Birds Facts for Kids
Feathered facts about birds from around the world
Common swifts can stay airborne for up to 10 months at a time, eating, sleeping, and even mating in the air.
The toucan's enormous colourful bill acts as a radiator — blood flows through it to help the bird cool down or warm up.
Most birds have hollow bones filled with air, which makes their skeletons very light and helps them fly.
Bird feathers are made of keratin — the same protein found in human fingernails and hair.
Birds preen their feathers daily, spreading oil from a gland near their tail to keep feathers waterproof and in good shape.
The great horned owl has talons that can exert 300 pounds of pressure per square inch — stronger than most humans' grip.
The secretary bird of Africa hunts snakes on the ground, stomping them with powerful legs that deliver kicks 5 times its own body weight.
The harpy eagle is the largest and most powerful eagle in the Americas, with talons the size of a grizzly bear's claws.
The osprey is the only hawk that plunges feet-first into water to catch fish, and has reversible outer toes to grip slippery prey.
Ravens can solve multi-step puzzles to obtain food rewards, demonstrating planning abilities similar to great apes.