Chapter: 03. Animals Birds
Think!
What is a chisel? What do we call a person who uses this tool to make furniture? A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge used to carve or cut hard materials. A person who uses this tool to make furniture is called a carpenter or woodworker. What would happen if the hummingbird had a hooked beak? If a hummingbird had a hooked beak, it would not be able to pierce flowers or reach the deep nectar inside them, making it impossible for it to feed properly. An oar is a tool used to move a boat in water. What is the similarity between an oar and the feet of a duck? Discuss. The similarity between an oar and the webbed feet of a duck is that both are designed to efficiently push water backward, providing propulsion for movement. Why do birds fly? Have a class discussion. Birds fly to find food, escape predators, migrate to warmer climates, build nests in safe places, and seek mates. Find out the names of any two birds that make untidy nests. In olden days, a particular bird was used to carry messages and letters from one place to another. Can you name this bird? Quick Check 1 - State True or False.
The backward movement of wings is called downstroke. A duck has holes on the sides of its beak. The sharp claws of flesh-eating birds are known as talons. Herons have very short legs. Quick Check 2 - Unscramble the letters to fill in the blanks.
Flight feathers are the feathers of wing and tail. Birds build nests to lay eggs. The tailor bird uses its beak as a needle to sew leaves with materials like wool and thread. The swallow bird uses its own spit to make its nest. Birds build nests to lay eggs. Quick Check 3
Image of boy throwing rock at dog. Image of person grooming a horse. Image of vet examining a cat with its owner. Run-Through
I. Very Short Answer Questions
A. Tick (✓) the correct answer.
1. Birds have beaks that help them to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
a. eat their food
2. The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ has a strong, short and hard beak.
a. pigeon
3. The woodpecker has a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ beak.
c. long and pointed
4. The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ has webbed feet.
d. duck
B. Give an example of a bird that:
1. has a very strong, sharp and hooked beak that helps it to tear flesh.
* Eagle
2. has short, strong and hard beak to crack open nuts and food grains.
* Pigeon
3. lives in cold regions and makes its nest using pebbles and stones.
* Penguin
4. has very sharp claws that help it to dig into the ground and bring out buried seeds and insects.
* Hen
5. weaves the leaves in and out to make its nest.
* Weaver bird
C. Match the birds with the function of their claws/feet.
c. Claws help them to climb trees and cling onto the branch of a tree a. Sharp claws known as talons b. Claws help them to hold on to branches d. Feet help them to push water back while swimming e. Claws help them to dig into the ground and bring out insects and seeds D. Circle the odd one out.
Tailor bird, Weaver bird, Penguin E. Unscramble the following letters and define the terms. Also, give two examples of each type of bird.
1. ATLSON
* TALONS: Sharp, curved claws of flesh-eating birds.
* Examples: Eagle, Vulture
2. BWEBDE FTEE
* WEBBED FEET: Feet where the three front toes are joined by skin, forming a web, which helps them to push water back while swimming.
* Examples: Duck, Swan
3. HEPRCNIG SIBRD
* PERCHING BIRDS: Birds that have three front toes and one toe at the back, allowing them to hold on (grip) to branches or wires.
* Examples: Sparrow, Mynah
II. Short Answer Questions
Why do eagles have strong, sharp and hooked beaks? Eagles have strong, sharp and hooked beaks to help them tear the flesh of other small animals, as they are flesh-eating birds or birds of prey. Why do ducks have holes on the sides of their beaks? Ducks have holes on the sides of their beaks to allow muddy water to flow out after they take it in, while retaining insects, worms, and water plants inside their beaks for food. What are flight feathers? Flight feathers are large feathers found in the wings and tail of birds, used for flapping, providing balance, and changing direction during flight. Why does a newborn bird have a large number of down feathers? A newborn bird has a large number of down feathers because these small, soft, and fluffy feathers are present under body feathers and help to keep the birds warm. Differentiate between:
a. Upstroke and downstroke
* Upstroke is the upward and backward movement of a bird’s wings, while Downstroke is the downward and forward movement of a bird’s wings during flight.
