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Presents...
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3 Check It Out! 4 What’s a Bird? 6 10 Amazing Bird Facts 8 Weird Sleep Habits of Birds 10 Puzzles 12 The Great Impersonator 13 Just a Minute 14 Doves at Our Front Door 16 Max & Gracie 17 What’s That Sound? 18 Frieda’s Pet Cardinal 21 Soldier Birds 22 The Great Horned Owl 23 See Like an Owl 24 The Amazing Macaw 25 Draw a Macaw 26 Hammering in the Woods 27 Summer’s Hummers 28 Bird Funnies 29 Kids Corner 30 Puzzle Solutions
red-knobbed hornbill
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irds are awesome creatures. There are many different kinds. In this issue of Fun For Kidz, you will find some unique and unusual ones. Check it out. Some birds can multitask. They fly and sleep at the same time! There are those who are unable to fly. These birds would rather run or swim. Most birds sing. There is one in this issue that is able to sing 1000 songs an hour. A few birds talk. One bird learns 200 different sounds in its lifetime. That is something to talk about!
grey-crowned cranes
When you are finished with the issue, go outdoors. Stop, look, and listen for birds that live near you. Then write or email us, and tell us what you’ve discovered. We will send you a prize just for sharing what you found! That is something to chirp about! Report in to us at: Kids Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227. Or email us at: kidscorner@funforkidz.com
peacock
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Rainbow lorikeets are a type of parrot.
by Lynn Katulka If you had to describe a bird to someone from another planet, I bet you’d use words like small, lightweight, feathers, wings, able to fly, and great singing voice. For many of the birds in the world, these words would be very accurate. But did you know there are birds that are bigger than some people? Or birds that don’t fly but can run very fast? There are birds that talk or sing at night instead of during the day. And there are even birds that swim almost as well as fish! Famous for their black and white coloring and waddling walk, the penguin is a bird that doesn’t fly. They are exceptional swimmers, though. They have webbed feet, waterproof wings like flippers, and a short wedge of a tail. They can swim at speeds of approximately 15 mph. Penguins spend half their time in the water, catching fish for dinner. The cassowary is a bird found in Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. This is another bird that doesn’t fly. The cassowary has a bright blue and red head, a thick horn-like casque (pronounced kask) that looks like a helmet on top of its head, and strong, powerful three-toed feet. This is not a bird to challenge to a race.
Humboldt penguin
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Ostriches and emus are related to the cassowary. These are flightless birds as well. They rely on their legs, strength, and large bodies to combat any threats. Both birds can reach a height taller than a human adult. They can weigh up to 150 pounds and can run as fast as 45 mph. That beats most people on a bike!
Birds are known for their chirping. Many birds greet the sunrise with a song. Some birds have songs that they sing to call to friends or even to warn of a cat in the yard. A few birds are awake at night. These nocturnal birds sing their songs after the sun goes down. Owls are the most popular nighttime singers. With an eerie scream, or a hoot or screech, they make their presence known. Other birds, such as the mockingbird or heron, can make chirps and noises at night, especially if a full moon is in the sky. Pet birds, like parrots and macaws, can be taught to “talk.” Birds will repeat sounds. These sounds come out sounding like words to our questions. But teaching a bird to talk can take years and a lot of patience. It’s probably easier to get your dog, Spot, to roll over, sit, and stay. So if you ever have to describe the birds of our world, don’t forget the big, heavy, swimming, running, and screeching kind too!
emu
cassowary great blue heron
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by Melissa Abramovitz Like people, animals need sleep. Without enough sleep, our minds and bodies don’t work right. We can’t learn or remember things. We act grouchy. We get sick more often. If a person or animal doesn’t sleep for a few days, it may die. Scientists think sleep helps our bodies store energy and heal damage. Sleep also lets our brains sort out what we learn while awake. But no one is exactly sure why we sleep! The sleep habits of most animals are pretty boring. An animal gets tired, lies down, and goes to sleep. Some birds have strange sleep habits. These weird habits keep birds safe from predators that might attack them when they are asleep. Or the habits help migrating birds stay on schedule.
Alpine swift
Sleeping While Flying The bird called the swift sleeps while flying as it migrates to and from warmer climates. The wings stop flapping, and the bird naps for a few seconds as it glides. It flaps again so it won’t crash-land. Then more naps and flaps, until it is no longer tired. Scientists have found that Alpine swifts can stay in the air for more than six months without landing! The swifts eat flying insects and get by with about two-and-a-half hours of sleep per day. Swainson’s thrushes also sleep while migrating. They glide and sleep many times – for about 14 seconds at a time – while flying. They sleep half the brain at a time. Often, the eye that is opposite the side of the brain that is awake is open while the other eye is closed. This is because information from the right eye goes to the left side of the brain and vice versa. The open eye helps the bird watch for danger.
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Swainson’s thrush
One-Legged Snoozing
Flamingos rest their heads on their backs while sleeping.
Does sleeping while standing on one leg sound comfortable? Flamingos think so. This is their normal way of sleeping. Their other leg gets tucked under the body. Some scientists think the flamingo does this to rest the heart and the tucked leg. It takes a lot of energy for a flamingo’s heart to pump blood to its legs because the legs are so long. Other scientists believe that tucking one leg helps flamingos stay warm. Flamingos usually sleep in shallow water. So maybe having one leg out of the water is less chilly than having both legs wet. Still others think standing on one leg helps camouflage the flamingo. The lagoons where flamingos hang out have many tall, thin trees and reeds. One tall, thin leg might look like a reed or tree to predators that eat flamingos.
mallard ducks
Lookout Groups Groups of quail sleep on the ground. They make a cozy circle with the tails facing in. This helps them stay warm at night. Each quail’s head faces outward in a different direction. This way, the group can look out for danger all around. Mallard ducks may also sleep in a group for safety, but not in a circle. The ducks in the center of the group sleep with both eyes closed because they are relatively safe from predators, like foxes. Ducks closer to the edges sleep with one eye open while resting half the brain. These lookout spies warn the group when trouble strikes.
California quail
Nature certainly has some interesting ways of protecting birds while they sleep!
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