A tiny hummingbird, whose long beak acts like a straw to suck nectar out of flowers.
All birds share characteristics that make them a bird and not some other animal. These common traits are shared by all birds across the entire world.
Birds are all around us. They are one of the easier forms of animal to see when you spend time outdoors in the Rocky Mountains because they are so abundant and come in such a variety of shapes and sizes. At the very basic level there are certain traits or characteristics that all animals have in common. These shared traits is what make a bird a bird and a mammal a mammal.
A male and female mallard. Their bodies make them great at floating in water like little boats.
Birds Come In Many Shapes And Sizes
Some birds, such as hummingbirds are tiny. Others are large and spend their days soaring high up in the sky like vultures.
Some have very long legs that help them wade in water as they hunt for fish or frogs. Others have sharp talons and bills that help them catch small mice to eat.
Birds Live In All Parts Of The World
Birds live throughout the world in all habitats. There are some that are adapted to living in wide open fields, others live in forests, and still others live near lakes and ponds. Some of them spend their lives flying over the ocean and traveling great distances as they migrate. Others live in the same area their entire lives and don’t migrate.
It doesn’t matter where or how they live. If the animal is a bird then it has these common characteristics (even flightless birds such as penguins or Kiwis).
A turkey vulture with its broad wings soars in the air.
All Birds Share Characteristics That Make a Bird a Bird
All birds share certain characteristics no matter what kind of bird it is. The common characteristics shared by all birds are:
- Have a backbone
- Lay eggs in nests
- Are warm blooded, similar to reptiles and mammals
- Have feathers
- Have wings