Join 'The Flock' Education Resource
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Join ‘The Flock’ Education Resource
Artist Kate Gorringe-Smith has developed an on-going,
international project called
‘The Overwintering Project’.
The project aims to raise awareness about migratory shorebirds
and their habitat.
‘The Flock’ is a creative way for your school
or community group to be involved.
Making The Flock Find instructions on how Images : Yamba Art space www.yambaartspace.com Photos : Kerrie Speirs you can make The Flock later in this document
What are Migratory Shorebirds? “Migratory shorebirds are the little brown birds that you might see out of the corner of your eye as you walk along the beach. With their white and brown patterned plumage, they are perfectly camouflaged by the rocks, seaweed and sand on which they live.” 1. Image : Julie Milton, Red-necked Stints
Migratory Shore Birds “Shorebirds, also known as waders, gather in inter-tidal areas or on the fringes of freshwater wetlands. They generally have long legs in relation to their body size, no webbing on their feet and they don't swim.
The shape and size of their bill
gives a clue to their preferred
diet and habitat.
For example,
the long, probing bill of the
eastern curlew is ideal for fishing out
worms and crustaceans
from deep mud,
Image : Annie DAY, Time to Go, 2017, lithograph and etching, 28 x 28 cm.
whereas the short, stubby bill of
the ruddy turnstone can flip
aside stones and shells on a
rocky foreshore.”2.
Image : Kit HILLER, Ruddy Turnstones, hand-coloured linocut
Australia has thirty six species of migratory shorebirds that breed above the Arctic Circle, migrating south to spend the major part of their migratory cycle (October – May) on the shores of Australia and New Zealand. The route they fly annually between their two homes is called the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Their journeys link twenty three countries from New Zealand to Russia along the coast of Asia through which they fly, stop to rest and refuel, and breed. They travel this 25,000 circuit every year of their adult lives. 3.
Activities
Can you name any of the migratory shorebirds?
Find a migratory shorebird
you like and do some
research about it.
Image : Bar-tailed Godwit, Jeff Davies, BirdLife Australia
List of Australian migratory shorebirds 3.
Pacific Golden Plover Common Greenshank
Grey Plover Marsh Sandpiper
Little Ringed Plover Common Redshank
Lesser Sand Plover (Endangered) Wood Sandpiper
Greater Sand Plover (Vulnerable) Ruddy Turnstone
Oriental Plover Asian Dowitcher
Latham’s Snipe Great Knot
Pin-tailed Snipe Red Knot
Swinhoe’s Snipe Sanderling
Black-tailed Godwit Red-necked Stint
Bar-tailed Godwit (Vulnerable) Long-toed Stint
Little Curlew Pectoral Sandpiper
Whimbrel Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Eastern Curlew (Critically Endangered) Curlew Sandpiper
Terek Sandpiper Broad-billed Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper Ruff
Grey-tailed Tattler Red-necked Phalarope
Wandering Tattler Oriental Pratincole
Little StintActivities What is your bird called? What does it look like? Describe or draw it.
Can you work out what your bird
eats from its bill shape and size?
What other countries does your
migratory shorebird visit along the
East-Asian Australasian Flyway,
and why?
Image :
What time of year does it travel?
Why does it travel at that time? Image : Jeff Davies, BirdLife AustraliaMigratory Shorebirds Habitat
What does the habitat look like for your
migratory shorebird when it is in Tasmania?
What is a habitat?
Where does it live? “A habitat is the natural home
or environment of a plant, animal,
or other organism.
What does your habitat look like where you live?
It provides the organisms that live
What do you need to survive?
there with food, water, shelter
and space to survive.” 4.
Describe how the bird’s habitat is the same or
different to your habitat.Can you think of anything in the environment that could threaten the migratory shorebirds habitat? Make a list of the different ways that humans can protect migratory shorebird’s habitats.
Go outside and observe some birds. If you are away from the beach, find birds in your own environment. What do the birds look like? Can you guess where they live and what they might eat? Do you think anything threatens the habitat of the birds you have observed? What could you do to protect their home?
