Birds: Class Aves

Life Science - Middle School

1
/
2
Birds - Class Aves Birds are in the Class Aves and come in all shapes and sizes from hummingbirds weighing less than 1 /10 of an ounce to 200-pound ostriches. All birds have some important traits in common. 1) They are the only animals with feathers. 2) They have beaks instead of teeth. 3) They are warm-blooded. 4) Unlike mammals which give birth to live young, birds lay eggs. 5) Most birds take care of their young, feeding them until they are old enough to find their own food. 6) Most birds build nests. 7) Many birds travel to a warmer climate in the winter and return in the summer to feed and reproduce ( migration). 8) Most birds can fly. They have large chest muscles for wing power and hollow bones to make them lighter. Flightless birds include the ostrich, emu, rhea, cassowary, kiwi, penguins and others. These birds nest on the ground and have developed ways of defending themselves from predators. They are fast runners or fast swimmers. Some can kick. Many flightless birds evolved on islands where there were no predators, so the birds didn’t need to fly. When people came to the islands bringing dogs and pigs, the flightless birds had no defenses. This led to the endangerment of many species and the total extinction of the dodo by the 1700s. The Class Aves is broken down into many Orders, though their classification is changing over time. Study some of the current Orders below to find the birds that live in your area. Anseriformes Ducks, Geese, Swans Bucerotiformes Hornbills Charadriformes Sandpipers, Seagulls Ciconiiformes Herons, Egrets, Storks, Bitterns, Spoonbills, Loons, Hawks, Eagles, Vultures, Penguins Columbriformes Doves, Pigeons Coraciiformes Kingfishers Cuculiformes Roadrunners Galliformes (Craciformes) Grouse, Quails, Pheasants,Turkeys Passeriformes (Songbirds) Cardinals, Chickadees, Crossbills, Crows, Finches, Jays, Larks, Magpies, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Robins, Ravens, Sparrows, Swallows, Thrushes, Waxwings, Warblers, Wrens, Vireos Piciformes Woodpeckers Psittaciformes Macaws, Parrots Strigiformes Owls Struthioniformes Ostriches, Emus, Cassowaries, Kiwis, Rheas Trochiliformes Hummingbirds
94-4027 Birds are in the Class Aves and come in all shapes and sizes from hummingbirds weighing less than 1 /10 of an ounce to 200-pound ostriches. All birds have some important traits in common. 1) They are the only animals with _______________. 2) They have __________________ instead of teeth. 3) They are ___________________________. 4) Unlike mammals which give birth to live young, birds lay ______________. 5) Most birds take care of their ______________________, feeding them until they are old enough to find their own food. 6) Most birds build _______________. 7) Many birds travel to a warmer climate in the winter and return in the summer to feed and reproduce ( ______________________________). 8) Most birds can fly. They have large chest muscles for wing power and hollow ____________________ to make them lighter. Flightless birds include the ostrich, emu, rhea, cassowary, kiwi, penguins and others. They nest on the ____________________ and have developed ways of defending themselves from predators. They are fast ________________________ or fast swimmers. Some can kick. Many flightless birds evolved on islands where there were no predators, so the birds didn’t need to fly. When people came to the islands bringing dogs and pigs, the flightless birds had no defenses. This led to the endangerment of many species and the total _______________________________ of the dodo by the 1700s. Birds - Class Aves Anseriformes Ducks, Geese, Swans Bucerotiformes Hornbills Charadriformes Sandpipers, Seagulls Ciconiiformes Herons, Egrets, Storks, Bitterns, Spoonbills, Loons, Hawks, Eagles, Vultures, Penguins Columbriformes Doves, Pigeons Coraciiformes Kingfishers Cuculiformes Roadrunners Galliformes (Craciformes) Grouse, Quails, Pheasants,Turkeys Passeriformes (Songbirds) Cardinals, Chickadees, Crossbills, Crows, Finches, Jays, Larks, Magpies, Mockingbirds, Nuthatches, Robins, Ravens, Sparrows, Swallows, Thrushes, Waxwings, Warblers, Wrens, Vireos Piciformes Woodpeckers Psittaciformes Macaws, Parrots Strigiformes Owls Struthioniformes Ostriches, Emus, Cassowaries, Kiwis, Rheas Trochiliformes Hummingbirds