By Ella Cook

Contents

ROBIN A common British garden bird is a Robin. It has a red breast that is actually orange in colour. The female and male look alike however the young look different and have a speckled plumage. It is Britain's national bird. Robins mainly eat insects. They start breeding in mid April and have about two or three broods a year. They make nests out of moss, dead leaves and grass. Robins nests are usually well hidden all sometimes on the ground. BLACKBIRD Blackbirds are obviously black! Well males are, females and the young are dark brown and have darker spots. They have a yellow beaks which they use to get worms. They normally use bushes and hedgerows to build their nests. The nest is a cup shape an his made from grass held together with mud. Blackbirds lay up to three clutches of eggs a year. The young are fed on mostly worms by their parents. Adult birds also eat insects, fruits and berries. The male blackbird has a beautiful song it sings all through the breeding season. MAGPIES Magpies have black and white plumage and a long tail. Like all crows,magpies are clever and adaptable birds. The family they belong in is crows. They like to live in fields, parks and gardens. They can grow up to 46cm. They make their nests out of sticks and wood. It is lined with roots and wool, and has a domed roof. Magpies eat many different things, including the eggs and young of other birds. Magpies are normally seen alone. When they are not breeding, they sometimes gather in noisy, chattering groups. A interesting fact is their name in Latin is pica pica. There are loads of other types of garden British birds but they are some my favourite ones. People like to watch for birds and find it as a activity.

TOUCAN The toucan is a tropical bird. Its’ croaking calls are loud and sound like a frog croaking. They call to each other as they search for fruits. Toucan mates play games of catch, tossing berries to each other – this is their entertainment. A toucans is up to one third of the body. It is s big that it seems amazing that the bird does not topple over. In fact, the beak is hollow and lightweight. Toucans can pick fruit on far away branches. This is very useful. They toss the fruit up in the air and then swallow it. HUMMINGBIRD Another family of tropical birds are the hummingbirds. They get their name from the sound of their wings which beat so fast that they make a humming sound. Flowers produce a sweet juice called nectar, that humming birds suck through their straw-like beaks. Hovering near flowers, they sink in their long beaks, to suck out nectar and insects. They are very small birds with a high metabolism. A great deal of energy is spent flying, so they must feed almost constantly. Hummingbirds can consume up to twice their body weight in nectar every day. Hummingbirds actually lap up the nectar with their tongues. Their tongues do have grooves on the sides that collect nectar. Hummingbirds are able to perch and will do so at feeders regularly. Because they fly so much, they have poorly developed feet. They can barely walk at all. THE PARROT FAMILY The parrot family are very colourful. There are lots of different species, more than 300. Parrots have distinctive hooked bills, strong legs and clawed feet. Their feet are also unusual, with two toes which point forwards and two which point backwards; this arrangement allows them to use one foot like a hand whilst perching safely on the other. Some parrots live in dense tropical rainforests, others in large open plains. Parrots are good climbers and use their beaks and claws to move around the branches of trees. Most of the time, parrots eat fruit, nuts and seeds. Parrots can alert each other if they spot food and are sociable birds. The parrot family includes macaws, budgerigars, lovebirds, cockatoos and parakeets. Parrots are thought to be one of the most intelligent birds – some species are known for being able to imitate human voices. These are three of the tropical birds I like but there are many more

EAGLES A lot of eagles are very large, aggressive birds, which prey upon both large and small mammals, other birds and reptiles. Every eagle has a different lifestyle and hunting strategy. The golden eagle swoops down from on high, mostly attacking mammal prey. The bald eagle takes mainly fish. The tawny eagle will eat literally anything. VULTURES Vultures are carnivorous (meat eaters) and eat carrion (dead meat) almost exclusively. They prefer fresh meat but are able to consume dead carcasses that may have rotted so much as to be dangerous for other animals. This gives vultures a unique role because they help prevent the spread of diseases from old, rotting corpses. Vultures have excellent senses of sight and smell to help them locate food, and they can find a dead animal from a mile or more away. Because of this, vultures often have large territories and will spend a lot of time soaring to find their next meal. HAWKS There are around 270 species of hawks that can be found on all continents except Antarctica. Hawks have sharp talons, large, curved bills and muscular legs. Their sharp bills are used for biting and tearing prey. Hawks have excellent eyesight. They can see 8 times better than humans. Eyesight is mainly used for hunting. A hawk can locate its prey from a distance of 100 feet. During the hunt, hawks can dive at speeds of 150 miles per hour through the air. They are able to catch a prey both in the air and on the ground. Examples of hawk species found in the UK are the Sparrow hawk and Goshawk.

OSTRICHES The flightless ostrich is the world's most largest and heaviest bird. They roam African savannah and desert lands and get most of their water from the plants they eat. A human being only comes up to the shoulder of a large male ostrich. Though they cannot fly, ostriches are fleet, strong runners. They can sprint up to 43 miles (70 kilometres) an hour and run over distance at 31 miles (50 kilometres) an hour. They may use their wings as "rudders" to help them change direction while running. An ostrich's powerful, long legs can cover t 3 to 5 meters in a single stride. These legs can also be formidable weapons. Ostrich kicks can kill a human or a potential predator like a lion. Each two-toed foot has a long, sharp claw. Ostriches have white feathers, a black body ;a grey neck and a orange beak. PENGUINS The penguin is another type of flightless bird. They are black and white and have a bit of yellow on them- sometimes. The young have grey fur and a black and white face. Dads keep the eggs warm with his warm feet whilst the mums go and get food they may return a few days later. There are loads of species of penguins here are a few: rockhoppers, macaroni penguins, little blue penguins and many more. Road runners Roadrunners can fly but prefer to run very fast on foot across desert plains to catch their prey. They eat insects, lizards and snakes. They are even able to catch and eat rattlesnakes! They live in coutries such America. They have a long beak and long tail with feathery crest on their head.

These are just some birds of the world. There are thousands more but these are the ones I have chosen as examples. THANK YOU!