Download bird station - science

OBSERVING BIRDS
Birds are one of the most fascinating animals on Earth! Explore the items on this
table and see for yourself just how amazing these feathered creatures really are.
Bird Beaks
A cone shaped beak is
found in many birds such as
finches and grosbeaks. It is
a strong beak used for
cracking seeds.
Did you ever wonder why there
are so many types of bird beaks?
The most important function of a
bird bill is feeding, and it is shaped
Thin, slender, pointed beaks according to what a bird eats. The
are found mainly in insect
eaters. They are used to pick beak is one of the characteristics
insects off leaves, twigs, and used to identify birds. You can
learn about bird behavior by
bark. This warbler is a good
example.
looking at the beak and thinking
about what it eats. Pictured here
Woodpeckers have strong
are some common beak shapes
beaks which taper to the tip,
and a description of the food they
forming a chisel for pecking
holes in trees for food or
are especially adapted to eat.
nests. Most feed on insects
which live under the bark.
Hummingbirds have long,
tubular beaks that resemble
straws, which they use to sip
nectar from flowers.
Hawks, owls, and other birds
of prey which catch and kill
live prey have sharp,
"hooked" beaks. These are
used to bite the skull or neck
and also to tear the body into
pieces small enough to
swallow.
The edges of a Mallard's bill
are fringed to strain plants,
seeds, and small animals
from mud and water.
Can you match the beak to the
food it’s designed to eat?
SONG BIRDS or
PERCHING BIRDS
(warblers, thrushes, wrens,
etc.) have independent,
flexible toes, with one
pointing backwards, ideal for
grasping perches. Why
don't perching birds fall
out of trees when they
sleep? When perching birds
sit, a tendon on the backside
of the ankle automatically
flexes locking their toes
around the branch. With feet
locked, sleeping birds don't
fall. As the bird stands up its
feet release.
WATER BIRDS such as
ducks have webbing
between their toes for
swimming. GULLS also
have feet similar to these so
they don't sink while walking
in the soft sand or mud near
the water's edge.
WADING BIRDS. The long
toes of herons, which
spreads the bird's weight
over a large surface area,
facilitates walking on soft
surfaces near the water's
edge (where wading birds
like to eat).
RAPTORS such as hawks,
eagles, and owls use large
claws (called talons) to
capture, kill, and carry prey
with their feet.
Bird Feet
Birds have many different
shapes and sizes to their
feet. Like the shape of the
beak, a birds' feet tells us
much about the different
species of birds. Pictured
here are several examples of
birds feet and what each one
can tell us about the group of
birds who possess them.
Can you match the bird to it’s feet?