Feathered Flights
just for kids
Does it snow at your house in the winter? If it does, then you probably know people who like to go to Florida or other warm places in the winter. Maybe you and your family have done that. But imagine if you had to pack up everything you own and move to a different state or province because there was not
enough food at your house. That’s what some birds do every winter! Many birds migrate to warm places in the fall. (Migrate is a fancy word that means to travel to another place.) They fly south to look for food to eat and places to nest. It’s not just a vacation!
Out-of-Towners
s of birds Look out your window. What kind n United do you see? If you live in the souther isiana, Lou ia, forn Cali s, Texa States—including your in s bird he s—t lina Arkansas, or the Caro n! tow of out from back yard might be visitors ter win the for es Birds that go to warmer plac s of ducks, are called migrant birds. Many kind brown geese, tree warblers, gray catbirds, and se birds thrashers fly south for the winter. The Arc tic, or usu ally com e from Can ada , the northern states.
lers Tropical Travesewho visit beautiful islands
e only on d AmerPeople aren’t th ue warblers an Bl s. th on m r te includduring the win bean islands— b ri Ca to te ra g mig These amazin ican redstarts d Puerto Rico. an a, b e Cu , m ca So ai . ing Jam to fly south d an airplane ! Other birds don’t nee er open water ov s ay d r fo y fl birds can mmingbirds, rn tanagers, hu birds like Weste d Cen tr al y to M ex ic o an fl s le o ri o d an , Eastern arlet tanager sc e Th a. ic er Am wks travel me kinds of ha so d an , rd bi king ce s li ke m er ic a to p la fr o m N o rt h A merica. A h Brazil in Sout Argentina and
30 THE BANNER | January 2016 | thebanner.org
Illustration by Scott Holladay
Feathered Flights
Feed the Birds! You can keep the birds in your backyard well fed this winter by making a homemade bird feeder out of pinecones.
Brrrrrr: Birds on Stay-cation
What you need:
the northern If you live in Canada or you see through United States, the birds resident birds. A your window might be that does not resident bird is a bird ces. These birds migrate to warmer pla weather. They can survive in very cold bluejays, s, include pigeons, dove wo od pe ck er s, ca rd ina ls, sp ar ro ws , , crows, blackfinches, mock ingbirds How do th es e birds, an d blu eb ird s. e in su ch co ld fea th er ed fri en ds liv t seeds or find places? They usually ea iders under tree sleeping insects and sp thick layers of bark. Their bodies grow warm during feathers to keep them snowy winter months.
• Pinecone collected from outside • Yarn or string • Peanut butter or Crisco • Birdseed • Plastic knife • Large bowl or container • Newspaper (this project can get a bit messy!)
What to do:
Tie the string to one end of the pinecone. Pour the birdseed into a large bowl. Carefully use the plastic knife to spread the peanut butter or Crisco over the pinecone. Try to cover the whole pinecone. Then dip the pinecone in the birdseed and use your hands to gently press the seeds onto the pinecone. Hang the pinecone on a low branch in your yard. If you can’t find a pinecone, use a piece of toast or stale bread. Poke a hole near the top of the bread and string the yarn through the hole. Spread peanut butter or Crisco on the toast and coat it with seeds— now you have an edible bird feeder!
rt ta S le ib B e h t in s s! d Bir ling bird at talk about trave waters floode ies in the Bible th the iv aL
or the ark to see if There are lots of st r later a dove from d an n ng way to look fo ve ra a nt • Noah se ese birds flew a lo Th ). 12 68: is es en had gone down (G . on s 16:13). e liv to nd new la the desert (Exodu in t ea to l ai qu es aelit (1 Kings 17:4). • God sent the Isr : “. . . not his prophet Elijah ed fe to ns ve ra smallest sparrow e nt th en ev • God se of re ca ew 10:29). t how God takes ther’s care” (Matth Fa ur yo e • Jesus talks abou id ts ou ll to the ground ke care of you! one of them will fa he will definitely ta s, rd bi st le al sm e of th If God takes care bird to the aw a line from each dr d an es rs ve g in Look up the follow out it. verse that talks ab aiah 40:31
Ostrich H e n Eagle Falcon
Collection
Is Job 28:7 Job 39:13 Matthew 23:37
Christin Baker is a full-time stay-at-home mom. She is a member of Resurrection Fellowship Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.
thebanner.org | January 2016 | THE BANNER 31
Does it snow at your house in the winter? If it does, then you probably know people who like to go to Florida or other warm places in the winter. Maybe you and your family have done that. But imagine if you had to pack up everything you own and move to a different state or province because there was not
enough food at your house. That’s what some birds do every winter! Many birds migrate to warm places in the fall. (Migrate is a fancy word that means to travel to another place.) They fly south to look for food to eat and places to nest. It’s not just a vacation!
