Flying AnimalsThey are around 10,000 living species of birds around the

glob.Modern birds are characterized by:

Feathersa beak without teeth .the laying of hard-shelled eggs.a high metabolic rate.a four-chambered heart.a lightweight but strong skeleton.

Flying Animals continue All living species of birds have wings—the now extinct

flightless Moa of New Zealand was the only exception.most bird species can fly, with some exceptions, including

ratites, penguins, and a number of diverse endemic island species.

Birds also have unique digestive and respiratory systems that are highly adapted for flight.

Many species take on long distance annual migrations, and many more perform shorter irregular movements.

Flying Animals continue Birds are social; they

communicate using visual signals and through calls and songs, and participate in social behaviors, including cooperative breeding and hunting, flocking, and mobbing of predators.

Flying Animals continue Eggs are usually laid

in a nest and incubated by the parents.

Most birds have an extended period of parental care after hatching.

The picture on the right is a robins nest.

hummingbirdshummingbird are the

smallest birds on earth (length of 5 centimeters).

Hummingbirds are small birds capable of hovering in mid-air due to the rapid flapping of their wings.

Hummingbirds continueThey are the only

birds that can fly backwards.

There are 337 species world wide, 23 North American species, and 5 Michigan species.

Hummingbirds continue.A female

hummingbirds are bluish green with a pale gray underside. The tips of their tail feathers have white spots. Breeding males have a reddish to pink head, chin, and throat. The female lays only two eggs at a time.

OstrichOstrich is the largest

bird on earth(9ft). The Ostrich is one or

two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member(s) of the genus Struthio.

Ostrich continueSome analyses indicate that

the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a subspecies.

The Ostrich is the largest living species of bird and lays the largest egg of any living bird.

North American RobinThe American Robin or North American Robin (Turdus

migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its

reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family.

The American Robin is widely distributed throughout North America, wintering south of Canada from Florida to central Mexico and along the Pacific Coast.

North American Robin continueA Robin lays three to

five light blue eggs per mate.

The eggs hatch after 14 days, and the chicks leave the nest a further two weeks later.

The chicks are fed:wormsInsectsberries

Bird EggsBird eggs are laid by

females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg.

Some birds lay eggs even when not fertilized (e.g. hens); it is not uncommon for pet owners to find their lone bird nesting on a clutch of unfertilized eggs, which are sometimes called wind-eggs.