Feathered Friends

1. Birds are the only living animals that have feathers.

True. All birds have feathers. Some birds have highly modified feathers to fit particular functions, such as the fancy feathers on a peacock’s tail.

2. All birds fly.

False. While birds are known for their ability to fly, there are many that do not fly such as penguins (who swim), ostriches, emus, and kiwis.

3. All birds have two wings.

True. All birds have two wings!

4. Birds lose and replace their damaged feathers.

True. Birds can replace old and damaged feathers through molting. Molting generally occurs after nesting or before migration when the bird has enough resources and energy.

5. All birds have thick, heavy bones that provide the structure needed to fly.

False. Most birds have adapted to have very light but strong bones, so they are light enough to fly. A few flightless birds, like penguins, have solid bones.

6. Birds have poor eyesight.

False. Birds generally have very good sight.  Many birds can see color; some can even see light ranging in the ultraviolet spectrum that humans cannot see!

7. Bird hearts beat more slowly than human hearts.

False. The heartbeats of birds are faster than those of humans. In fact, a hummingbird’s heart beats over 1,260 times per minute! For comparison, a human’s heart rate is usually 60 to 100 beats per minute.

8. All birds lay eggs.

True. All birds species do lay eggs. Male birds do not.

9. Most birds eat worms.

False. There is a large variety of diets among birds.  Birds eat anything from seeds, nectar, insects, worms, fish, crustaceans, frogs, to small animals.

10. All birds sing.

False. While not all birds sing the beautiful songs we commonly think of, most are capable of making a variety of sounds. They be calls, chip notes, or pecking against a tree. Males do more singing in many song birds.

1. All birds migrate.

False. Not all birds migrate; for example, the Rock Pigeon is one species which remains in one area all year round. This bird is found throughout the U.S. Many birds, especially those that eat insects, must migrate to find food.

2. Birds are vertebrate animals.

True. Birds are vertebrate animals that have a backbone and internal skeleton–just like us!

3. All birds are warm-blooded.

True. All birds are warm-blooded, or endothermic. This means that birds are able to regulate their body temperature through various internal means.

4. All baby birds hatch covered in downy feathers.

False. Not all baby birds are covered in downy feathers when they hatch. For example, many song birds, such as the American Crow, are born almost entirely naked.

5. Male and female birds of some species look different.

True. There are many species where the males and females look different from each other. One example is the Red-winged Blackbird. The male plumage matches his name, but the female is a dull brown with no red patches on her wing.

The eBird STEM (Spatio-Temporal Exploratory Model) Abundance Models are species distribution models that have been specifically developed for eBird data by statisticians and researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We are continually developing these models, so be sure to check back for more!

1. All birds build nests.

False. Some do not. For example, Brown-headed Cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.

2. Some birds give birth to live babies rather than lay eggs.

False. All species of birds lay eggs.

3. Eggs and chicks are not always safe in their nest.

True. Birds such as Blue Jays and crows, and other animals such as chipmunks, raccoons, and snakes will eat eggs if they find them!

4. Most birds live in their nests year-round. 

False. Nests are only for laying eggs and raising of young. However some birds like owls will use nest boxes for cover during the day.

5. Only the female sits on the eggs.

False. It depends on the species. Most species co-parent.

6. Most baby birds are fed seeds and berries by their parents.

False. Most birds are fed insects which provide protein for growing chicks. Raptors and herons feed their nestlings meat from fish and animals.

7. Birds can breathe inside their eggs before they hatch.

True. Eggshells are porous enough for gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen to pass through it.

8. Eggshells are made out of the same materials as chalk.

True. Both are made primarily of calcium carbonate.

9. The egg yolk (yellow) grows into a baby bird.

False. The yolk provides food for the growing bird.

10. If you find a baby bird you should feed it bread and milk.

False. Birds cannot digest milk, and bread will not help them! If you find a nestling, put it back in the nest. If you find a fledgling, leave it alone! It is just practicing being out of the nest. When in doubt, call a wildlife rehabilitator.