F is for Feathers A Bird Alphabet Written by Helen L Wilbur and Illustrated by Andy Atkins
Parts of a Bird Tail feathers Neck Wing bars Primary feathers Crown Eye ring Beak Throat Breast Belly Foot Claw Adult male chestnut sided warbler Agami Photo Agency Shutterstock com
Bird Glossary Avian having to do with birds Aviary a large cage or enclosure for birds Biodiversity refers to all the different kinds of life animals plants as well as microorganisms found in a particular area Bird watcher Birder Birding a bird watcher also called a birder is someone who enjoys seeing wild birds Birding is the act of searching for and seeing wild birds Brood a family of young animals especially birds Climate change changes in the long term averages of temperature rainfall and humidity on a regional or global scale Conservation care and protection of natural resources Cornell Lab of Ornithology a membership supported organization at Cornell University dedicated to the understanding and protection of the natural world Courtship the process of selecting a mate Crown the top of a bird’s head Dispersion the process of distributing things like seeds over a wide area Ecosystem a community of living organisms that live and interact with one another in a specific environment Environment all the biological chemical physical and cultural factors that surround an organism Eye ring a circle of color around a bird’s eye that is usually made up of tiny feathers but is sometimes skin and is an identifying feature in many birds Field guide a book or app for identifying birds animals plants and minerals in the natural environment Fledgling a young bird almost ready to leave the nest or recently out of the nest ready to learn to fly and explore its environment Before a young bird leaves the nest it is usually called a chick Habitat the natural environment in which a particular organism lives Hatchling a bird that has recently hatched from the egg often called a chick Invasive species non native bird species that takes over food nesting sites and territories from native birds Migration seasonal movement of birds Some birds stay in the same place all year but others travel long distances Mobbing when birds group together to harass or attack a predator National Audubon Society a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitat Nestling a baby bird developing in the nest and that is dependent on its parents for food Pollination transfer of pollen to fertilize plants Preening a grooming behavior of birds where they use their beak to clean strengthen and position their feathers Primary feathers the long feathers on a bird’s wing tip essential for flight Resident population birds that stay in the same area year round rather than migrate Rookery a colony of breeding birds especially herons Species a group of animals plants or other living things that share common characteristics and can reproduce Tail feathers steer and balance a bird and allow it to twist and turn in flight Wing bars stripes across a folded wing useful in bird identification
