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Nature Nuggets

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Watch out for the birdies!

A little bird, with plumage brown,
Beside my window flutters down,
A moment chirps its little strain,
Then taps upon my window-pane,
And chirps again, and hops along,
To call my notice to its song;
But I work on, nor heed its lay,
Till, in neglect, it flies away.

With over 10,000 different bird species in the world our lives are continually touched by these awesome creatures. They are the only animals with the superpower that we all wish we had – the ability to fly! Did you know the oldest bird was known as an Archaeopteryx and lived about 150 million years ago! It was the size of a raven, was covered with feathers, and had wings.

Home to more than 1300 bird species, India is undoubtedly a birdwatcher’s paradise. From the serene backwaters of Kerala to the mighty Himalayas and from the salt deserts of Gujarat to the Northeast region, India has a rich source of bird species. Click here to learn and recognize the most common backyard birds you’ll find in India. Don’t forget to spot them next time when you head out or peep out from your balcony just now!
Let’s flutter into the latest issue of Wisdom Nuggets and learn all about your winged friends.

In the latest edition of Wisdom Nuggets, let’s get inspired by the Birdman of India, Dr. Salim Ali. One of the greatest ornithologists and naturalists of all time, he was one of the very first scientists to carry out systematic bird surveys in India and abroad. His interest in learning about the birds grew at a very young age and later he pursued his career in the field of ornithology.

As we celebrate his 124th birthday on the 12th of November, let’s acknowledge one of his best works by reading his first publication, The Book of Indian Birds. Click here to read the book.

If you are an educator – share your own curriculum linkage here across any of the subjects and we’d take up the selected ones in our next edition of Wisdom Nuggets. 

Get creative and link the environmental education
with your favorite subject in the curriculum!

  1. Language – As we celebrate the birthday of avid birdwatcher and ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali, read ‘Shoma’s Songbird’, the story of a little girl amidst her bird-enthusiast cousins and other birdwatchers. Write a diary entry as Shoma, dated a day after bird-watching conference (you may choose any date in Summer), describing the events of the day of the funtion and the next day and you feelings.

  1.  Social Studies – On a political map of the world, paste a picture or write the name of the national birds of as many countries as you can. 
     
  2. Math – Take the first step towards becoming the next birdman of India.

In the table below, list down all the birds that you can seen around your home over the next week, along with the total no. and frequency of sitings. Observe carefully so that you do not count the same bird twice. You may click a picture of the bird as your evidence.

The first one has been done for your reference.

S. no.Name of birdNumber of birds of the same species sited togetherFrequency of visits by the same bird over the week
1Red wattled lapwing13
2   
3   

 Hint: You may take the help of apps like iNaturalist/Seek to identify unknown birds.

  1. Science – Draw a labelled diagram of a generic bird. Write 5 points on its physical features that aides in its flight.

There are over 1300 species of birds found in India; around 1,219 extant native species including migrants and vagrants and around 923 breeding species (911 residents, plus 12 suspected residents).

The largest Indian bird is the Great White Pelicans, while the smallest Indian birds are the flowerpeckers. Did you know, among these 1300 species, around 50 bird species are endemic to India! Show your support for your avian friends and learn more about them by taking these easy actions today:  

  1. Read and Learn – Read this beautiful story about  India’s most common bird, the Red-Wattled Lapwing and find out their most interesting facts and behaviours. 

  1. Pursue a career in conservation – Click here and login to your OPA account to explore more on green career of your choice.

In the latest edition of DIY Activity, let’s all Stand With Nature and take up these fun and interesting online bird courses.

Completed your bird course? Now we challenge you to complete this game of Interactive Maps in one go and become a young naturalist!

How to Play:

  • Click here to start the game.
  • Enter your OPA login credentials.
  • On the top right corner of the Wild Atlas, choose the topic “Birds”.
  • Click on the bird icons on the sides for descriptions and clues.
  • Drag and drop the bird to the correct spot on the map.
  • Once finished, take a screenshot and send it us at oneplanetacademy@wwfindia.net

Upload the photo on your social media account and tag us @wwfindia with hashtags #IAmAYoungNaturalist #WatchOutForTheBirdies  #OnePlanetAcademy #DIYActivity

Let’s take this pop quiz and test your knowledge about your avian friends!  

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