Birds of the Arctic and Antarctic Tundras

Ms. McConn's fourth grade class studied the birds of the arctic and antarctic tundras. While we researched many birds, the snowy owl, penguin and snow goose were particularly popular with this group! One interesting fact the students learned about many of these birds - their feathers change colors with the season. When it's winter - most of the year - they have white feathers to blend in with the snow. When it's summer - a very short amount of time compared to here in Houston - the birds molt and replace their white feathers with different shades of brown to blend in with the rocky terrain. These sculptures are all built using recycled materials, with acrylic paint as a final touch on some. Here are a few examples from this class:

A Snowy Owl and a Snow Goose!

An Emperor Penguin, a Snowy Owl and a Penguin!

A Snowy Owl and a Gyrfalcon!

A Puffin, a Tundra Swan, and an Emperor Penguin!

A Snowy Owl and a Tundra Swan!