All About Birds
Feathers
Where are you most likely to find a Herring Gull nest: the desert, the forest, or near the sea?
Near the sea
This bird will drill holes into trees to extract yummy sap.
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
This bird's babies are called an "eaglet".
Bald Eagle
This bird appears bright yellow after his spring molt, but is a dull brown after his fall molt.
American Goldfinch
True or false: birds have a back-bone.
True
This type of bird has the smallest nest of any bird in North America.
Hummingbird
This bird likes to catch crabs--then they fly up high and drop the crabs onto a hard surface to crack their shells. This bird will also eat the eggs of its species...and your sandwich if you leave it sitting unattended on the beach!
Herring Gull
If you go near a nest of this bird you might see the male or female hold out their wings to make them look really big. Then they stick out their tongue, kind of like they are panting, and start to hiss and make noises to intimidate you to leave them alone. They have even been known to attack people, so it is best to let them be if you see them acting in an aggressive way!
Canada Goose
This bird has a black "cap" on top of his head, thus giving him part of his name.
Black-Capped Chickadee
True or false: All birds can fly.
False
Which bird has been known to make frequent visits to places like lakes, rivers, ponds, and even swimming pools?
Mallard Duck
This bird has a long, thin beak for extracting nectar from flowers.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Females of this bird lay 3-7 eggs inside a tree cavity on the wood chips that are left behind after her partner chisels it out. Both males and females incubate the eggs for about 12-13 days.
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker
The female of this species is all brown to camouflage while she nests, but the males are distinguished by their green heads and blue wing feathers.
Mallard Duck
True or false: Some birds have sharp teeth for eating meat.
False--no birds have teeth
This bird's nest is approximately 5 feet wide by 3 feet deep. Since it is so big, they will use large sticks or branches to build their nest high in a tree.
Bald Eagle
This nocturnal bird eats small animals like mice, snakes, and lizards. The hair and bones that it can not digest get regurgitated as a pellet.
Eastern Screech Owl
This species of bird will continue living with its family for several generations. These birds care so much about other birds of its same species that they will even hold a "funeral" when one of their own dies.
American Crow
This small, mostly-brown bird is only about 6 inches long. You can tell it apart from other birds because it has a small black "mask" around its eyes.
House Sparrow
True or false: Birds are mammals (Mammals are warm blooded animals that give birth to live young).
False. Birds are warm blooded, but they lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.
This is the most common bird in North America, and it can be found in most places across the continent...even nesting on the side of your house :)
American Robin
Because of their intelligence, this bird has been known to use sticks and even make their own instruments to get at food that is difficult to extract. This bird is omnivorous and will eat just about anything they can find, including nuts, berries, seeds, and already-dead animals.
American Crow or Raven
There is only one breeding and wintering area left for the small population of this bird. Both the breeding and wintering areas are in specially protected refuges.
Whooping Crane
Light refraction makes this bird's feathers appear blue, but they're actually brown!
Blue Jay