When the weather turns cold, how do bug-eating birds survive? Mostinsects go dormant in cold months. Although some birds migrate towarmer climates where they can find food, others hunker down. In thisquest, learn about the winter diet of birds. Hopefully, you will spot a fewfeathered friends on your bird watching adventure. 

KID QUEST

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Record your answers here and returnto the admissions desk for a prize.

Try This

The birds on this quest are just a few of the species that you maydiscover in the Garden. Try spotting as many different birds as youcan find in the Garden today. Notice where you see them. Are theyflying, or are they perched on plants? Are they eating berries orseeds? Where did you see the most birds?

BIRDWATCH

 

November - December 2019

Birds In Winter

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Grab a Garden map and hike over theLotus Bridge. Turn left on the CherryTree Walk and immediately look for asmall tree with tiny crabapples. A verypolite species of bird enjoys these fruits.One group will eat. Then it moves out ofthe way for the next group to dine.

Write the name of this bird on theback of this sheet. 

Walk ahead just a bit and look for a largeplant called a beautyberry bush. Itproduces beautiful purple berries. A birdthat eats this berry is known for itscurious singing ability. It imitates thesongs of other birds.

Write the name of this bird on theback of this sheet.

Next, look for a tall tree with pricklyseed pods that are shaped like smallballs. This is a sweet gum tree. Manybirds like to eat its seeds including thislittle guy. Placing a birdhouse in youryard is a good way to attract this birdbecause it likes to nest in cavitiesincluding holes in trees.

Write the name of this bird on theback of this sheet.

Stroll down the path a tad to a tallloblolly pine. This conifer produces largecones with little seeds inside. The birdpictured here is one of the many wholike to eat these seeds when there are notinsects around to peck out of trees.

Write the name of this bird on theback of this sheet. 

Write the name of this bird on theback of this sheet.

Finally, look for a dogwood tree thatproduces shiny red berries. A bird thateats these berries is easy to spot if it is amale because males are bright red.Females have mostly brown feathersthat camouflage them when they aresitting on eggs in their nests.

Write the name of this bird on theback of this sheet. 

KID QUEST

Continue along the path until you see anevergreen with bluish berry-looking cones.This juniper tree is actually a coniferalthough its cones look like berries. Thebird pictured here loves to eat bugs in thesummer, but looks for other food likejuniper seeds in the winter.