Out-of-Towners
s of birds Look out your window. What kind n United do you see? If you live in the souther isiana, Lou ia, forn Cali s, Texa States—including your in s bird he s—t lina Arkansas, or the Caro n! tow of out from back yard might be visitors ter win the for es Birds that go to warmer plac s of ducks, are called migrant birds. Many kind brown geese, tree warblers, gray catbirds, and se birds thrashers fly south for the winter. The Arc tic, or usu ally com e from Can ada , the northern states.
lers Tropical Travesewho visit beautiful islands
e only on d AmerPeople aren’t th ue warblers an Bl s. th on m r te includduring the win bean islands— b ri Ca to te ra g mig These amazin ican redstarts d Puerto Rico. an a, b e Cu , m ca So ai . ing Jam to fly south d an airplane ! Other birds don’t nee er open water ov s ay d r fo y fl birds can mmingbirds, rn tanagers, hu birds like Weste d Cen tr al y to M ex ic o an fl s le o ri o d an , Eastern arlet tanager sc e Th a. ic er Am wks travel me kinds of ha so d an , rd bi king ce s li ke m er ic a to p la fr o m N o rt h A merica. A h Brazil in Sout Argentina and
30 THE BANNER | January 2016 | thebanner.org
Illustration by Scott Holladay
Feathered Flights
Feed the Birds! You can keep the birds in your backyard well fed this winter by making a homemade bird feeder out of pinecones.
Brrrrrr: Birds on Stay-cation
What you need:
the northern If you live in Canada or you see through United States, the birds resident birds. A your window might be that does not resident bird is a bird ces. These birds migrate to warmer pla weather. They can survive in very cold bluejays, s, include pigeons, dove wo od pe ck er s, ca rd ina ls, sp ar ro ws , , crows, blackfinches, mock ingbirds How do th es e birds, an d blu eb ird s. e in su ch co ld fea th er ed fri en ds liv t seeds or find places? They usually ea iders under tree sleeping insects and sp thick layers of bark. Their bodies grow warm during feathers to keep them snowy winter months.
• Pinecone collected from outside • Yarn or string • Peanut butter or Crisco • Birdseed • Plastic knife • Large bowl or container • Newspaper (this project can get a bit messy!)
What to do:
Tie the string to one end of the pinecone. Pour the birdseed into a large bowl. Carefully use the plastic knife to spread the peanut butter or Crisco over the pinecone. Try to cover the whole pinecone. Then dip the pinecone in the birdseed and use your hands to gently press the seeds onto the pinecone. Hang the pinecone on a low branch in your yard. If you can’t find a pinecone, use a piece of toast or stale bread. Poke a hole near the top of the bread and string the yarn through the hole. Spread peanut butter or Crisco on the toast and coat it with seeds— now you have an edible bird feeder!
rt ta S le ib B e h t in s s! d Bir ling bird at talk about trave waters floode ies in the Bible th the iv aL
or the ark to see if There are lots of st r later a dove from d an n ng way to look fo ve ra a nt • Noah se ese birds flew a lo Th ). 12 68: is es en had gone down (G . on s 16:13). e liv to nd new la the desert (Exodu in t ea to l ai qu es aelit (1 Kings 17:4). • God sent the Isr : “. . . not his prophet Elijah ed fe to ns ve ra smallest sparrow e nt th en ev • God se of re ca ew 10:29). t how God takes ther’s care” (Matth Fa ur yo e • Jesus talks abou id ts ou ll to the ground ke care of you! one of them will fa he will definitely ta s, rd bi st le al sm e of th If God takes care bird to the aw a line from each dr d an es rs ve g in Look up the follow out it. verse that talks ab aiah 40:31
Ostrich H e n Eagle Falcon
Collection
Is Job 28:7 Job 39:13 Matthew 23:37
Christin Baker is a full-time stay-at-home mom. She is a member of Resurrection Fellowship Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.
thebanner.org | January 2016 | THE BANNER 31
