Lesson plan
Bird codes
Bird codes, also known as banding codes or alpha codes, are four-letter abbreviations for bird names used by bird banders, ornithologists, and birdwatchers in North and Central America. The codes are written in capital letters, and look like, e.g., MODO for mourning dove. There are two very similar systems of these codes currently in use, one maintained by the Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) of the North American Bird Banding Program, and the other by the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP). The codes used by the two systems are the same for most birds, but not for all.
Article summary
Bird codes, also known as banding codes or alpha codes, are four-letter abbreviations for bird names used by bird banders, ornithologists, and birdwatchers in North and Central America. The codes are written in capital letters, and look like, e.g., MODO for mourning dove. There are two very similar systems of these codes currently in use, one maintained by the Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) of the North American Bird Banding Program, and the other by the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP). The codes used by the two systems are the same for most birds, but not for all.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.