BIRDS - ESSENTIAL POINTS

---

• Birds are the most beautiful and colorful creatures found on earth.


• Birds need food and some birds eat grains while some eat flesh.


• Body structure of birds:
1. All birds have streamlined body.
2. They have head, wings, tails and legs.
3. They have feathers all over their body.
4. The bird’s head has a beak with no teeth.
5. There are two body holes called nea which act as nostrils.
6. Bones of birds are hollow and light.
7. Birds use beaks and claws to hold and eat their food.


• Factors that make birds fly:
  • They have wings to fly in air.
  • Their streamlined bodies help them to cut through air.
  • They have very light body made of hollow bones and plates.
  • The tail feathers help the bird to change its direction during flight.


• Ostrich cannot fly because it is the largest and heaviest bird.


• Ostrich can run at speed of 75km per hour.


• The Humming bird is the smallest bird.


• Owls sleep in the day and hunt at night.


• Feathers of birds
  Birds have 3 kinds of feathers. These differ in terms of size, shape, color and design.
  • Down feather: These are soft and fluffy feathers. They cover the full body of bird to keep it warm.
  • Flight feather: They are long and stiff feathers of the wing. They help birds in flight.
  • Tail feather:These are strong flight feathers for bird’s tail.


• Birds need nest when they have to lay eggs.


• Eggs of birds hatch and babies come out. When the babies are big enough, they fly away.


• Bird has an oil gland just above the base of its tail. Bird brushes oil over its feathers. This keeps the feathers dry even in rain or in water.


• When duck swims in water, its feathers do not get wet.


• Birds do not lie down during sleep. They stand upright while sleeping.


• Birds which hunt and eat other animals are called birds of prey.


• Nests of different types of birds
  1. The Tailor bird: This bird uses its beak like a needle to sew leaves together with thread, wool or spider’s web.
  2. The Weaver bird: This bird makes its nest with twigs and grass. The nest hangs from branch of tree.
  3. The vulture: Vulture gathers few sticks and put then together in shape of a shallow cup.
  4. Sparrows: Sparrows build their nest on window edges and on ceiling fans with leaves and dry grass.
  5. Pigeons: Pigeons build their nest on window edges and on ceiling fans with leaves and dry grass.
  6. Woodpecker: Woodpecker pecks a tree trunk with its beak to make a hole. This hole acts as its nest.
  7. Cuckoo: Cuckoo or Koel is lazy but clever bird. It quietly lays eggs in nest of other birds. The other birds even feed the babies of the cuckoo.
  8. Penguin: Penguin collects few pebbles and stones to make its nest on the ground.


• The mother bird sits on the eggs to keep them warm. When the baby is fully grown, the egg shell break and baby comes out. The parent bird feed the baby and keep it warm.


• Beaks of Birds
  Different 
  bird species have differently shaped beaks because each species has evolved a beak design that suits its diet and lifestyle.
  They use their beak to protect them from enemies.
  1. Sharp, strong and hooked beaks
     Beaks of birds like vultures and eagles are strong and hooked, so that they can tear flesh easily.Examples, Vultures and Eagles.
  2. Hard, strong and short beaks
     This type of beaks enables birds to pick up and crush the grain they eat. Examples, Pigeons, Sparrows etc.
  3. Curved beaks
     This type of beaks helps birds to crack seeds, nuts and fruits. While climbing up the trees, they use their curved beaks. Example, Parrots.
  4. Strong and chisel shaped beaks
     Woodpecker have strong and chisel shaped beak which help them in making holes in the bark of trees and pulling out insects.Example, woodpecker.
  5. Broad and short beaks
     These beaks are sticky from inside. Small insects and flies stick to the beak. Example, Swallows.
  6. Long and pointed beaks
     Sunbirds and humming birds have this type of beak to pull out insects from holes to eat them. Examples, Sunbirds and Humming birds.
  7. Broad and flat beaks
     Ducks have broad and flat beaks with tiny holes on their sides.Example, Duck.


• The living habits of bird can be judged from their claws.
  1. Perching birds
     Birds like sparrow and crow have 3 toes in front and one at back that help birds to hold on branches strongly. These toes help birds sleep while perching.
  2. Scratching birds
     Hens have 3 toes in front and one at the back. These toes possess a horny claw. They scratch the ground with their claws to eat insects and buried seeds.
  3. Swimming birds
     Birds like duck and swan are called water birds. They have webbed feet that enable them to push back water and swim ahead.
  4. Wading birds
     Cranes and herons are wading birds as they walk through mud and water. They have long legs with spread out toes.
  5. Flesh eating birds
     Birds like kites have sharp and curved claws which are known as talons. These claws enable bird to grip properly.