Chapter 4: Birds the Winged Wonder

4.1 Birds in your Backyard

Lets read page 74Birds in your backyard

The friendly Robin

A friendly bird with a big appetite. Favorite food are the seeds and insects. When hunting for worms, it stands still on

the ground and cocks its head to the side. (The robin does this because its eyes are on the side. The other eye is looking at the opposite direction.)

The friendly Robin

Returns to the same spot of its nest each year, looking at a tree, a branch where it can build nits nest on.

The female is the one to make the nest. She uses grass, twine and twigs “glued” together with mud and then with dry grass.

The friendly Robin: Nest Building

There are 3-6 eggs on its nest and the robins broods 2-3 times a year.

Bothe the parents help feed the young birds.

The friendly Robin and their young

Size: about 10 inches long (your ruler is 12 inches)

The friendly Robin

2. The Brilliant Cardinal

A little smaller than the robin Recognizable by its red feathers and

feathered “cap” on its head. The female cardinal have touches of red on

its feather and crest.

Cardinal Facts:

Both enjoy singingBoth have Red billsDiet: Seeds, Fruits and insectsFavorite food: Sunflower Seeds

Cardinal Males and Females

3. The Talented Mockingbird

The Talented Mockingbird A bird that can make many songs About the size of robin Its sing day and night at any time. Its real voice is low, but it can mimic many

other songs of birds or simple noises made by cats, dogs cars and people.

It is helpful too since it eats many insects.

4. The Sassy Blue Jay

The Blue Jay Facts Blue jays are bossy. Makes a loud noise but

they are not that musical. Color: blue plumage marked

with black and white. Bothe males and females

are beautifully colored. It is about 12 inches long. Read more on page 76

about the stellar jays.

The Blue Jay Facts Jays are member of

the crow family which are believe to be the most intelligent birds

They also mimic like the mockingbird and alerts other birds when a predator is close by.

The Blue Jay Food Eats about anything –

nuts, seeds, fruit, insects, small fish and amphibians.

Favorite food: Acorns Prince Edwards Island,

Canada has chosen the blue jay as it’s state bird.

Chapter 4: Birds the Winged Wonder4.2 More Backyard

Birds

5. The Squawking Starling

Bossy like the Blue jayCame from Europe

and are now found in every part of the US and Canada

Smaller than robinFeather are colored

purple, blue and green.

5. The Squawking Starling

They travel in large packs that seems to be always in a hurry

They are greedy eaters. They are noisy and dirty and would often take the nesting place of other birds.

On the other hand, they eat a lot of insect pests. Known for their murmuration

5. The Squawking Starling

6. The Chubby Wren

Chubby and brown with a long bill and turned – up tail

Half the size of a robin (5 inches) There are many types of wren They nest in different and “weird” place – a mailbox,

an old hat an old discarded clothe. They are very sociable and will accept a birdhouse if

you gave them one.

6. The Chubby Wren

7. The Musical Sparrow

Little brown birds that munch on seeds and corns There are many kinds of Sparrow, found in desert,

marsh and prairie They are a bit smaller than the robin and a little

larger than the wren. Let’s read more on page 78.

7. The Musical Sparrow

8. The Tiny Hummingbird

3 ½ inches long and weighs as much as a penny.

The hum we hear comes from the vibrations of the humming bird’s wings.(60 times per second)

Hummingbirds are attracted to water and flowers

They have needle like bills that are designed for sipping of nectars

8. The Tiny Hummingbird

They are great pollinatorsThey ear insects even when they are in

mid air.They have eggs the size of peas. It’s

nest are made of plant lichen and spider web.

It is the only bird that can fly backwards.

8. The Tiny Hummingbird