water, shelter, and food.

4. Discuss with your class.

   How can we help the birds in the wild to meet their basic needs for food, shelter, and water?

   Collect student's ideas. Then tell them that they will design, build, and equip their own bird feeder to help the wild birds meet their basic needs. Note: Emphasize that feeding birds, ducks, and other animals our leftover sandwiches or other human food is not a good way to help birds in the wild. Birds and other animals can get sick or can even die if you feed them the wrong food.

Explore (30 minutes)

1. Provide each student with a milk jug or a milk carton. Pair students so that everyone has a brainstorming buddy.
2. Tell your students that each of them is going to build their own bird feeder out of a milk jug or carton. Their bird feeder should be able to provide the birds with everything they need to survive in nature.

   Have students discuss with their partner how they each want to build their bird feeder. Give each group some time to share their ideas. Tell them that you can assist them with any tasks (such as cutting the milk jug or carton) if they need any help. One example question that they can ask themselves is:

   What are the four basic needs of birds? How can I make sure that my bird feeder meets all the birds' needs?

3. Have students within each pair brainstorm their design solutions. Encourage students to share ideas. Then let each of the students choose one of their design ideas to build. Ask them to make a drawing of their design in their worksheet that shows the individual features of their bird feeder.

   Note: If your students have difficulties coming up with their own design ideas, ask them some more concrete questions such as:

   What were the birds doing in the pictures? What need did they fulfill? How can your bird feeder fulfill that need?

   How will the bird be protected from the rain in your bird feeder?

   How will the bird be able to find food in your bird feeder?

   How are you planning to provide water to the birds that come to your bird feeder?

4. Here are some tips for what features to include in a bird feeder including how these features can be build:
   • There needs to be some kind of opening for the birds to get into the container. You can make (big enough) cutouts into one or several jug or container walls for the birds to get in and take shelter. Have students draw on the container where they want it to be cut and then help them with the cutting. You might want to use tape to cover the sharp edges of the container walls, so the birds and students don't get hurt.
   • There needs to be a place where the birds can sit. You can use the wooden dowels or twigs for that purpose. Either poke holes into the jar or container to put the sticks or dowels through or glue them to the walls.
   • To provide water to the birds, students can glue the mini cups inside of the container or on the outside walls.
   • The food can either be put on a paper plate inside the container or just loose inside.
   • One possible way to make the bird feeder accessible to the birds is to hang up the bird feeder into the tree. You can poke holes into the container cap or the top of the container itself and thread some rope or twine through that you can use to hang the bird feeder up.
5. Provide every student access to all the materials available and let each student construct his/her own design. Go around and ask students to share their ideas of how they want to make sure the bird has their basic needs met in their bird feeder. Let them explain why they chose this particular item for that function and how what they build serves as a feeder, water provider, or shelter. Assist your students with cutting the milk container walls or with other tasks as necessary.
6. When students are ready, allow them to decorate and color their construction. Emphasize that if they want to use their bird feeder for real birds, all the materials they use must be safe for the birds.

Reflect (15 minutes)

1. Ask students to present their bird feeder and explain their design choices to each other.
2. Specifically, have them answer the following questions.

   How do you think your design meets the basic needs of a bird?

   Which parts of your design provides the bird with food, water, or shelter?

3. Extend the discussion to animals or birds that do not live in the wild but in captivity, for example as pets.

   How do you think the basic needs of a bird in captivity such as a pet bird differ from a wild bird?

   Could a pet bird also benefit from the bird feeder? How do pet birds get water, food, or shelter?

   Have children share their thoughts. Guide them to conclude that any animal, be it in the wild or captive, has the same basic needs, which are food, water, shelter, and air. The difference is that animals in captivity are usually cared for by humans, whereas wild animals have to care for themselves.
4. Optional: Fill the food and water reservoirs of the bird feeders. Together with your students pick the best location for each bird feeder on the school campus and place it there. Note: You might want to replace the water in the bird feeder every day to prevent creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other bugs.
5. Ask your students to observe their bird feeder over the next couple of days.

   Do you see birds coming to the bird feeder to get food or water?

   Are there times during the day or week where more birds come to the bird feeder?

6. To conclude the lesson, have your students summarize what they did and what they learned about the basic needs of birds and other animals.

Make Career Connections

Discussing or reading about these careers can help students make important connections between the in-class lesson and STEM job opportunities in the real world.

Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist

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Career Profile

Zoologists and wildlife biologists study every aspect of wild animals such as birds to find out how they behave, where they live, or what they eat. For example, their knowledge can help figuring out how endangered birds can be protected or how birds in a zoo are kept the best way. Read more

Park Ranger

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Career Profile

Park Rangers need to know a lot about animals, their behavior, and their specific needs. They might give talks about the birds that live in their park and what they need to survive in the wild. When animals get hurt, park rangers make sure the animal is transported to a wildlife clinic for treatment. Read more

Lesson Plan Variations

• Discuss with your students how they would build feeders for other animals. Would they look different or similar to the bird feeder they just built?
• Continue to observe the birds that come to the bird feeder over a longer period of time. Have students research the birds that live in their area. What birds would they expect to see? Which ones do they actually see?
• Have students observe birds or other animals in the wild. Where do they normally get their food and water from? Where do they find shelter? How do they meet their basic needs in nature?