Cute as a button

[great big story]

This little old lady is Button, a 21-year-old margay at the Santa Ana Zoo. Native to the dense forests of Central and South America, these wildcats are tree-dwelling creatures whose wide feet and flexible toes allow them to climb, jump and hang from branches. As they rely on trees for survival, margays are extremely sensitive to deforestation. The illegal fur and pet trade have also made these wildcats a near threatened species. The best hope for their continued survival is to preserve their natural forest habitats.

Vocabulary chunks to learn from the video :

• A tree dwelling cat
• Native to the dense forest in Central and South America
• Gives birth in the trees
• Wide feet
• Flexible toes
• They climb, jump and hang from trees
• Long heavy tails
• Keep the animals balanced
• Excellent night hunters
• Preying on birds, reptiles and even small primates
• Extremely sensitive to deforestation
• Illegal fur and pet trades
• Preserve their natural forest habitat

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Look Up #9

Great Big Story

 

“With a wingspan up to 10 feet in length, the mighty Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world. Found throughout the Andes Mountains, the condor is a national symbol for many South American countries. This massive bird has a hairless head, which will change color depending on its emotional state. Though the condor can live up to 70 years, its population is in decline, largely due to the destruction of its natural habitat” [Great big Story]

Vocabulary chunks to learn after watching the video :

• With wings that spread up to 10ft apart
• One of the largest flying birds in the world
• Found throughout the Andes Mountains
• A national symbol
• Emotional state
• Used to attract females
• With some Condors living for more that 70 years
• It is a scavenger bird
• South American coast
• The population is in decline
• Due to the destruction of its natural habitat
• Lead poisoning from carcasses shot by hunters

 

 

Look Up #5

Great Big Story

 

The toco is the largest and perhaps most recognizable of the toucan family. Its striking, brightly colored bill comprises almost half of its body surface area. Toco toucans are found throughout South and Central America, but populations have declined over the last decade due mainly to the pet trade and the destruction of their rainforest habitats.  Can this beaky bird shake off these threats?

Vocabulary chunks to learn after watching the video :

• The largest and most recognizable
• They are found throughout Southern and Central America
• Their population has continued to decline
• Their appearance is striking
• Its iconic bill
• It is rather light
• To pluck out-of-reach fruit from trees
• They are considered extremely gregarious and social birds living in flocks
• The pet trade and the destruction of the rain forests are the main cause for decrease in population

 

 

Bird listening or bird watching?

  [The Brain Scoop]

Vocabulary to learn after watching the video :

• Bird calls of Amazonia
• An Ornithologist
• We follow the pre-opened trail
• We do this at a slow pace
• Keep in mind
• The most complex landscape in the world
• Recording equipment
• A field guide
• I do a lot of recordings, primarily for learning
• The most indicative like rainforest bird, noise
• Bird watching in real-time
• Telling insects from birds
• Bird like calls
• Different species
• Haven’t been explored that deeply
• We can upload them on systems online
• A cacophony of sounds
• A flock of ant birds following a swarm of army ants
• A little over an hour
• They should call it bird listening not bird watching

As an Ornithologist, you could be involved in:

• fieldwork and research
• conservation and habitat management
• consultancy
• education
• campaigning and policy development.

Your work would vary depending on the particular job, but typically you’ll:

• conduct surveys
• monitor bird species in a particular habitat
• track bird movements and biological processes
• collect, analyse and evaluate data
• prepare reports, management plans and presentations.

To be an ornithologist you should have:

• a keen interest in birds and their habitats
• an accurate and methodical approach to surveying, recording and reporting
• enthusiasm about wildlife conservation
• good analytical and mathematical skills
• the ability to work alone or as part of a team
• good written and spoken communication skills
• the ability to produce clear reports
• a willingness to work flexibly
• IT skills.

You could be employed as an ornithologist by a number of organisations, including:

• observatories
• ringing stations
• nature reserves
• local authorities
• conservation charities, including international projects
• wildlife trusts
• ecological consultancies conservation organisations

[National Career Service ]