1. Educators… These teaching slides were created by the BirdSleuth K-12 team. We welcome you to share these slides with your students! You may edit this file, but please do not distribute this file (neither original or edited versions). Other resources pertaining to this content can be found at: www.birdsleuth.org/webinar-series/nesting. www.birdsleuth.org/webinar-series/nesting Need help or have questions? Please contact BirdSleuth at birdsleuth@cornell.edu or consult the BirdSleuth website at www.birdsleuth.org. Join BirdSleuth on our social networks at: birdsleuth@cornell.edu www.birdsleuth.org – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/BirdSleuth/40097433976 https://www.facebook.com/pages/BirdSleuth/40097433976 – Twitter: https://twitter.com/BirdSleuthhttps://twitter.com/BirdSleuth – Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/birdsleuth/boards/http://pinterest.com/birdsleuth/boards/ Version 1.0 August 20, 2013

2. Stages of the Breeding Cycle Find and defend a territory Find a mate Build a nest and lay eggs Incubate eggs Feed and raise nestlings Fledge from the nest

3. Find and Defend a Territory Nearly all birds defend a breeding territory during their breeding season – Contains the resources needed to live, nest, and raise young

4. Build a Nest Birds use a huge variety of materials to build nests – Twigs and sticks – Dead leaves – Pebbles – Mud – Hair, fur, feathers – Yarn, string, dental floss – …many more!

5. Cup

6. Scrape Platform Domed Cavity Pendulous cup

7. Lay Eggs A clutch is the eggs laid by on female during a single nesting attempt Laying time varies Inter-egg intervals LS1B

9. Incubate Eggs Developing chicks must be kept at a certain temperature Mostly “brooding,” (when an adult birds sits on its eggs or young to warm them)

10. Chicks Hatch Chicks use an egg tooth to break through the shell Pipping is the process of breaking through the shell

11. Hatchlings Altricial hatchlings are completely dependent on their parents Precocial hatchlings more developed and more independent

12. Feed and Raise Young

13. Fledge from the Nest When a nestling: – Is able to leave the nest, but not necessarily fully capable of flight – Has acquired its first complete set of flight feathers Term usually used for altricial nestlings