World Book Trivia Quiz For Kids--12/26--birds

Birds are animals with feathers. They are the only animals that have them. Some birds have brightly colored feathers to help them attract mates. Others have dull colors that help them blend in with their surroundings. All birds have wings.

In the last 300 years, more than 125 kinds of birds have died out. These birds are now extinct. People are responsible for much of the disappearance of birds.

The smallest bird is the bee hummingbird, which grows only about 2 inches (5 centimeters) long. The largest living bird is the ostrich, which may grow up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall. The largest bird that ever lived was the elephant bird, which died out hundreds of years ago.

In many parts of the world, the foods that birds eat become scarce during certain seasons of the year. Many birds, such as insect eaters, would starve if they had to remain in such places through the unfavorable season. This situation is especially true of regions with cold, snowy winters. The majority of birds that nest in these regions migrate to warmer climates in fall.

Like mammals, and unlike amphibians and reptiles, birds are warm-blooded—that is, their body temperature always remains about the same, even if the temperature of their surroundings changes.

A nest is built by animals. It is a place they use to lay their eggs or give birth to their babies, and then to protect their young. Most birds build nests.

A bird cares for its feathers chiefly by cleaning and smoothing them with its beak, a process called preening. A bird uses its feet to preen its head and other hard-to-reach parts. Most birds oil their feathers while preening.

Nearly all birds have a voice. A bird uses its voice to call or sing or to imitate sounds. A bird may call when it is hungry or wants to warn other birds of danger. Some birds sing to attract another bird. A few kinds of birds have no voice. They include pelicans and some kinds of storks.

Birds have two main kinds of feathers. One kind is long. These feathers grow only in certain areas of a bird's body, but fan out to cover almost all of the bird. The other kind of feather is short, soft, and fluffy. It grows all over the bird's body.

Birds move from one place to another chiefly by flying. Only a few kinds cannot fly. Some of these flightless birds are cassowaries, emus, kiwis, ostriches, rheas, and penguins