BIRDS GIVE TWO CHARACTERISTICS WHICH SET BIRDS APART FROM ALL OTHER CREATURES THEIR BODIES ARE COVERED IN FEATHERS THEY HAVE A BEAK WHICH THEY USE TO OBTAIN FOOD

Name three flightless birds, tell what their diet consists of, and name the country or continent in which each one lives. EMU The Emu is a large, flightless bird from Australia. It is the second-biggest bird in Australia and the third-biggest bird in the world (only the ostrich and cassowary are bigger). The emu is also very fast; it can run up to 30 mph (50 kph). Emus also swim very well. This huge bird lives in flocks (groups) in grassland, savannas (grasslands with some trees), and the Australian bush. The emu's life span is 10-20 years. Diet: Emus are primarily herbivores (plant-eaters). They eat grass, seeds, flowers, young plants, and fruit. They also eat some insects(including caterpillars). They swallow small stones (called gastroliths or gizzard stones) which stay in the gizzard and help grind up food.

Cassowary The Cassowary is a large, flightless bird from Australia and New Guinea. It is the biggest bird in Australia and the second-biggest bird in the world (only the ostrich is bigger). The cassowary's life span is about 40-50 years. This huge bird lives in rainforests and swampy forests. They are endangered due to loss of habitat. Diet: The cassowary is a frugivorous bird (it mostly eats fruit). Fallen fruit and fruit on low branches is the mainstay of its diet. It also eats fungi, insects, frogs, snakes and other small animals.

Common Rhea The Common Rhea (also called the Nandu) is a large, flightless bird from forests of South America This ratite is the largest bird in the Americas The common rhea can grow up to 5 feet (1.5 m). The plumage is drab gray-brown in both sexes. There are no tail feathers. The legs and bill are light brown; it has three toes. The wings are large but useless. The base of the male's neck is black. Diet: Rheas eat mostly plants, fruits, seeds, and nuts, but also will also eat insects and other small animals (like lizards).

Kakapo The kakapo is the only flightless and nocturnal parrot. This unusual, solitary bird is from rainforests and grasslands of New Zealand. The kakapo has a life span of about 60 years. Although once plentiful, there are now far fewer than 100 kakapo remaining in New Zealand; it is a critically endangered species The kakapo is the heaviest parrot in the world; it weighs up to 8.8 pounds (4 kilograms). It is up to about 2 feet (60 cm) long. Males are bigger than females. This bird's soft green feathers camouflage it in its leafy environment. The kakapo has sturdy legs and small wings that are only used to glide from trees. It walks with its head close to the ground. The face is owl-like. Diet: Kakapos are herbivores (plant-eaters). They eat roots, seeds, leaves, buds, cones, fruit, and flowers.

Kiwi The kiwi is a flightless bird from New Zealand; it is the national emblem of New Zealand. This bird lives in forests, scrub, swamps, grasslands, and farmlands. Kiwis were named for their unusual call. This territorial bird is about the size of a chicken and lives in pairs. It has a life span of up to 40 years. The kiwi is generally nocturnal . It belongs to the group of ratites, flightless birds that also include the ostrich, emu, and rhea. There are 6 species of kiwi (genus Apteryx). The kiwi is in danger of extinction. The kiwi eats insects , worms and spiders. It will also eat seeds and fruit. It catches bugs with its long beak; the beak is poked into the soil to disturb bugs. The kiwi then catches and eats the exposed bugs. The kiwi has nostrils located at the tip of the bill which are used to sniff out prey.

Ostrich The ostrich is the largest and heaviest bird. It is also the fastest-running bird; it can run up to 43 mph (70 kph). It can outrun most predators, but can also kick to protect itself. Ostriches cannot fly. They have a life span of up to 40 years in captivity. The ostrich can grow up to 9 feet (2.7 m) tall and weighs up to 345 pounds (156 kg). The ostrich also has the biggest eyeballs of any bird; they are 2 inches (5 cm) across. The ostrich lays the biggest egg in the world; This bird is native to the dry savannas of Africa and are well adapted to desert life. Ostriches get water from the plants they eat. Ostriches eat mostly plants, but also eat insects, fruits, seeds, nuts, and some small animals (like lizards).

Birds of the Bible And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens." So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day." (Genesis 1:20-23 RSV) Doves are harmless, peaceful birds which came to be used as a symbol of The Holy Spirit: "And when Jesus was baptized , He went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on Him" (Matthew 3:16 RSV) Noah & the Ark: Genesis 8

Quail Quail Quail are ground-dwelling birds that were known to migrate in vast numbers: "And there went forth a wind from The Lord, and it brought quails from the sea, and let them fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth. And the people rose all that day, and all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails; he who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp." (Numbers 11:31-32 RSV)

Eagles Eagles The eagle was the largest bird in Israel, with a wingspan of up to 8 feet. God used an eagle metaphorically for His bringing the Israelites out of slavery in the Exodus: "And Moses went up to God, and The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself." (Exodus 19:3-4 RSV)

Ravens Ravens The raven was the first bird that Noah sent out from the ark: "At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made, and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth." (Genesis 8:6-7 RSV) Elijah fed by the ravens 1 Kings 17:6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook

Chicken Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times." (Mark 14:29-30 RSV)

References http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/virtualbird/student/les4.html http://www.earthlife.net/birds   http://www.enchantedlearning.com http://www.sirlinksalot.net/ostrich.html http://www.birdphotographique.com/ostrich.shtml http://www.execulink.com