"Minute Earth Explains: Birds" Quiz

What initiated the project involving bird scientists and students?

• A government grant for educational outreach

• An online forum discussion about birds

• A phone call from bird scientists in rural Alaska

• A student's idea during a science fair

What is the primary reason birds can fly?

• The curved shape of their wings creating lift

• Their strong leg muscles

• The flapping motion alone

• Their lightweight bones

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What material are bird feathers made of?

• Cellulose

• Silica

• Calcium

• Keratin

Why do birds migrate?

• To find more sunlight

• To breed and access food resources

• To escape predators

• Because of magnetic field changes

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Which bird is known for having the longest migration?

• Hudsonian Godwit

• Bar-tailed Godwit

• Arctic Tern

• Waxwing

What percentage of its mass can the bar-tailed Godwit convert into body fat for its migration?

• 25%

• 90%

• 75%

• 50%

What was one of the early theories about where birds go during migration?

• They transform into other species

• They travel to the moon

• They become invisible

• They hibernate underwater

What technology first allowed scientists to track the routes of migrating birds?

• Satellite tracking

• Radar

• Light-level geolocators

• GPS

How do modern light-level geolocators work?

• By broadcasting the bird's location in real-time

• By detecting sunlight to estimate latitude and longitude

• By measuring the bird's heart rate

• By tracking the bird's flight speed

What is the role of citizen science in bird migration research?

• Funding research projects

• Designing new tracking technologies

• Legislating bird protection laws

• Providing observations for data analysis