Bird Study Merit Badge

Overview

Birds are among the most fascinating creatures on Earth. Many are beautifully colored. Others are accomplished singers. Many of the most important discoveries about birds and how they live have been made by amateur birders. In pursuing this hobby, a Scout might someday make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the natural world.

Requirements

(1) Explain the need for bird study and why birds are useful indicators of the quality of the environment. Describe how birds are part of the ecosystem. Resources: Why Are Birds Important (video) Why Birds Matter (video)
(2) Show that you are familiar with the terms used to describe birds by doing the following:
- (a) Sketch or trace a perched bird and then label 15 different parts of the bird. Resource: How to Draw and Label a Bird (video)
- (b) Sketch or trace an extended wing and label six types of wing feathers. Resources: Bird Wing Anatomy - Underside (video) Bird Wing Anatomy - 2 (video)
(3) Demonstrate that you know how to properly use and care for binoculars, a spotting scope, or a monocular.
- (a) Explain what the specification numbers mean on binoculars, a spotting scope, or a monocular. Resource: Selecting Your First Binoculars for Birdwatching - the 5 Things You Need to Know (video)
- (b) Show how to adjust the eyepiece and how to focus for proper viewing. Resources: How to Get Crystal Clear Focus With Your Binoculars (video) How to Use Binoculars For Bird Watching - A Beginners Guide! (video)
- (c) Show how to properly care for and clean the lenses. Resource: How to Clean Your Binoculars (video)
- (d) Describe when and where each type of viewing device would be most effective. Resource: What’s the Difference-Spotting Scope vs Binoculars for Birdwatching (website)
(4) Demonstrate that you know how to use a bird field guide. Show your counselor that you are able to understand a range map by locating in the book and pointing out:Resources: How to Use a Field Guide (video) Merlin Bird ID (website)
- (a) Seabird
- (b) Plover
- (c) Falcon or hawk
- (d) Warbler or vireo
- (e) Heron or egret
- (f) Sparrow.
(5) Observe and be able to identify 20 species of wild birds. Prepare a field notebook, making a separate entry for each species, and record the following information from your field observations and other references. Resource: How to Keep Birding Records in a Field Notebook (video)
- (a) Note the date and time.
- (b) Note the location and habitat.
- (c) Describe the bird’s main feeding habitat and list two types of food that the bird is likely to eat.
- (d) Note whether the bird is a migrant or a summer, winter, or year-round resident of your area.
(6) Describe to your counselor how certain orders of birds are uniquely adapted to a specific habitat. In your description, include characteristics such as the size and shape of the following:
- (a) Beak Resources: A Beginner’s Guide to Bird Beaks (video) Bird Feeding Adaptations: How Beaks Are Adapted to What Birds Eat (video)
- (b) Body Resources: Adaptations in Birds - What Makes a Bird Suitable to Fly (video) Bird Adaptations for Flight Explained (video)
- (c) Leg and foot Resource: AMAZING Bird Feet! (video)
- (d) Feathers/plumage. Resources: Discover the Hidden Genious of Bird Feathers (video) Why Peacocks Have the MOST STUNNING Feathers in Nature? (video) How Penguin Feathers Are Perfect Adaptations for Icy Water (video)
(7) Explain the function of a bird’s song. Be able to identify five of the 20 species in your field notebook by song or call alone. Explain the difference between songs and calls. For each of these five species, enter a description of the song or call, and note the behavior of the bird making the sound. Note why you think the bird was making the call or song that you heard. Resources: 25 Iconic Bird Sounds (video) Two Types of Communication Between Birds: Understanding Bird Language Songs and Calls (video)
(8) Do ONE of the following:
- (a) Go on a field trip with a local club or with others who are knowledgeable about birds in your area.
  - (1) Keep a list or fill out a checklist of all the birds your group observed during the field trip.
  - (2) Tell your counselor which birds your group saw and why some species were common and some were present in small numbers.
  - (3) Tell your counselor what makes the area you visited good for finding birds.
- (b) By using a public library, the internet, or contacting the National Audubon Society, find the name and location of the Christmas Bird Count nearest your home and obtain the results of a recent count. Resources: Christmas Bird Count (video) What Is the Christmas Bird Count? Everything You Need to Know (video)
  - (1) Explain what kinds of information are collected during the annual event.
  - (2) Tell your counselor which species are most common, and explain why these birds are abundant.
  - (3) Tell your counselor which species are uncommon, and explain why these were present in small numbers. If the number of birds of these species is decreasing, explain why, and what, if anything, could be done to reverse their decline.
- (c) Participate in a bird banding program with an approved federal or state agency, university researcher, bird observatory, or certified private individual. Resource: Introduction to Bird Banding (video)
  - (1) Explain who is able to band birds and why.
  - (2) Explain why birds get banded.
  - (3) Explain what kinds of birds get banded.
  - (4) Tell how the birds were captured, the number of bird species recorded during your visit, and your role in the program.
(9) Do ONE of the following. For the option you choose, describe what birds you hope to attract, and why.
- (a) Build a bird feeder and put it in an appropriate place in your yard or another location. Resources: DIY How to Make Bird Feeder for $2 EASY 3 Hanging Styles Birds LOVE (video) Easy D.I.Y Bird Feeder - How to Attract Birds to Your Garden (video)
- (b) Build a birdbath and put it in an appropriate place. Resources: How to Pick (or Build) the Right Bird Bath for Your Garden (video) Easy DIY Bird Baths for Your Garden (video)
- (c) Build a backyard sanctuary for birds by planting trees and shrubs for food and cover. Resources: How to Create a Bird Friendly Backyard (video) What Happens When You Create a Bird Sanctuary in Your Backyard? (video) Attract Backyard Birds With an Ecosystem Approach! (video)
- (d) Build a nest box for a species of your choice using plans approved by your counselor. Resources: DIY Birdhouse (video) Build a Bird House for Under $5 in Under 5 Minutes (video)
(10) Do the following:
- (a) Explain the differences between extinct, endangered, and threatened. Resource: How the Endangered Species Act Saved America’s Most Iconic Bird (video)
- (b) Identify a bird species that is on the endangered or threatened list. Explain what caused their decline. Discuss with your counselor what can be done to reverse this trend and what can be done to help remove the species from the endangered or threatened list. Resource: Most Endangered Species & Threatened Species (video)
(11) Identify a non-native bird (introduced to North America from a foreign country since 1800). Describe how non-native birds may become damaging to the ecosystem. Resources: Top 3 Most Invasive Bird Species in North America (video) Wings of Kentucky: Invasive Bird Species (video)

(12) Identify three career opportunities connected to the study of birds. Pick one and find out the education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss with your counselor if this profession might interest you. Resources: Careers With Birds: Interview With Kim Bostwick (video) [Ornithologist (Bird Scientist)

Career Exploration (video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nClZ64FaSIQ) 10+ Wildlife Biology Careers You Should Know About (& Salaries) (video)

Resources

Note: This is an unofficial archive of Scouts BSA Merit Badges that was automatically extracted from the Scouting America website and may contain errors.