Yeah: “are left” has an ambiguous definition. Also, too, what hunter is using a rifle to shoot birds that sit in a tree? Every kind of tree sitting bird I know of is either endangered or a songbird. And hunters typically use a shotgun with birds hot to hunt duck or quail or what have you, not a rifle. The whole thing doesn’t actually work, once given some thought. Especially as the “trick” relies on experience with birds that an urban child may not even have.
These are all true, but not things that children know or worry about. You are right that it does require some natural experience with birds being skittish around noises or other stimuli.
A better version might be: Five ducks are sitting in a field. A hunter shoots and kills one of the ducks. How many ducks remain sitting in the field?
Or, if you want the answer to be 1 instead of 0 and to be slightly less helpful, “how many ducks remain in the field?”. (The specificity of “sitting” may give a hint that a bit of careful thought is called for.)
0 cause the other 4 all fly off? (my guess)
5 because even though the bird was shot it is still on the tree?
1 because both are true?
(I did immediately thought 4 and only thought about it more after you said it was the wrong answer)
Yes, 0 because of the noise.
Yeah: “are left” has an ambiguous definition. Also, too, what hunter is using a rifle to shoot birds that sit in a tree? Every kind of tree sitting bird I know of is either endangered or a songbird. And hunters typically use a shotgun with birds hot to hunt duck or quail or what have you, not a rifle. The whole thing doesn’t actually work, once given some thought. Especially as the “trick” relies on experience with birds that an urban child may not even have.
These are all true, but not things that children know or worry about. You are right that it does require some natural experience with birds being skittish around noises or other stimuli.
A better version might be: Five ducks are sitting in a field. A hunter shoots and kills one of the ducks. How many ducks remain sitting in the field?
Or, if you want the answer to be 1 instead of 0 and to be slightly less helpful, “how many ducks remain in the field?”. (The specificity of “sitting” may give a hint that a bit of careful thought is called for.)