All About Birds for Children- Animal Learning for Kids - FreeSchool.

Hi everyone! Today we're going to learn about birds. Birds are a large group of animals. They are vertebrates, which means they have backbones. And like mammals, they are warm-blooded. All birds have two legs, wings and feathers, a beak or bill, and they lay eggs. Birds can be found everywhere in the world, from the frigid Antarctic, to hot desert climates, to oceans. They range in size from the tiny bee hummingbird, only 5 cm or 2 inches in length, to the ostrich, 2.75 meters or 9 feet tall. There are more than 10,000 species of birds in the world. Birds are everywhere! Birds eat many different types of food. Some eat insects, some eat fish, some eat meat, and some eat seeds, fruit, or nectar. Most birds fly, but not all of them. Some birds, like penguins, use their wings to help them swim instead. Other birds, like the ostrich, don't need to fly because they can run so fast. Still others, like the kiwi, were able to do without flight because the islands on which they live had few native predators. Birds are some of the most colorful animals on the planet. While many birds have feathers that are brown, gray, black, or white, colors that help camouflage them and hide them from sight, other birds put on beautiful displays. In many cases, when we see a brightly colored bird, it is the male. Females are often more quiet colors that make them harder to spot. The male birds wear their bright, bold feathers to show the females how strong and healthy they are, so the females know that they would make a good father. Once eggs have been laid, someone has to take care of them. In some bird species, both parents take turns keeping the eggs warm or incubating them. In others, only one parent does. Once the eggs have been laid, they may take as little as 10 days to hatch, or as many as 80. When the eggs hatch, the baby birds need help to survive, some more than others. Some baby birds hatch blind and featherless, and need to be fed and kept warm by their parents. Other chicks are ready to run around and eat the same day they hatch out. There are even a few kinds of birds that can fly and take care of themselves as soon as they hatch. Other birds, however, will take care of their chicks for a very long time. The greater frigatebird will help feed and take care of its chick for almost two years after it hatches. Many types of birds are important to humans. Some birds are kept for their eggs or meat. Some birds are kept for their beautiful feathers. Still other birds are kept as pets. Most birds, however, are wild animals, and while we may enjoy watching them, they should be left alone. I hope you enjoyed learning about birds today. Goodbye till next time!