Feeding & Types of Beaks :
Birds do not have teeth. They have beaks which help them to feed. Different kinds of birds have different kinds of beaks depending upon the kind of food they eat.
- Grain eating birds like sparrow & pigeon have short beaks.
- Fruit & nut eating animals have a strong ,curved beak.They also use it to crack open the nuts.
- Fish eating- These birds like pelican and horn-bill have long baggy beaks .Few of these birds have holes also in their beak, so that the water which enters their mouth while carrying the fish in their mouth ,can come out of these holes.
- Flesh -eating-The birds like owl,eagles and vultures have strong curved beaks to tear flesh.
- The woodpecker has a long ,sharp,chisel like beak to make holes in trees for his nest as well as to bring out the insects from deep inside.
Flying in Birds,Different types of Feathers:
Birds' bones are hollow which make them very light , which is necessary to fly.Birds have 3 types of feathers:
1. Body Feathers: They just cover the body.
2. Flight Feathers: They are found on the wing and the tail. They help in flying and are so called "Flight Feathers"
3. Down Feathers: They are found all over body, they help to keep the body warm.
There are few birds who don't fly at all like kiwi,ostrich etc.
Birds Living Places:Types of Nests etc.
Birds make their own nests by using twigs,grass,feathers,paper bits,leaves etc.
They may choose different places to make their nests like tree branches,roofs,holes in buildings etc. Let's see how & where few different birds make their nests:
a) Woodpecker drills holes in tree-trunks for its nest.
b) A kingfisher makes a tunnel on the muddy banks of lakes and ponds.
c) A tailor bird selects two or three broad leaves and stitches their ends using its sharp beak as a needle.
d) The weaver bird weave a beautiful nest shaped like a flask with a small opening at lower end . It is the male bird which weaves the beautiful nest.
e) The cuckoo is such a lazy bird that it does not build any nest.It lays its eggs in the crow's nest.
f) The pigeon builds nest in the roof or wall of any building using twigs.
