A Little Bit More
It might look as though an incubating bird doesn’t need to do any more than sit on its eggs until they hatch. But once you look more closely at what seems like uninvolved behavior, you find that it’s more complex than you thought. Anyone who has tried to hatch a bird egg on their own knows that; even with the best of artificial incubation techniques, some eggs don’t survive.
Incubation is the egg-warming process birds engage in to allow the embryo to develop and hatch. Since birds are endothermic (warm-blooded) animals, their embryonic young must be kept at a relatively high temperature in order to develop. The “proper” incubation temperature for about 75% of the birds studied is 35ºC (95ºF), which is a bit cooler than the adults’ internal temperature.
In 54% of the bird species studied, both the male and female share incubation duties. In 25% of the species, only the female incubates, in 6%, only the male incubates and in the remaining 15%, either the male or female or both may do the incubating. Incubation is an extremely important behavior for the continuation of a species and is usually a family affair.
Activities
Science – Peep Peep
Objectives: Experience the joy/excitement of a hatching bird
Materials: Incubator and fertile eggs (see web link)
One of the most exciting activities a child can have is to experience a baby bird hatch. I’ve provided a web link that has an assortment of places where you can order the necessary equipment and find answers to all sorts of questions. If you have some funds that can be assigned to this project, you may find that this becomes an activity that is repeatable year after year for your students.
A Word of Caution: It’s important to remember that we’re providing a model for our students in how we treat and regard animals when we hatch and rear baby birds. If you do intend to hatch chicks, make sure you have a place lined up ahead of time that would like to care for and raise these birds. Baby animals should not be “dumped” when we’re finished with them so be sure they go to a good and welcoming home and let your students know that’s exactly what will happen to their hatchlings.
Egg Incubation and Eggs at:
Quick Time video of chick hatching
Photos and Movie Clips
Key Concepts
Behavior and Regulation, Growth and Development, Life Cycles
Questions
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