2. Birds
Birds have the following characteristics
➢They are warm blooded .
Which means they can make their
own body heat , even when it is cold
outside .
➢They are covered with feathers .
Hatching
➢ They have wings and beaks .
Scales
➢ The female reproduce by laying
eggs which hatch into young ones .
➢ they breathe through lungs
➢ their legs are covered with scales
There are 8 groups of birds
➢Birds of prey
➢Scavenger birds
➢Swimming birds
➢Perching birds
➢ Scratching birds
➢Climbing birds
➢ Wading birds
➢Flightless birds or walking birds
Swimming birds
➢They have webbed feet for
swimming and moving fast .
➢ They have flat spoon – like beaks for sieving food
from the mud .
➢ They have water proof feathers
which prevents water from reaching
their skin during time they spend in
water
Examples of swimming birds include :
➢Ducks
➢Geese
➢Swans
➢ Penguins
> seagulls
Scratching birds
▪ They have strong beaks for picking
▪ These are birds which scratch the surface up food from the ground .
of the earth to get food .
▪ They can walk easily
▪ They have strong feet with toes and
claws
Examples of scratching birds
➢Hen
➢Turkey
➢Cock
➢Guinea fowl
Wading birds
▪ They have long legs to keep their
body above the water .
▪ These birds walk in shallow water
Shallow means water which is not
very deep .
❖ walking In shallow water is called
Wading .
▪ Their toes are thin and well spread
out so that they don’t get stuck in
soft mud .
Examples of wading birds
➢Herons
➢ Cranes
➢Spoon bills
➢ Flamingos
Perching birds
❑ perching birds sit and sleep on the
branches of the tree .
❑ Perching birds have 3 toes
pointing forward and 1 toe poiting
back ward
There are 4 groups of perching birds
1. Seed eaters
2. Insect eaters
3. Nectar suckers
4. Fruit eaters
1. Seed eaters
Examples of seed eaters
▪ Pigeons
▪ Doves
▪ Weaver birds
2. Insect eaters
• Bee eaters
Examples of insect eaters
• Sparrows
• Swallows
• Robins
• Swifts
3. Nectar suckers
❖ humming bird
Examples of nectar eaters
❖sun bird
Exercise
1) Walking in shallow is called________
2) Sharp and curved claws of flesh –
eating birds are called ___________
3) What is perching ?
4) State whether the following statement
is true or false
a) Hen has scratching feet ______
b) Eagle has talons _______
c) Swans has webbed feet _______
d) Duck has webbed feet ______
5) What are talons ?
6) a) How is webbed of swimming birds
important to them ?
b) identify 8 groups of birds
7) Why are claws of wading birds spread
out ?
8) Give 3 examples of :
a) Wading birds
b) Preying birds
c) Scratching birds
8) a) What are perching birds
b) Name 4 groups of perching birds
4. Fruit eaters
➢ they feed on fruits of different trees
Examples of fruit eaters
▪ Horn bill