Birds Facts for Kids
Feathered facts about birds from around the world
If food is scarce, a swift chick can slow its metabolism and enter a torpor-like state for several weeks while waiting for its parents to return.
A male emperor penguin loses up to 45% of its body weight during the 65-day incubation period because it cannot eat while guarding the egg.
The cassowary is considered the world's most dangerous bird — it has a dagger-like inner claw up to 5 inches long and has been known to fatally injure humans.
The hoatzin chick of South America hatches with claws on its wings, which it uses to climb trees — a feature reminiscent of early bird ancestors.
The tawny frogmouth of Australia is a master of camouflage — when threatened, it stretches out and closes its eyes to look exactly like a broken tree branch.
The painted bunting is often called the most beautiful bird in North America, with the male sporting vivid patches of red, blue, and green.
The blue-footed booby does a special dance to show off its bright blue feet to attract a mate — the bluer the feet, the healthier the bird.
A puffin can carry up to 62 small fish in its beak at once, using its rough tongue to pin fish against spines on the roof of its mouth.
Puffins flap their wings up to 400 times per minute when flying, which allows them to reach speeds of 55 miles per hour.
Scientists have found that cockatoos can move in time to a musical beat — one of very few animals besides humans to show this ability.