Bird

Birds are animals with feathers and wings. They have warm blood, which means their bodies stay warm. Birds lay eggs with hard shells. Their bodies are light but very strong.

Birds live all over the world. Some birds are tiny, like the bee hummingbird. It is smaller than your thumb. Other birds are huge, like the ostrich. An ostrich is taller than a grown man. There are more than eleven thousand kinds of birds alive today. More than half of all birds are perching birds. These birds can grip branches with their feet.

Most birds have wings that help them fly. Wings are actually their front arms that changed over time. Some birds cannot fly anymore. Penguins are one example. A long time ago, birds came from dinosaurs. Yes, birds are dinosaurs that are still alive today. Birds are more closely related to crocodiles than to other animals. A very long time ago, the first birds appeared. Modern birds like the ones we see now came much later.

Birds are very smart and social animals. They talk to each other with songs and calls. They use body movements to send messages too. Most birds stay with one partner to have babies. Some birds live together in big groups called flocks. Baby birds stay with their parents for a long time after hatching.

Humans use birds in many ways. We eat chicken and turkey. We collect eggs from birds. We use feathers to make pillows and blankets. Some people keep parrots and songbirds as pets. Many people love to watch birds in nature. Sadly, humans have hurt many bird species. About one hundred thirty kinds of birds have died out forever. Many more birds are in danger today. People are working hard to save these birds.