Exploring the biodiversity of birds in Taita Hills, Kenya The Bird Project Exploring the biodiversity of birds in Taita Hills, Kenya

What is the bird project about? The bird project is about taking the time to explore the birds where you live, and learning about the importance of their role in the ecosystem. The bird project will address questions such as: What is biodiversity and why is it important? What birds live around where I live? How are birds adapted to live in this area? What role do birds play in the ecosystem? How can I contribute the global scientific community by observing and identifying birds? How can I contribute to protecting habitat and biodiversity where I live?

Who are our bird project partners? During the bird project, you’ll be sharing your learning experiences with students in Sisters, Oregon, USA. Here are photos of their school:

What will our partners be studying? Your partners will be studying the same major themes of the project, including biodiversity, bird adaptations, and the role of birds in the ecosystem. Since your partners live in a very different ecosystem than you, the birds that they see and study will be also be different. Your partner school will be focused on hummingbirds, but they may also see some of the other birds pictured here: Dark-eyed Junco Western Bluebird Mountain Chickadee Rufous Hummingbird

What information will we share? As you progress in your learning, you might want to share your observations and thoughts with your partners in Oregon. You could share things like: Photos or drawings of the birds you’ve observed. What the habitat is like in the region that you explore. How does the biodiversity of both regions compare? Who has seen a greater number of species? How do the adaptations of birds compare in both regions Once you have information that you’d like to communicate, your instructor can set up a Google Doc that groups can continuously contribute to and share with your partners in Oregon!