Message about birds 1. Report: Birds of central Russia. Appearance, external structure

Birds - a report for children. General characteristics and beautiful photos of birds(20 photos)

Birds are warm-blooded animals. Their characteristic features are a body covered with feathers, and forelimbs turned into wings, which in most cases serve for flight. In addition, they have no teeth, but instead have a beak with a keratinized cover. Birds appeared on Earth about 130 million years ago. Nowadays, they can be found in all corners of the Earth, from the poles to the deserts.

Kestrel (Agnes Kiss)

The appearance of the bird

The entire body, except for the limbs and beak, is covered with feathers. They serve to ensure flight and to protect the animal from heat and cold.

Feather

Feathers, like hair, are structures formed by the skin.

bird skeleton

Bones bird skeleton have characteristic features. One of them is the development of the sternum into a special protrusion - the keel. The flight power depends on its size. Other features of the structure of birds are that many of their bones are hollow, and there is also a system of air sacs - these are outgrowths of the lungs that fill the space between the internal organs. All this greatly facilitates the overall weight of the bird.

The structure of internal organs

Goiter It is an extension of the esophagus where digestion begins.

Some bird beak shapes

Beak shape depends on the nature of the food and the way it is obtained from different species of birds.

Blue Jay (Daniel Cedras, Nature's Best Photography)

Nutrition and lifestyle.

Bird nutrition very diverse: fruits and grains, insects, rodents, other birds, as well as carrion can serve as food. Some eat both plants and small animals, but there are those who only eat certain foods.
As for the way of life, there are birds that do not fly and spend their whole lives on the ground, for example, ostriches; penguins cannot fly either, but they are excellent swimmers. Most birds fly, and some do it better, some worse. Albatrosses, for example, spend most of their lives in flight. And some fly only in case of imminent danger, as partridges do. Many birds from regions with a cold climate fly thousands of kilometers to warmer climes with the onset of cold weather, since where they live, they would not be able to find food at this time. They return to their home as soon as the conditions necessary for them to live and prolong the family appear there again. These birds are called migratory, examples are storks and geese.

Plover (Jonathan Kirk, Nature's Best Photography)

Reproduction.

Birds have internal fertilization. They build nests of varying degrees of complexity, lay eggs, which, as a rule, incubate themselves, and then take care of their offspring. Many species perform mating dances on the ground or in the air before mating. In some species, the chicks are born blind and naked, receive food from their parents and remain in the nest until they can live on their own. These are chicks of nesting birds. Eagles are an example. In other species, the chicks are quite developed and within a few hours after birth are able to follow their parents and get food on their own. These are brood chicks. Ducks are an example.

Golden Warbler (Charles W. Mc Rae, Nature's Best Photography)

Many bird species produce sounds that are very pleasant to the human ear. Singing serves the birds to communicate with each other (in order to form a pair, mark their territory, etc.)

White-tailed Eagle (Tarmo Syvapuro)

Flight.
Birds move through the air in two ways: active flight, that is, constantly flapping their wings, and passive flight, hovering in the air. For the first, they have powerful muscles that converge at the keel. For the second, they use updrafts to lift themselves up and then move smoothly with their wings spread wide.

Forest Kestrels (Bill Coster)

White-headed Sparrow Bunting (Howard B. Cheek, Nature's Best Photography)

Royal Tern (Mark B. Bartosik, Nature's Best Photography)

Chilean pink flamingo (AP Photo/WCS, Julie Larsen Maher)

Crowned Lapwing (Jan Forseth, Nature's Best Photography)

Common kingfisher (MANFRED DELPHO/AFP/Getty Images)

Carolina Duck (Diana E. Whiting, Nature's Best Photography)

Birds are considered by biologists and zoologists as a separate group or class of warm-blooded vertebrates. There is a theory that birds evolved from extinct theropod dinosaurs. This group differs from all other classes in some ways. The main characteristic feature of birds is the presence of a cover of feathers and down, which protects the body from adverse natural factors, temperature changes and plays an important role during flights. The ability to fly is also inherent only in representatives of this class of warm-blooded animals, whose front paws in the process of evolution acquired the form of wings. The structural features of the respiratory and digestive organs are due to the need for frequent exposure to the air.

In the scientific world, there is a whole science of ornithology, which studies the structure, habitats, and characteristic features of certain species. The activities of scientists are aimed at preserving rare species of birds, especially those listed in the Red Book.

Birds are very diverse in size, wingspan, weight, plumage color and lifestyle. Hummingbirds have a body weight of about 5 grams, while there are African ostriches weighing 150 kg. The wingspan of the Andoran condor reaches 3 meters.

Some species of birds traditionally make migratory flights over long distances twice a year, while others move only within their habitats.

Birds are social animals, constantly forming stable pairs for many years and gathering in flocks, the number of individuals in which can reach several thousand. They communicate with each other with the help of sound and visual signals, organize joint hunting or protection from attacking enemies. Bird eggs are usually laid in a nest and incubated by one or both parents in turn. Not smart chicks are under the protection and care of their parents for a long time and receive life and flight skills from them.

More than 10 thousand different species of birds known to science today inhabit the entire globe from the Arctic to Antarctica. But of course, the largest variety of birds with colorful and bright plumage can be found in warm tropical countries.

The not poorly developed brain of birds gives them the opportunity to adhere to certain lines of behavior formed over the years and adapt to the most difficult living conditions. The reproduction of human speech by parrots, the possibility of teaching some birds to sing, making lightning-fast and correct decisions in difficult situations confirms the presence of mental abilities in birds.

Birds are a very important link in the entire ecosystem of planet Earth, but not only this must be taken into account when protecting feathered friends. How boring our world will become if the voices of birds do not sound in it, if people do not see these sweet and kind creatures inhabiting our land.

Option 2

Birds are among the most perfect terrestrial warm-blooded animals with a backbone. The difference between this class of animals and others is that their forelimbs are adapted for flight (although there are a number of flightless bird species, such as penguins and ostriches). The wings, which have a complex structure, can be used for both flapping (active) and gliding (passive) flight. Flight is facilitated by the presence of several subcutaneous air sacs, which reduce the weight of the bird during flight and provide it with reserve air, as well as the presence of a complex system of lungs.

Many of the birds create subcutaneous fat reserves, up to half of their entire body weight, which serve to reinforce them during seasonal flights. Migrations are made by many species of birds living in temperate climates. In winter, they migrate to warmer and food-rich regions. Thanks to this, birds live in many remote places, including on the islands of the oceans.

The body of birds is covered with feathers. Another distinguishing feature is the absence of teeth, the role of which is played by a hard beak.

There are about 2500-3000 bird species, divided into about 200 families. The most numerous is the passerine family (about two-thirds of bird species). Among them there is a division according to the type of food. Some of the birds are predatory, while others feed on plant food.

Birds reproduce by laying eggs. Different species lay at a time from 1 to 25 eggs. A feature of birds is the arrangement of nests and incubation of eggs, which lasts from 12 to 80 days. Chicks of different species can hatch, both helpless and blind, who still need care for some time, and quite ready for independent life.

Birds play an important role in the life of nature in general. They eat vegetation and small animals, thus regulating their numbers. They themselves serve as food for a large number of large predators. Birds play an important role in plant pollination and seed dispersal, and they also carry a number of infections. For humans, they are one of the food products.

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The bird class is a large class of warm-blooded animals, numbering about 9,000 species. The main difference between representatives of the class and other vertebrates is the ability to fly.

For many hundreds of years, in the process of evolution, their body has formed and developed more and more advanced mechanisms for moving through the air.

Distinctive features of the class of birds are the wings and the ability to use them for flight.

The body and skin are covered with light and smooth feathers that retain heat and ensure smooth movement through the air. The forelegs are modified into wings.

The bones of birds are thin, strong and hollow inside, so their skeleton in the class of birds is very light.

Bird class short description

If we compare the weight of the skeleton and the weight of her plumage, it turns out that the feathers weigh more. Low body weight is also ensured by thin and dry skin, the presence of a beak instead of a jaw with teeth, and the absence of a bladder.

The heart works in a very intensive mode - in a calm state, it contracts at a speed of 400 beats per minute, and during the flight - up to 1000 beats. Thanks to this enhanced mode, the body produces a huge amount of work, accompanied by increased energy consumption and an accelerated metabolism.

Bird class general characteristics

Likewise, they are able to maintain a constant temperature due to the body. Normal body temperature in birds is 7 to 8 degrees higher than in humans. They cannot sweat, since their cover and skin are not supplied with glands, so they remove excess heat from the body with the help of exhalation.

Due to their endurance and ability to travel long distances, representatives populated all the continents of the globe and all its natural zones. Many species of birds are characterized by migration - in the cold season they fly away to warmer climes, and then return.

Birds are warm-blooded egg-laying animals, they inherited the method of reproduction from their ancient ancestors -. They lay hard-shelled eggs. In nature, there is not a single species of viviparous birds, because if the female had a chick in herself, she would become clumsy and clumsy, she would not be able to fly.

Birds outer structure

They carefully hatch eggs, and often both parents do this. After the appearance of the chicks, they are warmed for a long time, fed and protected from enemies.

Due to the huge number and variety of activities, birds have a strong influence on the processes occurring in nature. Birds are an important link in the food chain - they significantly reduce the number of insects and small rodents, and also serve as food for large predators.

