
Debbie Waters and Lester Park Elementary
students examine a Great Gray Owl wing. |

Who: The Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory and the Lake Superior Zoo,
funded by a grant from the
Donald M. Weesner Foundation and
Minnesota Coastal Grant (funded by NOAA)
What: FREE Raptors in the Classroom program
Where: 4th grade classrooms in
area school districts
When:
February through May of 2008.
Each school will be contacted by
staff for scheduling.
How: Contact Debbie Waters for more information!

Topics learned during the Raptors in the
Classroom program are reinforced by a visit from a live
raptor...in this case, a Red-tailed Hawk from the Lake Superior
Zoo. |

An Eastern Screech-Owl from the Lake
Superior Zoo helps students learn about owls. |
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Debbie Waters
Education Director
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
dwaters@hawkridge.org
218.428.3539
YEAR FOUR!!
The Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory and the Lake
Superior Zoo are teaming up once again to bring a "close encounter
of the raptor kind" to area 4th graders. Thanks to
generous grants, Hawk Ridge has developed 4th grade
programs and is offering these programs free of charge
to all 4th grade classrooms throughout area schools.
Teachers have a variety of programs to choose from,
and each program consists of two sessions: the first includes
background information and an introduction to the lesson, and the
second concludes the lesson and includes a demonstration with a live
raptor. Details about the lessons and the raptors are located
below.
We will visit your classroom for
TWO
45-minute presentations, preferably on different days. It works best
for us if we can present back-to-back lessons to all the 4th grade
classrooms in each school. We prefer
not to combine classes—our lessons are designed for classes of 20-35
students. **Note: if you only have one 4th
grade classroom at your school, we will do the 2 lessons
back-to-back, which will take a block of 1.5 hours.
Each lesson is made up of TWO 45-minute sessions: the first session
contains the bulk of the lesson, and the second session concludes
and reinforces the lesson with a visit with a live raptor.
On Silent Wings
TWO 45-minute sessions
Raptor: Eastern Screech-Owl
Owls are nocturnal
predators. Owls often can’t see their prey, either because of low
light conditions or the prey is hidden under vegetation or snow.
Because of this, they have developed adaptations for hunting,
including using their sense of hearing, camouflage, and very unique
feet.
Raptor Relatives
TWO 45-minute sessions
Raptor: American Kestrel, Eastern Screech Owl
or Red-tailed Hawk**
Raptors are birds of prey, and they are different from
all other birds because of their keen eyesight, talons, and sharp,
curved bill. There are many different types of raptors, and the
three main diurnal (daytime) types are buteos, accipiters, and
falcons. Each of these three types have characteristics that set
them apart from each other, and are usually adapted from their
hunting techniques and habitats.
Raptors on the Move!
TWO 45-minute sessions
Raptor: American Kestrel or Red-tailed Hawk**
Some birds migrate--that is, they fly south in the
fall and return north in the spring. Migration is mainly driven by
availability of food. Raptors follow rivers, lakeshores, and
mountain ranges when migrating, which is why the Hawk Ridge Nature
Reserve is a point of concentration for migrating birds. Migrating
takes a lot of energy, and raptors use a couple of methods to
increase their energy efficiency.
Each lesson includes a visit from a live raptor.
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American Kestrel
Kestrels are small falcons--in fact, they are only about the
size of a robin. Kestrels are most often seen perched on
telephone wires as they search for their favorite insect foods. Athena is a
12-year-old female and stands 9 inches
tall. |
Eastern Screech-Owl
Eastern
Screech-Owls are one of the smallest owl species in North
America. Their gray coloring and pattern allows them to
be masters of camouflage against tree trunks. Bosley is a
12-year-old male and is only 7 inches high. |
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawks are large hawks from the buteo group. They are most commonly
seen perched on telephone poles and fence posts along roadways.
Lady is a very large 13-year-old female, weighing close to 4 lbs
and standing almost 2 feet tall.
**NOTE: Lady is in "nesting" mode and is not available for the
rest of the 2008 season. |
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Call Debbie: 218.428.3539
Email Debbie:
dwaters@hawkridge.org |