Birds for Kids

  NATURAL WORLD : BIRDS PELICAN A wonderful bird is the Pelican His bill can hold more than his belican He can hold in his beak enough food for a week But I'm damned if I see how the helican ! - Ogden Nash A basketful of goodies for the little ones! Oh yes! Mamma pelican knows just what her chicks need ...breakfast, lunch, dinner and a few extra tidbits thrown in.  The rubbery pouch attached to the bill can store a lot. This is actually a myth. In reality, pelicans do not store food for long periods in their bills. In fact the bills are more like fishing nets that swallow gallons of water along with fish and turtles. The excess water is drained out by tilting the head to the side and contracting the pouch muscles. The prey is swallowed whole. Pelicans also prey on pigeons, frogs, crabs and anything else they find edible on the shores. However, when the chicks are young, they do carry the food to the nest on the shores in their very flexible pouches.  How do they hunt? Pel...

  NATURAL WORLD : BIRDS FLAMINGO Pink flames bursting across the sky and floating like clouds!  You've just spotted a flock of flamingos in their pale blue serene habitat. These tall long legged birds wade gracefully in shallow waters. Once it stirs up the muddy bottom, it twists its long snake like neck and dips underwater holding its head upside down while it eats shrimps, plants and mollusks. The large strong black tipped beak has comb like structures on its sides to filter out waste materials and water. All flamingos are born white or grey but Greater flamingos like the one in the picture above are brilliantly coloured. They fly over long distances from icy regions in winter to warmer places around the tropics in search of food. Why are the feathers such a rich orange and pink? The colour comes from beta-carotene, which is a pigment found in the food they eat  : algae, larvae and brine shrimp. As the chicks grow, the colour of their wings changes according to the food...

NATURAL WORLD : BIRDS - TOUCAN Can you see that large colourful bill that's too big for the head. Yes, a toucan's bill is four times the size of its head. and almost as long as its body. That must be difficult for the toucan to carry around. But in reality, the bill is actually quite light  and is made of keratin, the same material that your skin and hair is made of. A toucan uses its bill to poke into hollows and make a place for itself to sleep as you can see in the picture above. Why is a large bill useful to a toucan? * It helps a toucan to reach for berries and nuts that are far away on a branch or to crack and peel fruits. * It helps a toucan to dig into hollows and make a nest for itself.* With a bill so long, it can grab eggs to eat from the nests of other birds. * Most importantly, it can attract a mate.  * It can also scare away other animals or birds that may try to hunt a toucan. *  The edges of the bill are like a saw and help to break down the food and throw...

NATURAL WORLD : BIRDS - HUMMING BIRDS H umming Birds are the smallest birds in the world. In fact they are smaller than sparrows and only as big as your thumb. There are 350 species in different colours and hues. They can flap their wings around 50 times in a second. When they dive they flap even harder about 200 times per second. they can even twist and turn their wings in a figure 8 pattern. In fact this fast flapping helps them to hover at a spot. All you can hear is a low buzzing sound which is why they are called humming birds. Their tiny size makes them easier to catch by lizards, snakes, frogs and larger birds. But because they are so tiny that they can hind behind a leaf or inside a large flower. They drink mostly nectar from flowers but may eat seeds and small insects too. Spiders and spiders' eggs are also a favourite food. The long narrow needle like bill helps them to lick and feed. They may be tiny but they can fly 6000 km. for migrating to warmer regions for breeding....

NATURAL WORLD : BIRDS - SWANS Swans are among the largest of flying birds and live near the water, building untidy nests on the banks, Males called cobs are heavier than the females who are called pens. A  baby swan is called a cygnet. Black or white, they have many layers of feathers and a wingspan of about 10 ft. Their webbed feet are black which they use to  paddle fast underneath while they seem to be floating on the water. There are several species like Trumpeter swans, Cygnus swans and Mute swans. Black swans are found around Australia and New Zealand while white swans are more common in other areas north of the equator. Let me tell you an interesting fact here... Swans that live in the Northern Hemisphere (above the equator) have white feathers or plumage while those that live in the Southern Hemisphere (below the equator) have black and white feathers. Swans feed on aquatic plants, grains and insects. Their long necks help to dip deep into the water to snap off stems, ...