Nutrition

Feathers that feed on the fruits of plants, along with the droppings, scatter their seeds. Many birds are domesticated by humans and raised on farms and in private households for their meat, eggs, feathers and fat.

Birds structure and external features

Bird droppings are an excellent means for fertilizing the soil - it contains salts of phosphorus and nitrogen, which are necessary for plants. Many species of parrots, canaries and pigeons are so adorable that they are kept as pets.

• starlings;
• thrushes;
• sparrows and other birds often spoil the harvest by pecking at fruits and berries in household plots.

• kites;

attack domestic birds, reducing their numbers and damaging agriculture.

1. The benefits that birds bring many times the damage from their activities.
2. In addition to all of the above, representatives of the class delight us with their attractive appearance and wonderful singing.
3. Their return to their homeland from warm lands and beautiful nightingale trills are symbols of the awakening of nature and the onset of spring.

white-tailed eagle

In nature, there are birds that get their livelihood by hunting other birds or animals. Attack is their forte. These winged hunters are called "birds of prey". Most of them hunt during the day. These are diurnal predators: eagles, hawks, falcons, skuas. But there are also night hunters in nature - owls. Characteristic features of birds of prey are sharp claws and a curved beak.

One of the largest birds of prey in our country is white-tailed eagle. Its wingspan reaches two meters, and its weight reaches seven kilograms. The adult eagle has a completely white tail, for which he got his name. Eagles settle closer to the water, where they hunt large fish and waterfowl. Eagles have huge nests, up to one and a half meters in diameter and about a meter high.

Each spring, the eagles return from warm countries to the same nest, where they raise up to three chicks annually. Eagle chicks do not lag behind their parents in size. When they develop plumage, they are comparable in size to an adult goose.

goshawk- a large bird of prey. In size, the goshawk is one and a half times larger than the crow. You can recognize this bird by noticeable transverse stripes on the front of the body. It preys on medium-sized birds, squirrels and young hares.

A bird with an unusual name "buzzard" comparable in size to the goshawk. But the buzzard prefers to eat mice-voles. In case of danger, buzzards emit characteristic nasal cries, reminiscent of the whimpering of a capricious child. Perhaps from the name of this bird the term "squeal" appeared. Buzzards bravely protect their chicks, and boldly rush even at large animals, hitting them with sharp claws.

Live in the Far North gyrfalcons. These rare birds are listed in the Red Book. Outwardly, the gyrfalcon resembles a goshawk, but it already belongs to the order of falcons. Its wings are sharp and elongated. The plumage is dark above, and light below, speckled. The eyes are dark brown, almost dark. Gyrfalcons prey mainly on partridges. The population of gyrfalcons has declined sharply due to the actions of people. In some countries of the Middle East, falconry is popular and gyrfalcon chicks were taken directly from the nests for this hunt, reducing the population until this bird was listed in the Red Book.

The most famous in the falcon family is peregrine falcon. That's what they call him - a real falcon. This is a very beautiful bird with piercing black eyes. In Russia, since ancient times, the heroes were called "falcons." And in our time, it is customary to call military pilots falcons. And this is no accident. The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird. He hunts, diving on prey from a height, like a combat aircraft.

Peregrine falcons can place their nests anywhere - on rocks, in hollows of trees and just on the ground. Chicks are always protected very fiercely, trying to scare even a person approaching their nest.

On the rocky islands of the northern seas live hunting seabirds - skuas. Their beak is short, but also bent down, like all birds of prey. Skua usually prey on large fish, which he either catches himself or impudently takes from other birds.

At night, the hunting baton from daytime predators is taken owls. In our country, nocturnal predators are represented by species such as the eagle owl, the tawny owl and the long-eared owl. They hunt in the dark, grabbing half-asleep birds and small animals. Many legends and beliefs are associated with owls among people. In many countries they are a symbol of wisdom.

And the sounds that an owl can make at night can leave an indelible impression even on people with strong nerves.

At one time, birds of prey were considered harmful to nature and people tried to destroy them. But over time, it turned out that, as a rule, weak and sick inhabitants of the forest become the prey of birds of prey. Therefore, birds of prey play the role of orderlies in nature, leaving only healthy and strong animals in populations.

Interesting facts about birds.

1. People are currently aware of 9800 species of birds that live on Earth.

2. The largest number of yolks ever found in a single egg is nine.

3. To hard boil an ostrich egg, you need to boil it for 2 hours!

4. The only bird in the world that has no wings at all is the Kiwi, which lives in New Zealand.

5. The body temperature of birds is 7-8 degrees higher than that of humans. Since birds cannot sweat, three-quarters of the air they breathe in is used for cooling.

