Birds Are All Around Did you know that birds are the only animals with feathers Find out why feathers are important here What kinds of birds do you see around you Do you have a favorite Maybe it's a heron a chickadee or a woodpecker The United States and Canada are home to all these birds and more Whether you live in the city or the country you will find plenty of birds to watch and listen to Birds are an important part of the wildlife food chain and some animals depend on them for food Birds also eat many insects that people think of as pests Some birds carry pollen from flower to flower called pollination which helps make seeds so new plants can grow In this book you'll find out more about birds all over from those you see every day to strange birds and you'll discover how you can become a bird watcher Start your bird watching adventure by meeting the birds on these pages They may look very different from one another but these birds have a lot in common
All birds lay eggs Learn about how baby birds hatch from eggs and grow here Many birds migrate or travel long distances in search of food Look here and here to learn why Most birds live in nests that they build themselves See what different nests look like here See here to learn how to identify the birds you see in the wild
Birds Up Close A BEAK is important for grabbing and crunching food Birds come in many different shapes sizes and colors They may look different from one another but they all have some features in common Here are the body parts of a typical adult bird WINGS help a bird fly They also help some birds swim underwater FEATHERS keep a bird warm and dry and help it fly They may be specially colored to attract a mate or to help a bird hide from predators or prey A bird's TAIL helps it fly and maintain balance while perching Some tails are shaped or colored to attract a mate A bird's FEET may be used for catching food perching or getting around in its habitat
SHARP BEAKS STRANGE BIRDS Many birds have specially shaped beaks to help them eat their preferred foods These are some common beak shapes STRONG AND HOOKED Birds of prey such as bald eagles use their sharp beaks to tear food apart THICK AND CONE SHAPED A northern cardinal's beak is perfect for crunching and cracking seeds A northern shrike is a robin sized songbird but it feeds on small mammals and other birds It has a sharp hooked beak like a bird of prey does but a shrike's small feet are too weak to hold its food Instead shrikes stick their prey on large thorns in trees or shrubs or on barbed wire to hold the food steady while they eat LONG AND THIN A calliope hummingbird pokes its straw like beak into tubular flowers to reach their nectar LONG AND TAPERED Great blue herons use their strong beaks for spearing fish and frogs in shallow ponds and marshes FLAT AND WIDE Mallards use their broad beaks to strain their food such as plants and insects from pond water SHORT AND POINTY A yellow warbler's delicate beak works like a pair of tweezers picking up tiny insects from leaves and tree trunks NORTHERN SARIKE