Make ‘The Flock’
Visit the Burnie Regional Art Gallery website
to download the PDF & the Flock template
www.burniearts.net/theflock
The template has been kindly shared by The Flock NZHow to make your Flock Use the templates provided to create your flock of migratory shore birds. Using a window or a light box, lay a piece of paper over the template and trace around each bird separately so you create an individual template for all of the birds. Recycle some cardboard for the birds body and use the craft materials to decorate. Will you your flock be real or imaginary birds? Create a habitat for your flock. Think about what they need to survive. Attach a stick to the bottom of the birds and use this to place them in their home. Keep the flock of birds you have made at your school or meeting place.
* When you have created your Flock, take a photo of it and either - share on social media with the hashtag #FlockOz or email your image(s) to us at the Gallery. *Note. By sharing your photos, you consent to us using these across our social media pages, digital newsletters and on promotional material. Images may become part of The Overwintering exhibition
References 1. https://www.theoverwinteringproject.com/migratory- shorebirds.html 2. https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living -with/shorebirds#what_is_a_shorebird 3. http://www.kategorringesmith.com.au/list-of-migratory- shorebirds.html 4. https://australian.museum/learn/species- identification/ask-an-expert/what-is-a-habitat/
Further reading and resources Visit the Burnie Regional Art Gallery website to download PDF & the Flock template www.burniearts.net/theflock Information on The Overwintering Project, and ‘A Case in Point: The Birds that fly to the Moon’. http://www.kategorringesmith.com.au/shorebirds.html https://www.cradlecoast.com/coastal-saltmarsh-recovery-in-robbins-passage-and-surrounds/ http://www.cradlecoast.com/online-learning-packages/ http://www.birdlife.org.au/ http://birdlife.org.au/documents/Shorebirds-FactSheet.pdf https://www.birdlife.org.au/documents/SB-Wing-Thing.pdf https://www.nrmsouth.org.au/sersa/ https://www.theorb.tas.gov.au/living-cultures/muttonbirding/teacher-drawer https://www.ansto.gov.au/education/primary/competitions/shorebirds-competition-2020#content-how-to-enter
The Flock is an on-going activity in the lead up to
The Overwintering Exhibition
that will be on display in the Gallery
18 December 2020 to 6 February 2021.Cradle Coast Authority
Natural Resource Management
Visit the Cradle Coast Authority
website to learn about
our threatened
coastal saltmarsh wetlands
which attract migratory birds
from the other side of the world.
Plus other unique and beautiful
creatures which call
our region home.
http://www.cradlecoast.com/online-learning-packages/In 2021 ANSTO will again host the Shorebirds Competition for primary students in Years 3 to 6.
This national competition attracts up to 500 entries from all regions across Australia.
Shorebirds or waders are rapidly declining in numbers and their
shoreline habitats are being permanently affected by human activity or
are disappearing altogether.
Students entering the competition in 2021 will learn about threats to
shorebirds and their wetland habitats and
create a poster that promotes the shorebird’s habitat
as a great tourist destination.
Prizes are offered for students and schools in Years 3-4 and Years 5-6.
The competition will commence in April 2021 and all information
including how to enter, lesson plans to support the teaching of
shorebirds and wetlands that link to the Australian curriculum,
additional information and other events including online school
incursions will be available on the ANSTO website in early 2021.
To see examples of the information
and entries from 2020 visit our ANSTO Shorebirds webpage
https://www.ansto.gov.au/education/primary/competitions/shorebirds-competition-2020
Highly Commended, Years 3-4. Isabel Y. Brighton Primary School, TasmaniaSupported by :
Contact us E :gallery@burnie.net http://www.burnieart s.net/Art-Gallery Ph : 03 6430 5875
Australian Curriculum links For example – For example - For example – Imagine possibilities and Express opinion and point of Visualise 2Dshapes and 3D connect ideas : view : objects : build on what they know to identify and use language sort and name simple 2D create ideas and possibilities in that expresses feelings and shapes and 3D objects and ways that are new to them and opinions, and compares and visualise, describe and apply create and connect complex evaluates people and things their understanding of the ideas using imagery, analogies features and properties of 2D and symbolism shapes and 3D objects
Australian Curriculum links For example – For example – For example- Appreciate diverse Reason and make ethical Empathise with others : perspectives : decisions : imagine and describe the acknowledge that people hold investigate reasons for clashes of feelings of others in a range of many points of view and beliefs in issues of personal, contexts and recognise the effect acknowledge the values, social and global importance that empathising with others has opinions and attitudes of on their own feelings, different groups within motivations and actions society and compare to their own points of view
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