fierybilledaracari

Thefierybilledaracari’sbeakissupersharptosliceopenfruit.

TailoredtotheTask

Howdobirdssurviveinsomanydifferentplaces?Birdshaveevolvedindifferentways.OstrichesinAfricacanbe2.7 meters(ninefeet)tall.InCuba,abeehummingbirdcanfitinthepalmofyourhand.Andthereisstillroomtospare.


Somebirdsarefullofcolor,likethepaintedbuntinginTexas.Otherscomeinvariousshadesofbrown.

superbparrot

Thesuperbparrot’stinybeakhelpsit nibbleon flowers.

DelightfullyDiverse

Birdsbehaveindifferentways,too.Someareverysocial.Othersarenot.Flamingosgatherinflocksofmillions.Parakeetsbuildentireparakeetcitiesintreesoutofsticks.Dipperscanwalkunderwater.Awanderingalbatrossmayglidealone16,000kilometers(10,000miles)inasinglejourney. 

I’vemetfriendlybirds,liketheNewZealandfantailthatfollowedmedownatrail.I’vemetmeanones,too.InChile,acaracaratriedtoknockmyheadoffforstaringatittoolong.Arushbirdcanliveitswholelifeinoneplace.AceruleanwarblermaymigratefromNewJerseytoPeru.

2018

THEYEAR
OFTHEBIRD

superbfairywren

In1918,theU.S. CongresspassedtheMigratoryBirdTreatyActtoprotectbirds.It’soneoftheoldestwildlifeprotectionlaws.Inthehundredyearssincethislawpassed,millionsofbirdshavebeen protected.