Whats a bird to us

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Whats a bird to us?

• Lucille Dunne

Nightingale sound
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Characteristics Of Birds
Characteristics Of Birds

• All birds have feathers
• No teeth have beaks
• Forelimbs are modified to form wings
• Lay eggs
• Warm-blooded
• Scales on feet

The defining characteristics of birds are a
beak and feathers!
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Identifying Features Of Birds

• Size of bird
• Shape, size and colour of beak
• Shape, colour and stucture of legs and feet
• Plumage and markings
• Habitat and activity

See website on identification of birds in my
garden
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Reproduction in Birds
Females birds are often less colourful, helping
to camouflage her when she is caring for her
young.
Most birds are taken care of by at least one
parent until they are able to fly look after
themselves.
Birds bear their young in hard-shelled eggs. They
are said to be oviparous.
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Adaptations for Flight

• 2 wings
• Lightweight bones
• Powerful flight muscles
• Breathe through lungs
• Flight feathers for lift and balance
• Streamlined body shape

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Adaptations to the environment
Adaptations to the environment

• Feathers
• Flying
• Insulation / waterproofing
• Mating / Courtship / incubation of eggs

• Shape of beaks
• adapted to food source
• long thin beak to get nectar from flowers
• short, hooked, strong beak to kill mice etc

• Feet
• Webbed for swimming
• Claws for catching and killing prey etc

• Wings - flying
• Migration for survival / breeding

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Importance of Birds to the Environment

• Birds play a vital role in the balance of nature
• Eat insects (agricultural pests)
• Fruit eating birds are important for the
  dispersal of seeds
• Pollinate flowers

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Importance of birds to people

• Source of protein as meat and eggs
• Feathers used for pillows, quilts, clothes,
  feather dusters etc
• Models for flight

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Whats a bird to us?

• Birds are
• Beautiful
• Musical
• Skillful
• Magical
• Essential to nature
• Essential to people

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Click here to read Strictly Birds a fun
newsletter all about birds.
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Bibliography

• http//www.birdlife.org.za
• http//www.nhm.org/birds/guide/pg001.html
• http//www.ornithology.com/lectures/Introduction.h
  tml
• http//wings.avkids.com/Curriculums/irds/flight_of
  _birds_summary.html
• http//www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/
• Bird soundhttp//www.classaves.co.uk/birdsounds/
  general.htm