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Download Presentation with Audio: Animal Kingdom: Birds
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Birds of the Animal Kingdom Living on Planet Earth Move through the program using the arrow keys below this message. Keyboard and mouse options will also work. Birds Birds are part of the Animal Kingdom. Other classes of animals include: mammals, amphibians, fish, reptiles and invertebrates. Birds All members of the kingdom of animals have one thing in common—they have a mouth or similar method of ingesting food. If they absorb food they belong to another kingdom of life. Birds Have mouths to ingest food Have vertebrae to support their bodies Are warm-blooded Breathe with lungs Have a beak made of bone Have wings Have skin covered in feathers Birds Birds have vertebrae that are very stiff, strong and dense. They have fewer bones than mammals. Bird bones are highly specialized. They are more rounded which makes them difficult to break and reduces wind resistance which aids in flight. Birds Birds are warm-blooded, maintaining their body temperature by eating food and drinking water. Many of the soft, fluffy feathers found on the bird’s neck, chest and back insulate the body. Birds Many bird species migrate to warmer climates when temperatures in their summer environments begin to cool. Birds Birds breathe air into lungs. The heart moves oxygen from the lungs into the blood. Each heart beat pushes blood throughout the body. The body’s skeleton, organs and muscles depend upon good oxygen circulation from the heart and the lungs. Birds The bird’s beak, also called a bill, is made of bone. It takes the place of our lips and teeth. The wide variety of beak sizes and shapes among all species of birds influences what they eat. Birds The beak and tongue help the bird learn about its surroundings. Because the wings are used for flight, the beak and tongue are used to touch things. Birds A bird will nip at your finger with its beak just as a baby will reach out its arm and grab your finger with its hand. Birds will try to taste your finger to learn if it would be something good to eat. Birds Birds have wings, rather than arms, hands and fingers. Some birds are unable to fly while others have soared as high into the sky as jet planes. Birds Birds have skin covered in feathers not hair. No other animals have feathers. Every animal that has feathers is a bird. Birds The length and stiffness of wing and tail feathers help the bird fly. Feathers are important for social relations because birds recognize each other by color, shape and size. Birds Many birds have keen senses and highly developed instincts. They use their brains to think much like people do. Birds Birds communicate with vocal sounds and wing flapping. They have strong senses of sight and hearing. Birds They communicate with each other using a variety of sounds that seem the same to us but carry greater meaning to them. Birds Birds depend upon their vision to find safety and food. Eyesight varies among species and determines where birds find food and at what time of day. Birds Birds see things in a different way than humans do. For example, hunting birds can see all the mice moving on a football field at the same time. We might notice one mouse if we are lucky enough to be looking in that direction. Birds Water birds can clearly see plants and fish under water. Nocturnal owls watch prey moving in fields at night. Songbirds keep a watchful eye on the sky for attacking hawks. Birds There are at least 10,000 bird species living on land and near water. We’ll look at some characteristics that make birds different from other animals. We’ll also learn some of the special features animals possess to adapt and survive in the wild. Birds Female birds lay eggs. One or both of the parents will incubate the eggs in the nest until they hatch. They will feed the chicks until they grow and are ready for life on their own. Birds Some birds make very complex nests that can withstand severe weather. Others simply make a shallow depression in the sand or find a vacant hole in a tree in which to lay her eggs. Birds The chicks, developing in the eggs, learn to recognize the parent’s voice. Some birds will use a vocal sound in the egg telling the parent they are too hot. Birds It takes 3 to 4 weeks for birds to develop and hatch. Chicks have a growth on their beak called an egg tooth that helps them crack open the egg. The egg tooth disappears a few days after the chick has hatched. Birds Many birds have natural defenses that keep them safe. Many of these are instinctual or learned from the parents and the flock. Birds Camouflage Some birds are so colorful they can be spotted easily while others blend into the trees, plants and grasses and are noticed only if they move. Birds Camouflage In the winter the Willow Ptarmigans become almost invisible to predators by growing white feathers that match the snow-covered ground where they nest. Birds Webbed Toes Animals that spend a lot of time in the water have webbed toes to help them swim faster. Look for this characteristic with ducks, swans and many of the fishing birds. Birds Finding Food Birds that find and hunt other animals are called carnivores because they eat meat. These hunters have keen senses and strong bodies. They often hunt animals that are larger than themselves. Birds Finding Food Carnivores have beaks shaped to help them stab, grip and tear the fleshy meat. This allows them to eat their food in bits and pieces. Carnivores that eat leftover flesh are also called scavengers. Birds Finding Food Animals that eat only plants found growing in their ecosystem are called herbivores. They are often the prey or hunted animals. Birds Finding Food You will notice that many herbivores have an eye on each side of their head. They see the world differently than carnivores. While they are looking for food with one eye they watch for a predator with the other. Birds Torpor When temperatures get very cold birds are able to slow down their body functions such as breathing, heart beats and digestion in order to conserve energy. This process is called torpor. Birds Magnetic Senses A number of animals are able to sense the magnetic field of the earth. This helps them pick a direction to travel where they will find a safe place or a good food source. Scientists think some birds use their magnetic senses to migrate. Birds Chemical Release Some species of sea birds called the fulmars can spit up a sticky, fowl smelling oil from their stomachs as they are being attacked. Birds Poison Defenses Some birds can safely eat plants or animals that have poison. This toxin comes out in the bird’s skin making it dangerous food for the predators. Many hunters learn to leave these birds alone. Birds Defending the Nest When birds are unable to fly away they will become quiet and still to avoid being discovered by an approaching predator. If necessary, they will fiercely attack the predator with loud warning sounds, forceful flight, pecking and clawing. Birds Echolocation Several species of night flying and cave dwelling birds make clicking sounds with their voices that bounce off surrounding objects and return to the bird’s ears. This skill of echolocation lets them know they are getting close to walls and other things that they can’t see clearly. Birds Electroreception Birds sense magnetic gradients to navigate. They can find their way across great distances, returning to the same home in spring and winter. Some shore birds may also use a special electric sense to probe in the mud for live food. Birds There are many interesting characteristics found among all the animal species. It’s fun to learn what they have in common and some of the things that make them different. Birds We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the birds of the Animal Kingdom. Birds Orders Flightless Birds Loons, Grebes and Petrels Pelicans and Their Relatives Herons and Their Relatives Swans, Geese and Ducks Birds of Prey Game Birds Birds Orders Cranes and Their Relatives Shorebirds Jaegers, Gulls and Terns Auks Pigeons and Doves Parrots Owls Birds Orders Nightjars and Frogmouths Cuckoos and Their Relatives Swifts and Hummingbirds Trogons and Mousebirds Kingfishers and Their Relatives Woodpeckers and Toucans Perching Birds Birds of the Animal Kingdom Images Courtesy of: Microsoft Clipart www.office.com Contributions from abcteach.com staff members, and others as identified. Copyright 2010 abcteach.com Click on the image above to find complimentary paragraph and essay writing assignments. Have your students work as a class, in groups or individually to develop their thinking and writing skills. Birds of the Animal Kingdom Living on Planet Earth
