Native birds

Native birds

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about interpreting text to identify risk factors for survival.

Question 1Change answer

Here are some patterns that scientists have observed about the fantail and black robin.
Read the information and answer the questions below.
The Fantail (Piwakawaka)
fantail or piwakawaka
The fantail is a native bird that is commonly found in bush, farmland and in gardens in towns. It mainly eats flying insects but also eats caterpillars and spiders. Fantails are very agile in the air and seldom feed on the ground. They build their nests in trees. The nests are often hanging from supporting twigs, sometimes over water. The fantail starts breeding in its first year of life and usually lays 2 to 5 eggs at a time. It takes about 14 days for the eggs to hatch and the babies stay in the nest for about 13 days. A pair of fantails can raise up to five families in a summer. In the Chatham Islands, though, where the summers are shorter it only raises up to 2 families.
The Black Robin
Black Robin on Rangatira Island
In 1976 there were only 7 black robins in the whole world.  It was one of the world’s rarest birds. The black robin is slightly larger than a fantail. Black robins prefer to build their nests in hollow trees or in stumps on the ground. They do not start breeding before they are two years old and usually stay with the same mate for life. They lay between one and three eggs each season. The eggs take about 18 days to hatch and the babies stay in the nest for about 22 days. If the first brood does not survive black robins will sometimes have a successful second brood. The breeding season is very short. Black robins eat insects buried in forest leaf litter and hunt by making frequent short flights between low perches, and onto the ground.
 
a)  Complete the table to compare five different features that affect the survival chances of fantails and black robins.
     (Two features have been started for you)
Features affecting survival Fantail Black robin
i) What they eat
ii)  When they start breeding
iii)
iv)  
v)

Question 1Change answer

b)  Describe two types of changes to the New Zealand environment in the past 100 years that could have impacted on the survival of both black robins and fantails.
Change 1:
Change 2:

Question 1Change answer

c)  Why have these changes had more effect on black robins than on fantails?
     Give three reasons.
Reason 1:
Reason 2:
Reason 3: 

Question 1Change answer

d)  Imagine that you have found a way to travel back in time to when the first European settlers were arriving in New Zealand.
Imagine that you have also been granted the power to persuade them to do one thing differently, to prevent an aspect of environmental damage on the islands where the black robins live. 
What would you persuade them to do differently, and why?
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online.
Copyright: 
Black Robin on Rangatira Island
Copyright: Naomi G. | schmechf, Flickr | CC-BY-SA 2.0
 
fantail or piwakawaka
Copyright: J.Fisher, PhotoKete | Permission for classroom use in New Zealand Aotearoa. 
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Science, Understanding about science, Living World
Keywords: 
ecology, conservation, kaitiakitanga, endangered species, habitats, birds
Description of task: 
Task: Read information and compare the special features that influence the chances of survival of black robins and fantails. Assessment focus: interpreting text to identify risk factors for survival.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Gather and interpret data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss looking for patterns in the data to guide inferences.
 
Capability: Engage with science
This resource provides opportunities to discuss the actions you might take to solve an issue. 
 
Science capabilities: 
Engage with science, Gather and interpret data
Making Better Sense: 
Birds
Answers/responses: 
    Y10 (08/2005)
 a)

 Any of:

 What they eat (this feature was given)
 Fantail: flying insects, caterpillars and spiders
 Black robin: leaf litter insects

 When they start breeding (this feature was given)
 Fantail: in their first year
 Black robin: at two years old

 Where they nest
 Fantail: in outer branches of trees
 Black robin: in hollow trees, stumps on the ground

 How well they fly
 Fantail: strong flyer, agile
 Black robin: mainly flits on short runs

 Where they feed
 Fantail: in the air, on tree branches
 Black robin: on the ground

 No. of eggs /no. of families per season
 Fantail: up to 20 eggs/ up to 5 families
 Black robin: maximum of 6 eggs/ up to 2 families

 Incubation period
 Fantail: about 14 days
 Black robin: about 18 days

 Fledgling period
 Fantail: about 13 days
 Black robin: about 22 days

 Mating habits
 Fantail: can get new mate if necessary
 Black robin: usually mate for life

 Habitats they can occupy
 Fantail: bush, farms and gardens
 Black robin: only the bush

3 additional features correctly identified – moderate

2 additional features correctly identified – easy

1 additional feature correctly identified – easy
 b)
  • introduction of mammalian predators
  • clearing of bush habitats for farms, towns etc.
  moderate
 difficult

 c)

  Any three of:

  • Fantails can reproduce faster than robins so there are fewer consequences for the whole population if some die young.
  • If a robin’s mate dies they are unlikely to continue breeding.
  • Robins are more vulnerable to predators when feeding.
  • Robins are more vulnerable to predators when nesting.
  • Robins cannot move out of bush habitats but fantails' food can be found in other places and so they have been able to adapt to new environments.

3 reasons – difficult

1-2 reasons – moderate

 d)

 Answers should include reference to avoiding either the introduction of predators or habitat destruction.

 moderate
Results are based on a trial set of 232 Year 10 students in August 2005.
Diagnostic and formative information: 

In part a)

  • 74% of students were able to clearly compare the differences between what black robins and fantails eat. 82% of students were able to clearly compare the differences between when black robins and fantails start breeding.
  • The students who were able to give 3 additional features were more likely than students who could give only 1 additional feature to be able to make clear comparisons between fantails and robins.
  • The most common additional features identified were where they nest, the incubation period, the number of eggs and the fledgling period.
  • A misconception that arose in this section was that some students thought birds lived in nests rather than used them for raising young.

In part b)

  • Students frequently identified a general term such as pollution, weather, or climate change as having impacted on the survival of black robins and fantails. Other students were more specific in their responses but assumed that a factor that may be endangering some other species was also impacting on black robins and fantails. For example responses included "poachers", "paper companies cutting down bush" and "people shooting birds". It seems that many students are aware of things that may be having a harmful effect on the environment but need support to focus on the specific issues affecting the birds in question here.
  • A small number of students identified positive impacts on fantails and black robins in the last 100 years, for example, "Department of Conservation", "reserves and sanctuaries being made".
Next steps: 
Explore which features affect the survival chances of individual fantails or black robins and which features affect the survival chances of a population of fantails or black robins.
 

Ministry of Education (2003). Building Science Concepts, Book 3, Birds. Wellington: Learning Media. This book directly addresses the issue of some birds being so highly specialised they are more at risk from environmental changes.

To find out more about focusing on Communicating in science go to  

Interpret representations

The following ARB resources are about endangered species: