Birds

All birds have feathers, and they are the only living creatures that have them. When people think of birds, they usually think first of their flying ability. All birds have wings. The fastest birds can reach speeds well over 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour. No other creature can travel faster than birds. Yet not all birds can fly. For example, ostriches and penguins are flightless. Instead of flying, ostriches walk or run. They use their wings only for balance and to attract mates. Penguins swim. They use their wings as flippers. People have always been fascinated by birds. Birds’ marvelous flying ability makes them seem the freest of all animals. Many birds have gorgeous colors or sing sweet songs. The charms of birds have inspired poets, painters, and composers. Certain birds also serve as symbols. People have long regarded the owl as a symbol of wisdom and the dove as a symbol of peace. The eagle has long represented political and military might. Birds belong to the large group of animals called vertebrates. Vertebrates are animals with a backbone. The group also includes fish, reptiles, and mammals. Birds have two forelimbs and two hind limbs, as do cats, frogs, lizards, and many other vertebrates. But in birds, the forelimbs are wings rather than arms or front legs. Like mammals, and unlike amphibians and reptiles, birds are warm-blooded—that is, their body temperature always remains about the same, even if the temperature of their surroundings changes. Unlike most other vertebrates, living birds lack teeth. Instead, they have a hard bill, or beak, which they use in getting food and for self-defense. A number of the earliest birds possessed teeth, but these species no longer exist. Many birds have great value to people. Such birds as chickens and turkeys provide meat and eggs for food. Some kinds of birds help farmers by eating insects that attack their crops. Others eat farmers' grain and fruit. But in general, birds do much more good than harm. Since the 1600's, about 80 kinds of birds have died out. People have killed off most of these species by overhunting them and by destroying their environment. Today, most countries have laws to protect birds and help prevent any more kinds from dying out.

Interesting Facts About Birds

The Highest Flyer
The Highest Flyer is the bar-headed goose. Some flocks of bar-headed geese fly over the world's highest mountain range, the Himalaya in Asia, at an altitude of more than 25,000 feet (7,625 meters).

The Fastest Diver
The Fastest Diver is the peregrine falcon. The bird's broad, powerful wings and streamlined body enable it to swoop down on its prey at a speed of more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour.

The Largest Bird
The largest Bird is the male African ostrich. It may grow as tall as 8 feet (2.4 meters) and weigh as much as 345 pounds (156 kilograms).

The Smallest Bird
The Smallest Bird is the bee hummingbird. When fully grown, it measures about 2 inches (5 centimeters) and weighs about 1/10 ounce (3 grams). The nest of a bee hummingbird is the size of half a walnut shell.

The Greatest Traveler
The greatest traveler. Arctic terns migrate farther than any other bird. They travel about 11,000 miles (17,700 kilometers) each way between their breeding grounds in the Arctic and winter home in the Antarctic.


The Deepest Diver
The deepest diver is the emperor penguin. Emperor penguins have been recorded underwater at depths of almost 900 feet (275 meters). They use their wings to propel themselves through the water.

Peacocks
The Peacock is one of the showiest of all birds because of its great size and the beauty of its feathers. Technically, the word peacock refers only to the male peafowl. The female bird is called a peahen. However, most people use the term peacock for either sex. The Indian or common peafowl is the best known of the three peafowl species. The male is about as large as a turkey. It has a vivid blue neck and breast, a metallic green back, and a long train of greenish feathers brilliantly marked with bold spots that look like eyes. These feathers grow from the lower back and not the tail. During courtship, the male bird spreads the train into a gorgeous fan as he parades slowly in front of the female. The female bird is smaller than the male and dull colored, and she has no train. Indian peafowl live wild in India and Sri Lanka, and can be seen in city parks and on country estates. The dark green, broken coloration may be difficult to see in the midst of colorful tropical foliage. These birds eat snails, frogs, and insects, as well as grain, juicy grasses, and bulbs. They often destroy crops. Varieties with white plumage are sometimes found in captivity.

Cardinal
Cardinal is a bird common throughout the eastern half of North America. Technically, it is known as the northern cardinal. It is sometimes called redbird. Cardinals live from southeastern North Dakota, central Minnesota, southern Ontario, and central Maine south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Belize. The cardinal measures about 7 to 9 inches (18 to 23 centimeters) long. It has a crest of feathers on its head that can be raised to threaten an enemy. Male cardinals are red with some gray on the back. A distinctive black marking around the eyes and at the base of the red-orange bill may reduce glare from the bill. Females are a brownish color with red in the wings, tail, and crest. Cardinals feed on weed seeds, wild fruit, grain, worms, and beetles and other insects. In winter, they often seek food at feeders provided by people. Cardinals prefer sunflower seeds but also eat raisins, pieces of apple, bread, and millet. Young cardinals eat insects, including boll worms, cotton worms, codling moths, and potato beetles. Both male and female cardinals have a wide variety of cheerful, flutelike songs. The birds were once trapped and sold as songbirds, and their brilliant feathers were used to decorate women's hats. Cardinals are now protected by law.

Blue Jay
Blue jay is a common bird of the eastern half of the United States and Canada. It has blue and white plumage and a crested head. The blue jay is related to crows and magpies. Like those birds, it has a loud, harsh call. But the blue jay also possesses a bell-like song. An adult blue jay measures nearly 1 foot (30 centimeters) in length, including the long tail. The bird uses its tail to maneuver around tree branches and other objects as it flies. Its chin and underside are light gray. A collar of black feathers extends across its throat and the sides of its head. The blue jay can raise or lower the crest on its head. This crest has a gray-blue color with a purplish tint. The same color occurs in feathers on the bird's back. The feathers on a blue jay's wings and tail are bright blue, with white bands and black crossbars. During the spring, the blue jay may take eggs and young from nests of other birds. But most of its food consists of nuts and smaller seeds. It also eats many harmful insects. Blue jays build loose, untidy nests in trees or shrubs. They lay from three to six eggs, which are blue, green, or yellow with spots of brown or gray. The birds live about four to six years.

Canary
Canary is one of the most popular bird pets. People keep canaries for their beautiful songs, and because they make cheerful companions. Canaries belong to the finch family. They are named for the Canary Islands, where they are still found in the wild. The songs of wild canaries are not nearly so melodious as those of the tamed birds that are bred for the quality of their song. Wild canaries are dark green and olive-colored, and are seldom over 8 inches (20 centimeters) long. Wild canaries live in pairs, but often flock together like their distant relatives, the American goldfinches. Canaries build nests of dry moss and grass in branches about 10 feet (3 meters) from the ground. A canary lays four or five eggs. Most tame canaries are bright yellow, but some are pale yellow. If fed red peppers, canaries may be bright orange. During the late 1400's, canaries were brought to Spain from the Canary Islands. English, French, Scottish, and Belgian canary breeders have developed many varieties with strange appearances. Some tame canaries bred in Lancashire, England, grow 8 inches (20 centimeters) long. Scottish canaries are long, thin birds with tails that curl between their legs. Belgian canaries have such long necks that their heads droop. French canaries have curly patterns of feathers all over their bodies. Because canaries are more sensitive to poisonous gases than human beings, canaries have been used to detect such gases on battlefields and in coal mines. Each year, canaries selectively replace some of their songs with different songs. As a result, canaries have become important laboratory subjects for studies of selective forgetting and learning.

Wood Pecker
Woodpecker is a bird that uses its long, chisel like bill for drilling into trees. Woodpeckers bore holes in bark and wood to find food and build nests. These small- to medium-sized birds live in almost all parts of the world. Woodpeckers have several features that are especially useful to their way of life. Strong feet and sharp claws enable the birds to climb up and down tree trunks and to cling to bark. Most woodpeckers have two front toes and two hind toes, an arrangement that helps them to climb without falling backwards. Stiff tail feathers brace the birds against the tree trunk. Strong neck muscles propel the bird's head rapidly back and forth while it drills. Muscles on the head act as shock absorbers, protecting the skull from the impact of drilling. Many woodpeckers are black and white or brown and white, and many are banded or spotted. Males of most species have some red feathers on their head. Woodpeckers use their bill to probe bark and wood for the adult insects and insect larvae they eat. They draw the food out with an extremely long, sticky tongue that has a barbed tip. Some woodpeckers also catch insects on the ground or in the air. In addition, many woodpeckers eat fruit and nuts. The wood-boring insects that woodpeckers eat are available the year around. For this reason, few woodpeckers migrate. For nests, woodpeckers dig holes in the trunks of trees or, sometimes, in the ground or in buildings. The nest may extend 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 centimeters) below the entrance. It has no lining except for wood chips. A female woodpecker lays two to eight white eggs. A woodpecker's call consists of a series of harsh notes. The birds also drum with their bills on dead branches or on anything hollow. They use this sound to advertise their presence and defend their territory. Except for nesting pairs, most woodpeckers live alone. There are about 200 species of woodpeckers, but only about 20 species live in North America. Their habitat ranges from evergreen forests to arid deserts.

Robin
Robin is the name for two common birds with reddish breasts. The American robin lives throughout North America, while the European robin inhabits most of Europe and parts of northern Africa and western Asia. The name robin also refers to a number of other, less common birds. An American robin grows 9 to 11 inches (23 to 28 centimeters) long. The male has a brick-red breast, a brownish-gray back, and a black head and tail. Its white throat is streaked with black and its outer tail feathers are tipped with white. Its bill is yellow. The female robin grows slightly smaller than the male and has paler coloring. The American robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin. American robins breed from North America, from northern Canada and Alaska to central Mexico. They are among the last birds to migrate south from northern regions in autumn. They also are among the first birds to return north in spring. The first robin of spring remains a popular sign that winter will soon be over. European robins eat insects, snails, and worms. The birds often nest in and around buildings. Females typically lay 4 to 6 white or light-bluish eggs, which hatch after 15 days. The European robin's song varies depending on the individual. A typical song begins with a few long, high notes followed by a series of short, rapid, lower notes. During the warmer months, American robins typically consume beetles, cutworms, earthworms, and wireworms. In the fall and winter, they eat chiefly fruit. The European robin breeds in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Robins from the northern parts of this range migrate south during winter. A European robin grows about 5 inches (13 centimeters) long. It has an orange-red forehead, throat, and breast. Its back, wings, and tail are olive-brown, and its belly is grayish-white. Males and females look alike.

Parrot
Parrot is the name of a large group of colorful birds found chiefly in warm, tropical regions. They are popular as pets because they become affectionate and tame, and many can be taught to talk. Parrots range from about 3 inches (8 centimeters) to over 3 feet (90 centimeters) long. Most parrots have thick, hooked bills, and many have long tails. Parrots also possess short legs and feet with two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward. These strong, grasping feet enable parrots to grasp fruits and nuts, climb, and even hang acrobatically from tree branches. Parakeet is a general name for many kinds of small- to medium-sized parrots, especially those with long, pointed tails. Parrots are noisy, sociable birds that live chiefly in forested areas. Some live in savannas (grassy, thinly wooded areas) and deserts. Parrots commonly eat fruits, nuts, seeds, and buds. Some also eat nectar and pollen. Most parrots choose one mate for life. Female parrots lay round, white eggs. They deposit the eggs in holes in trees, on the ground, in cracks in rocks, or in holes dug in termite nests. The monk parakeet of Argentina builds a huge community nest out of sticks. Many pairs of monk parakeets share the nest, which provides a safe place to lay eggs and also protects the birds from cool weather. Other parrots may nest in artificial nest boxes placed in trees by people. There are about 350 species of parrots. About half live in Central and South America. Most of the rest live in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby Pacific islands. About 50 species live in Africa and southern Asia. The United States once had its own species of parrot, the Carolina parakeet, but it became extinct in about 1920 because of hunting and forest destruction. A rare species, the thick-billed parrot, lives in western Mexico and may wander into southern Arizona and New Mexico. The Puerto Rican parrot is an endangered species.