Action Verb Worksheet Seventh of Seven

Worksheet (7 of 7) on Action Verbs

Mini Lesson
Definition	A verb is an action word. It tells what someone or something is doing.
Example	Birds of a feather flock together. "Birds" is the subject or noun. "Flock" is the action or verb.
Directions	Ask yourself, "Is the subject doing it?" to help you find the 69 verbs in the paragraphs below. Circle the verbs. The first sentence has been done for you.

Magnificent Migration

As Autumn draws to a close, birds instinctively notice mother natures way of telling them the season's signs of change. Some birds prepare to migrate South.

Before the change from Autumn to Winter, near the end of December, birds instinctively recognize the signs of the seasons' changes and prepare to head south.

The mystery of migration continues to baffle scientists and "bird lovers" alike. Many questions remain unanswered. Why do some birds of a feather flock together and fly South and others endure the harsh North Wind? Do birds' internal clock tick tock to the time or is it strictly temperature telling them when to depart? Or, a combination of both. Once they have fled the country, how do they identify the directions to go?

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We have learned some answers to these questions, but for only some birds. Food supply runs short after months of the birds foraging, grazing and eating. Feasting on grains, shoots, insects and other food sources nearly exhausts the supply; therefore, the animals must seek out new sources to eat. The ecosystem requires time to replenish its' food supply. Moving South allows this ecosystem to function and flourish.

Woodpeckers are one of the exceptions of the migration South. The name has it. The woodpeckers' name clearly defines how they feed; woodpeckers peck at wood.They resort to and consume the bugs snug in a rug; the bugs that live under the bark of the trees. Insects burrow between the bark and the trunk of trees to survive old man winter. It is warm and cozy in their winter home.

Daylight fading into longer nights could be another trigger for birds that Winter is knocking at the door. Scientists feel certain that birds use the Sun as a compass to navigate. As the Earth circles the Sun it also rotates causing the Sun to be in different parts of the sky continuously. Perhaps birds use it as a navigational tool as well as the stars at night on longer flights.

Still, the magnetic field surrounding the Earth provides other birds with navigational tools too. The bumble bee sized bird, the humble hummingbird, finishes a journey of over 3 200 kilometers. It chalks-up one of the longest migration mileage records of all of its' fine feathered friends.

I think birds like to travel and see the world. Oh, to have a bird's eye view.

Lessons

Action Verb Worksheet Seventh of Seven