LiD Paragraph #11

11^th paragraph for LiD

          When a bird is done with its flight the bird will automatically stop and preen itself (preen means to clean their feathers).  All of the feathers have specific spots to stay in while the bird is in flight.  When the bird is done flying, it cleans the feathers because they are out of place.  They do this by grabbing the ends of the feathers and brushing them back into place.  Now obviously, these feathers do not move themselves.  The bird does this all with their beak.  They uses there pointy beak for adjusting and organizing these feathers.  We humans do the same thing.   Most of us, hopefully, brush or do our hair up. Mostly for an occasion but birds are doing it to make sure there wings are ready for 5..4..3..2.. Lift off 1½...1...0……. poof and there gone….          

LiD paragraph #10

   #10

                Birds have a different eating habist than us  humans its burgers and fries vs. seeds and flesh, yes some birds eat flesh it’s disgusting, but all they are really eating are smaller animals.  Only the big birds of prey like hawks or falcons eat the live prey though.  The smaller birds, like house sparrows or blue jays eat worms, flies, bugs, poison berries, rotten fish, or seeds.  Birds also drink differently, because they don’t have hands like us.  To drink some birds will dip there beak into the water leaving the beak cracked just enough so the water can get through and into the mouth.  Others will simply open there beak and let the rain just fall right in smart right.                  

LiD paragraph #9

#9

Skeletal and flight

                The bird’s structure is very different than ours. Their bones are hollow that is what helps them fly.  These are called Air-filed bones. The bones are held up by little crossing bones in the inside it. “ It is easy for a 10 pound bird to have a skeleton of about 10 ounces”.  Even though the these birds are very light there skeleton must be strong enough to hold itself up.  It is strong because all of its bones are tied together as one huge bone.   There powerful breast muscles are a big part in there flying because they are the heaviest part of the bird, is the power wheel to flapping the wings.  If these muscles are not big enough to support the bird then it physically cannot fly.  There designer wings all birds have wings to fit the bird.  They could be long pointed wings like the falcon, swift, or a peregrine that help you fly very consistently, or ground birds like turkey’s, pheasants, or quail with short stubby wings.  Others have long wide wings that help to sore through the sky like Eagles hawks and condors.                        

LiD paragraph #8

LiD Paragraph #8

Feathers, Plumage, and Scales

This week’s paragraph is about feathers, plumage, and scales.  Plumage is all of the feathers on the bird like: the flight feathers, the body feathers, the lightweight feathers, and the down feather.  The feathers on a bird have little barb shape things that are connected to the hollow quill.  On the flight feathers there are barbs that are held into place by many smaller barbules.  These barbules are connected together in place by teeny tiny little hooks.  When the feathers fan out most birds can then fly.  The lightweight feathers are there to protect and prevent the bird from getting too cold.  Body feathers are the much softer feathers.  These feathers do not have the tiny hooks like the flight feathers do there hooks are only found at the top of the feather.  Down feathers are the softest feathers in the world.  They are the only feathers with no hooks all.  These feathers are the under coat that keeps the bird warm.  Ok enough of the feathers let’s move on.  Scales are the outer hard cover on a bird’s leg.  Theses scales are the same material as their beaks or claws. On most birds there scales do not overlap unless you are a knight fisher or a Wood Pecker.      

LiD paragraph #3

3^rd Paragraph for LID

            Last weekend I went to my grandparents’ house in Estacada Or.  In their back yard was a Red Tailed Hawk.  It had attacked a white Dove.  I am planning on writing about this in my presentation. 

            One time at my house, my family and I were looking out our living room window and we saw a different hawk (possibly a Northern Harrier) chased a modern day house sparrow into the window so it would die.  The bird died and the hawk ate it.       

LiD Paragraph #7

#7

       For this week’s paragraph I am discussing the distribution of birds.  Distribution means “location or where birds are found”.  Birds are located in all areas of the world.  Take the penguin for instance, it does not live in the tropics.  It lives at the North Pole AND it can exist even at 300 feet below sea level!!  Birds live in a variety of habitats from the Artic to the Antarctic.  Some are scattered all over the world and others may live on just one mountain.  The distribution of birds are very different depending on their characteristics.