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Testing the head-bobbing hypothesis:
Here's what the scientists did to test their hypothesis:
  1. Scattered meal worms and other goodies on the ground for the cranes.

  2. Recorded the birds' behaviors with video cameras.

  3. Looked at each video frame and recorded the position of each birds head and legs.

Here is what they discovered:

  • The birds' heads were perfectly still 50% of the time (as their legs moved forward).

  • Scientists concluded that this must help the birds to focus on and pinpoint dinner! (When they move their heads, they can tell how far away their food find is!)

  • But they still had questions. For instance, Does keeping its head still for so long help a bird sneak up on its prey? What new questions do you have?
Journaling Questions
  • What did this story tell you about science and how scientists work? (For instance, they start with observations that lead to questions.)

    Once you're written down your thoughts, click for more ideas.