21 Bird Facts For Kids

1. Bird is the common name for a large group of flying warm-blooded vertebrates in the Aves class.
2. Birds are found worldwide and have inhabited all seven continents and remote islands.
3. There are around 10,000 different living species of birds.
4. Birds are widely known for their feathers, toothless beaks and for building nests for their eggs.
5. A bird diet varies widely based on the species, some birds are omnivores, while others are herbivores or carnivores.
6. Modern day birds are believed to have evolved over tens of millions of years from theropod dinosaurs.
7. The oldest descendants of birds first appeared on Earth around 160 million years ago.
8. Bird species come in a wide variety of sizes, ranging from as small as 2.2 inches all the way up to 9 feet.
9. Almost all bird species can fly, with a few exceptions, like penguins, ratites, and endemic island birds.
10. Almost all bird species are diurnal (active during the day), but some like owls are nocturnal (active at night).
11. Birds can live in a wide variety of climates, from the freezing temperatures of the Artic to the tropical temperatures in a rainforest.
12. Birds are not mammals; they are technically reptiles and considered by scientists to be the only known living dinosaurs.
13. The social structure of birds varies by species, some live in large flocks or colonies, while others are solitary.
14. An example of a bird species that lives in a large flock is the red-winged blackbird, which can have a flock of millions of individuals.
15. An example of a bird species that lives in solitary is the greater roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus).
16. The common ostrich (Struthio camelus) is the largest living bird species with an average weight of 230 pounds.
17. The Helena hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is the smallest living bird species with an average weight between 0.069 and 0.092 ounces.
18. The wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) is the living bird species with the longest wingspan with an average of 10.2 feet.
19. The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the fastest flying living bird species with a top recorded speed of 200 miles per hour.
20. The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the living bird species with the fastest wingbeat rate at 200 beats pert second or 12,000 per minute.
21. The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) is the living bird species with the longest non-stop flight capabilities, with a round-trip of ~18,000 miles.

Bird Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on birds. Below are nine pictures of various bird species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of birds found around the world.

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