The Life Cycle of a Bird: Part 2

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

First, an adult bird will lay eggs in a nest.

These eggs will hatch into nestlings. The nestlings will rely on their mother for food and warmth. The little pink nestlings will start to grow feathers. As they grow bigger and stronger, they will learn how to fly and find food in the fledgling stage. After the fledgling stage, they will leave the nest.

• Are you ready to find out what happens next? Fantastic!

The next stage in a bird's life cycle is the courtship stage. The fledgling is now an adult that can fly and hunt for food on its own. Courtship happens when an adult bird is ready to have babies. During this time, the adult bird will look for a mate. Most birds look for mates around springtime. The adult bird will look for a bird of the same species, and they will build a nest together so they can start a family. When most birds pick his or her mate, they stay together for the rest of their lives.

The next stage is the nesting stage. Once the adult bird has found its mate, they will have to build their nest. Remember, all birds make different kinds of nests. During the building process, the female bird will create the nest. Sometimes, male birds will build nests to attract female birds. This nest is where the mother bird will lay her eggs.

The final stage of a bird’s life cycle is the mating stage. The two adult birds will mate and the female bird will lay her eggs in the nest. The life cycle will start all over again with these little eggs.

You learned about the final stages of a bird’s life cycle. Tell your parent or teacher what happens during the courtship stage, nesting stage, and the mating stage.

After sharing, move on to the Got It? section, where you will create props for your play about birds!