Birds

Birds are characterised by feathers, a beak with no teeth, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, two legs, two wings, they are warm-blooded. All birds have forelimbs modified as wings and most can fly, with some exceptions including the penguins. Birds also have unique digestive and respiratory systems that are highly adapted for flight. Some birds, especially corvids and parrots, are among the most intelligent animal species; a number of bird species have been observed manufacturing and using tools. Birds are social and communicate to each other using visual signals and through calls and songs. Today there are many different species of birds that can be found all over the world from the icy shores of the arctic to the tropical heat of the rainforests.

Flightless Birds
The flightless birds of today are fascinating. The penguin does its flying underwater and the ostrich is the largest bird in the world. It is thought that these non flying birds may have gradually lost their need and power for flight because they had no predators. Since ostriches can’t fly away to escape predators, ostriches have evolved another defense. Ostriches can use the claws on their feet as dangerous weapons when threatened.

Ostrich
The ostrich is Earth’s largest living bird which can be as big as 8 feet tall and 400 pounds. Located in Africa, ostriches are found on the dry plains, where they seem more at home among big mammals, such as giraffes, than they do among other birds. Generally, ostriches have whitish neck, head, and underparts, with a thick covering of black or dark-brown feathers crowning the entire back. The ostrich relies on its speed, size and strong kick rather than flight for safety. There is little up and down motion as they run. Instead, their legs handle all of the motion and their body stays in one plane. Ostriches use their wings rather like sails. When running, they hold them out from their bodies. This helps them balance and, by changing the level of one wing or the other, it helps them easily change direction as they run.

Emu
The emus of Australian dry central plains are the second largest bird. The emu looks very much like an ostrich but without the long neck. They can grow to 6 feet tall and weigh 100 pounds. It has a black head, long, brown body feathers, and white upper legs. Its feathers are unusual in that two soft feathers grow out of only one quill. An emu male chooses only one mate. She lays a dozen or more dark green eggs, but then the male sits on them for the eight-week incubation period. The male protects the chicks until they are about six months.

Kiwi
The New Zealand Kiwi lives in moist forests and uses its long, bendable bill to poke around the ground in search of worms. The kiwi has fine feathers that make it look almost furry.  It has no tail feathers and its wings are so small they’re typically not very easy to see. Unlike many of the other flightless birds, the kiwi is not very large.  It’s only about a foot and a half long.  To avoid predators, the kiwi hides during the day and comes out at night to search for food.

Penguins
Penguins don’t need to fly, instead their paddle like wings act as flippers when swimming. Its streamlined body and strong wings allow it to swim as fast as 15 miles per hour after fish, krill, squid and crustaceans. A penguin spends as much as 75% of it’s life at sea. They can hold their breath underwater for about 18 minutes.The biggest penguin around these days are Emperor penguins. They live in Antarctica and they’re 1.3 meters tall. The smallest penguins are little Blue Penguins.