b. Bird bath and bird feeder
* A bird bath is a small basin filled with water for birds to bathe in and drink, whereas a bird feeder is a tray or container used to supply bird food to birds outdoors.
c. Strong, chisel-shaped beak and long, pointed beak
* A strong, chisel-shaped beak (like a woodpecker’s) is robust and pointed, designed for poking holes into hard tree trunks to extract insects. A long, pointed beak (like a hummingbird’s) is slender and delicate, adapted for piercing flowers and sucking nectar. III. Long Answer Questions
Write a short note on birds having broad and flat beaks. Birds with broad and flat beaks, such as ducks and geese, are typically water birds. Their beaks have small holes on the sides. These birds take in muddy water along with insects, worms, and water plants. The broad and flat shape allows them to scoop up a good amount of water and mud, while the holes act as a filter, allowing the muddy water to flow out and retaining the food particles inside the beak. How do birds fly? Explain briefly. Birds fly due to their specially designed, streamlined bodies which are narrow at the ends and broad in the middle, helping them cut through the air. Their powerful wings are attached to strong muscles and move in two types of strokes: upstroke (upward and backward movement) and downstroke (downward and forward movement). The coordinated flapping of these wings generates lift and propulsion. The bird’s tail also plays a vital role, acting like a rudder to help change directions while flying. Explain nesting habits in birds. Give suitable examples. Birds build nests to lay and hatch their eggs in safe places. The parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm, with one often protecting the nest from enemies. Once the eggs hatch, the parents feed the baby birds until they are strong enough to fly. Birds use various materials like twigs, leaves, wool, cotton, straws, and thread to build their nests in diverse locations such as trees, building terraces, or wall cavities. For example, tailor birds sew leaves together; weaver birds intricately weave grass and twigs into hanging nests; swallow birds use their own saliva to build vase-shaped nests; woodpeckers carve holes in tree trunks; and penguins build nests on the ground using pebbles. Why is a tailor bird named so? How does it make its nest? A tailor bird is named so because it uses its beak in a manner similar to a tailor using a needle. It stitches or “sews” large leaves together to create its nest. The bird pokes holes along the edges of leaves and then passes materials like wool and thread through these holes, effectively sewing the leaves into a pouch or cup-like structure. Inside this stitched leaf-pouch, the bird adds soft materials like cotton, wool, and dry leaves to make the nest warm and cosy for its eggs and chicks. List any five facts about birds. The earliest known bird was the Archaeopteryx, covered with feathers. The kiwi is a flightless bird that lays large eggs and hunts by smell because it is almost sightless. The owl can turn its head almost in a complete circle but cannot move its eyes. The ostrich is the largest living bird and lays the largest egg of any bird. The penguin is the only bird that can swim but cannot fly, and is also the only bird that can walk upright. IV. Challenge
Scuba divers are people who wear a special suit and swim deep inside the ocean waters. Can you guess why they wear webbed footwear? Scuba divers wear webbed footwear (flippers) to increase the surface area of their feet, allowing them to push more water with each kick and move more efficiently and powerfully through the water, similar to a duck’s webbed feet. What would happen if the woodpecker had two front toes and only one back toe? If a woodpecker had only one back toe instead of two, it would have less grip and stability on vertical tree trunks, making it difficult to climb, cling securely, and peck with the necessary force to find food or build nests. Name one body part common to an aeroplane and a bird, which helps them to fly. Name the following birds.
a. It loves to soar high in the sky. It likes to eat rats. It has a sharp eyesight.
* Eagle
b. It can turn its head all round. It sleeps during the day and hunts at night.
* Owl Picture Survey
What is the baby of a duck called? Name the process shown in the picture. Also, define it. The process shown is hatching. Hatching is the process that causes an egg to break open so that the baby animal can come out. What type of beak does this bird have? Strong, short, and hard beak (for pecking grains and seeds, assuming it’s a chicken chick based on the general illustration of a chick). 
Answers to textbook exercises
