PROBLEM I . The Kinds of Anmmls 



birds that wade or swim, perching birds, 

 and birds that cannot fly. 



Birds of prey. These are the eagles, 

 hawks, vultures, and owls. Their wings 

 spread wide and firm; their talons 

 (claws) are cruel, curved daggers which 

 can be driven deep into the body of a 

 small mammal or other bird; their 

 strong beaks used for tearing flesh are 

 hooked and sharp. Some hawks, eagles, 

 and vultures are easily recognized in 

 flight because of their remarkable ability 

 to soar, that is, to remain aloft with 

 almost no movement of the wings. They 

 do this by taking advantage of the air 

 currents. In spite of common belief, 

 birds of prey, with few exceptions, are 

 useful to man. Their natural food is 

 rabbits, field mice, other small mammals, 

 and even certain species of insects which 

 are destructive to crops. 



The vultures and some of their rela- 

 tives are scavengers; they feed on the 

 dead and decaying flesh of animals. 



of the Earth 21 



Scratching birds. These live on the 

 ground and scratch for seeds and small 

 insects; such birds are the common 

 fowl, the grouse or partridge, and the 

 turkey. Some of these birds are strong 

 and swift flyers, too, but for the most 

 part they rely on their legs instead of 

 their wings. Domestic fowl such as 

 chickens, ducks, and turkeys have prac- 

 tically lost the power of flight. 



Birds that wade or swim. These are, 

 mostly, large birds. They squawk and 

 call hoarsely but never sing. Their food 

 comes from the water and they spend 

 much of their time in the water or on 

 it. The storks, the herons, the cranes, 

 and the flamingos (fla-ming'gos) wade. 

 Their tall legs keep their bodies well 

 out of the water and their long pointed 

 beaks and flexible necks make it pos- 

 sible for them to snatch the frogs or 

 fish that make up their diet. 



Among the swimming birds are the 

 ducks, geese, and swans. Their legs are 



Forehead 



Upper mandible 

 Lower mandible 

 Throat 



Wing coverts 

 Breast 



Crown 



Claw 



Abdomen 



Scales 



Back 



Scapulars 

 Rump 



Upper tail coverts 

 Lower tail coverts 



Heel-joint 



Tail 

 feathers 



Fig. 22 This drawing of a mockingbird is labeled to show the nairres of the various 

 parts. It is helpful to know these na?nes when you are learning to identify birds. Bird 

 descriptiofis in books use these terms because all students of birds know thetn. Coidd 

 you describe the colors of a robin or of a canary, using some of these words? 