6. Hummingbird egg is the smallest in the world. The photo shows the largest egg (Epiornis egg), ostrich and the smallest hummingbird egg. This bird is also the smallest bird on the entire planet. It looks more like a dragonfly than a representative of birds. Hummingbirds feed only on pollen from flowers.

7. The feathers of a bird weigh more than its skeleton.

8. The largest eggs in the world were carried by the recently exterminated Madagascar birds - Epiornis. The weight of one egg was 7.5-8 kg versus an ostrich egg weighing 1.65 kg. The growth of the largest species of Epiornis was equal to the growth of an adult elephant. The photo below shows the dimensions of the world's largest bird compared to a human.

9. The heart of a bird beats 400 times per minute while resting and 1000 times during flight.

10. While hunting, the peregrine falcon can reach speeds of over 320 km/h.

11. The largest bird in the world is an ostrich, which has a height of 2 m. They run very fast and reach speeds of up to 60 km / h. The weight of this bird is more than 130 kg. Ostriches are common in Australia, Africa and Asia. They may even attack humans if they feel threatened by their chicks.

12. Penguins, ostriches, cassowaries, kiwis and dodos cannot fly.

13. Why do birds fly in a V-shaped pattern? All this to save energy. As a rule, the most experienced and oldest bird flies first, which takes all the load on itself. Behind the first bird, two air streams are created on the sides in which subsequent members of the flock fly with less energy consumption.

14. In total, there are 6 species of poisonous birds all over the world. Most of them - five species - belong to thrush flycatchers. They are also called Pitahu. These creatures live in New Guinea. They are poisonous because on the body they contain the strongest poison in the world called batrachotoxin. However, the amount contained in the bird is not capable of killing a person and, if inhaled, can only cause an acute attack of coughing.

15. The most common bird on earth is chickens.

16. The heaviest bird that can fly is the dudak and the African bustard. The latter is found in Africa, the dudak is in Asia and Europe. Bustard - almost the same as the dudak. These two birds reach sizes of 20 kilograms. This mass is not easy to keep in the air, so they need to run up to take off. Despite the heavy lifting, the flight of these birds is unusually beautiful.

17. The largest representative of birds that can fly is the condor. Its wingspan sometimes reaches 3 meters. The weight is quite large - about 15 kg. This giant is not easy to fly. Like the dudak, the condor needs to take a good run, and only then, strongly waving its mighty wings, can it take off. It rises to gigantic heights - up to 10 kilometers in the air.

18. Birds evolved from dinosaurs.

19. The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan. In 1965, sailors on the Eltanin caught a male albatross while sailing between Australia and New Zealand. The wingspan of this bird was an incredible length - 3 meters 63 cm. Albatrosses feed only on fish all their lives, and their large wings make it very difficult to take off from the water.

20. Birds have a blunted sense of taste compared to other animals. Science still cannot definitively prove that all birds have a sense of smell.

21. The shape of a bird's beak directly corresponds to the type of food it eats in the wild.

22. An emperor penguin can occasionally starve even 9 weeks while hatching future offspring. For him, cold up to 50-60 degrees is not at all terrible.

23. The sparrow can be called the most “smart” bird, because it has 4.37 grams of brain per 100 grams of body weight, while a horse has 0.1 g / kg, and a crocodile has no more than 0.007 g /kg.

24. It turns out that pink flamingos are far from pink in color. This unusual shade of feathers is given by green algae, which turn pink during digestion.

25. The goiter of a female and a male dove secretes the real “bird's milk”.

26. Amazing representatives of the feathered family live in South America, attracting the attention of various scientists since the last century. These are goatians. Their nests are located on the branches of trees near the water, the chicks lead a strange way of life, which is unusually similar to the behavior of ancient birds. At the tips of their wings, they have claws that help them climb a tree, while leaning on their tail. If the danger is at a dangerously close distance, the goatians throw a stone down, then in a soaring flight they tack through the forest and sit on the water surface, while using their wings for diving, and their legs as oars.

27. Seagulls can drink salt water because their tonsils are able to filter salt.

28. Ducks, turkeys and hens can incubate eggs even while moving the nest to another place. However, geese incubate only where they built a nest. After moving the nest to another place, the goose will most likely refuse to incubate eggs any longer.

29. If you take and press the chicken's head to the floor and draw a straight line from the beak, then the chicken will fall into hypnosis, she will constantly continuously look only at this line, and the time of torpor is sometimes up to half an hour. Some scientists attribute this ability to the fact that chickens pretend to be dead when a threat approaches.

Birds, like any other classes of living beings on the planet, have a lot of unusual abilities that are extremely interesting to us humans. Thanks to this article, we hope you were able to plunge a little into this wonderful world of birds and learn a lot of new and interesting things.

© Inga Korneshova especially for the site