**Acknowledgements**

We gratefully acknowledge M. Bauer, S. Kaiblinger, E. Kornfeind and S. Kögler for assistance with designing the questionnaires to assess the effects of CS activities and data collection. G. Gegendorfer and J. Rittenschober for assistance with the birds in the field and A. Szabo, K. Oberroithner and S. Amering for conducting the indoors instructions in the control classes. We also thank B. Lankmaier and the staff of the Cumberland Wildpark Grünau im Almtal for the willingness and engagement to build up a long-term cooperation with the KLF and their CS activities. Funding for the CS project was provided by the program Sparkling Science, Project SPA-06/155 to DF. Permanent support came from the 'Verein der Förderer der Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle' and the 'Herzog von Cumberland Stiftung'. We greatly appreciated the interest in the studies by the schools involved in the CS activities and data collection and the support by J. Leeb and K. Soukup-Altrichter. I. Fertschai added valuable comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript.
