By ANNIE, ISABEL, AND AARON

These are flamingoes. Flamingoes are usually pink or light reddish pink. They are known to stand on one foot.

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Birds

     I am sure everyone knows what a bird looks like. Growing up in New York, we are surrounded by them. Pigeons, sparrows, and hawks are all kind of birds. Birds are warm-blooded animals that lay eggs and have feathers. Birds are also vertebrates which means they are animals with a backbone. There are around 10,000 species of birds, coming in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors. Birds have wings, making many of them capable of flying. Also, birds evolved from dinosaurs. The earliest that evidently existed seems to be the Archaeopteryx, who evolved during the Jurassic Period (150-200 million years ago.) 

     Birds have advanced digestive and respiratory systems that are made to make flying easier. These systems have taken years to adapt. A numerous amount of bird species make an annual migration every year. Birds, being social animals, can communicate as to when the migrations will happen, using visual patterns to send messages to other birds. Another way to communicate is for birds to call out songs to one another. Birds belong to the phylum Chordata, which has three major characteristics; First a nerve cord, second a notochord, and third an endostyle.

This shows the notochord in relation to the rest of the body.

    Birds do not have any teeth, but they do have unique tongues. Unlike other animals, birds have a bone in their tongue. They spend a vast amount of their time searching for food. Most birds are insectivores, meaning they only eat insects. However, some, such as eagles and owls are carnivores. Others, like the hummingbird, grouse, and Canada goose are herbivores for the most part. A few birds, for example starlings, eat anything and are omnivores, whereas some, like the toucan are fructivores who only eat fruit. Birds have keen eyesight which serves as a guide to finding food. Then, they can use their beak and claws to catch bugs, worms, small mammals (like mice,) fruit, nectar, and much more. Hummingbirds are extremely important to nature, for they are nectar-eaters and they can pollinate flowers. Other birds help by keeping the insect population in control. 

     Again, birds keep their young in hard-shelled eggs and after the gestation period, the babies will hatch. Chickens lay eggs each day, whereas some, like the maleo, take years between laying eggs. The parents will build a nest to keep the eggs warm and at least one parent will stay with the eggs until they hatch, and then continue to look after the babies until they can fly. The period in which the eggs are incubated depends on the species and temperature. A few birds, such as cuckoos, lay their eggs in another bird's nest. They depend on the non-related bird to care for their eggs. The cuckoo baby pushes the other baby birds out of the nest to secure its own feeding.

This is a duckling. Ducks are widely known and can be found in NYC.

     As mentioned before, some birds sing songs as a way of communicating. We, humans, seem to find these songs charming and entertaining, but unfortunately, songbirds are becoming scarcer every day. Located in the throat, there is an organ called the syrinx. It allows the bird to sing two different notes at once, for it is divided into two halves that both vibrate. In order to sing, the bird blows into the throat which flows into the syrinx.

     Every year birds can migrate to a different country. During fall they migrate to a warmer country to keep warm throughout winter. During spring they migrate to somewhere cooler to breed and graze for summer. Before migrating, seabirds stuff themselves full of food. They use the food as energy when they fly because birds fly the whole way without stopping to rest or eat. It is uncertain how birds travel so accurately without knowing beforehand.

     Youtube Videos:

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJzQiemCIuY This is a cute video on birds.

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HCnhT7qoLs This is a video explaining how birds fly and things like that.

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3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zv9vRz4QYM  This is another cute film.

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC0RvFxf77Y This is yet another cute film

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVx047jlvrw

Here is a picture of a young ostrich. Ostriches cannot fly,

but they are known to duck their head in the ground when

they are scared.

Ten Questions about BIRDS

1. What are birds? 

2. What are the three major characteristics of Chordata birds?

3. What is the oldest known bird?

4. How do birds eat? Explain.

5. How do birds communicate? Explain in specific detail.

6. Why are hummingbirds important to nature?

7. What four birds do not fly?

8. Why do birds eat a great deal before migrating?

9. Why is keen eyesight good, and how do carnivorous birds catch their prey?

10. Name at least two insectivores, omnivores, herbivores, and carnivores. 

Acknowledgments:

         Peacock: http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w259/chelover27/peacock.jpg

         Flamingo:http://www.planit3d.com/source/gallery_files/gallery11.htm

         Duckling: http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/photofiles/list/360/717duckling.jp

         Ostrich: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/410918802_9493dba76e.jp

         Singing Bird: http://fusible.com/uploads/bird-singing.jpg

         Kiwi: http://media.photobucket.com/image/kiwi%20bird/MotherAlli/kiwi.jpg

         Brown Birds: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/24/science/migrate.html?ref=science

         Internal Skeleton: http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/chordate.gif

         Online Source:  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/     

          Textbook: A Parade of Life

                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                  This is a kiwi. Kiwis are found in New Zealand and cannot fly.               

  This is a peacock trying to attract a mate.                                                                

  Peacocks are widely known for their feathers