Characteristics of Birds

Did you know that many scientists have very convincing proof that birds evolved from carnivorous
dinosaurs? Dinosaurs evolving means that the dinosaur gradually developed into a bird over a long
period of time. One way that birds and dinosaurs are the same is that they are both vertebrates,
meaning that they have backbones. They also both lay eggs, and that is where their babies come
from.

These black bird eggs are ready to hatch soon!

Of course, there are many things about birds that are different than dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus
Rex. For one thing, birds have feathers. Male birds tend to have brighter, more colorful feathers,
while females' feathers tend to be duller. Their feathers keep them warm and are all over their body,
including their wings. While all birds have wings, not all birds can use their wings to fly, like ostriches
and penguins. The birds that can fly, however, can do so because of the shape of their wings and
their hollow bones.
Have you ever been outside on a cold, winter day and just wished you could be somewhere warm?
Well, some birds wish for the same thing and act on this wish by flying south for the winter. Flying
south for the winter is called migration and about 20% of birds migrate far distances to avoid the
cold every year. Birds can tell that winter is coming based on the air and when the days begin to get
shorter. They just don't like the cold. Maybe this is why more than 50% of birds choose to live in the
warm and tropical rain forest!
Birds love to eat. In fact, many birds can eat twice their body weight every day! When they are
babies, the birds will wait in the nest to be fed by their mothers. Sometimes, the mothers will chew
up the food and spit it in their babies' open mouths.