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
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!