Birds Facts for Kids
Feathered facts about birds from around the world
Birds of the crow family (corvids) have proportionately larger forebrains relative to body size than almost all other birds, which is linked to their exceptional intelligence.
The European storm petrel, about the size of a sparrow, spends almost its entire life at sea and can survive for over 30 years.
The Eurasian curlew has the longest bill of any wading bird relative to body size — it probes deep into mud to find worms and shellfish.
Male ring-necked pheasants have brilliantly coloured plumage but the female is dull brown — this protects the female while she incubates eggs on the ground.
The resplendent quetzal was sacred to the Maya and Aztec civilisations — its long green tail feathers were more valuable than gold.
When threatened, the sunbittern of South America spreads its wings to reveal large eye-like patterns that startle predators.
Starling murmurations are thought to confuse and overwhelm predators like peregrine falcons, which find it difficult to target a single bird in the swirling mass.
The gyrfalcon is the world's largest falcon and was the most prized hunting bird in medieval falconry — only kings were permitted to fly one.
The acorn woodpecker of North America drills thousands of individual holes in trees to store acorns for winter — a single tree may hold over 50,000 acorns.
Homing pigeons were used to carry messages in both World Wars — one famous pigeon named Cher Ami saved almost 200 soldiers by delivering a message despite being shot.