Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx (pronounced ark-ee-OP-ter-icks) is the earliest-known bird. It lived during the Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago, when many dinosaurs lived. Paleontologists think that Archaeopteryx was a dead-end in evolution and that early coelurosaurian theropods (a group of meat-eaters that included dinosaurs like Deinonychus and Velociraptor) led to the birds.
Anatomy: Archaeopteryx seems to be part-bird and part-dinosaur. Unlike modern-day birds, it had teeth, three claws on each wing, a flat sternum (breastbone), belly ribs (gastralia), and a long, bony tail. Like modern-day birds, it had feathers, a lightly-built body with hollow bones, a wishbone (furcula) and reduced fingers.
This crow-sized animal may have been able to fly, but not very far and not very well. Although it had feathers and could fly, it had similarities to dinosaurs, including its teeth, skull, lack of a horny bill, and certain bone structures. Archaeopteryx had a wingspan of about 1.5 feet (0.5 m) and was about 1 foot ( 30 cm) long from beak to tail.
Diet: Archaeopteryx was a carnivore, a meat-eater. It may have eaten insects and other small animals.
Fossils: Seven detailed fossil impressions of this early bird have been found in Germany. Archaeopteryx was named by paleontologist Hermann von Meyer in 1861.
Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Aves, Genus Archaeopteryx, Species lithographica (von Meyer, 1861), bavarica (Wellnhofer, 1993).

American Tree Sparrow

The American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) is a common, migrating songbird that lives in much of North America. It breeds in northern Canada but winters in the United States. Its song is a rapid, chirping warble.
Anatomy: The American Tree Sparrow is about 6 inches (15 cm) long. It has a long tail and a red-brown cap. It is distinguished by a dark spot in the center of its breast, and frosty edges on the wings and tail.
Diet: The American Tree Sparrow eats seeds and small insects.
Nest and Eggs: The American Tree Sparrow's nest is built on or near the ground in a natural depression, near the base of scrubby trees and shrubs. The female lays 3-5 eggs in each clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time).

American Robin

The American Robin is a common, widespread songbird that lives across much of North America down to Guatemala. This bird is a type of thrush; it is more closely related to blackbirds than to English robins. It was mistakenly called a robin by early American settlers.
Anatomy: The American Robin is 9-10 inches (23-25.5 cm) long. Males and females are very similar in coloring; the male's head is darker and has brighter feathers. Young robins are paler than adults and have dark spots on the chest.
Diet: Robins eat small insects, spiders, and worms.
Nest and Eggs: Robins' nests are cups made from grass and mud. Nests are built in trees and shrubs. Females lay 3-7 light blue eggs in each clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time). The female incubates the eggs for 12-14 days.

Golden Plover

The American Golden Plover is a medium-sized shorebird from America. They nest in the far north and migrate to South America over winter. Anatomy: The American Golden Plover is 9.5-10 inches (24-25.5 cm) long. The feathers are brown, golden-brown, and white; it has a white, S-shaped mark along the head and sides.
Nest and Eggs: American Golden Plover nests are simple scrapes in the ground. Females lay 3-4 brown eggs with dark markings in each clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time).

American Flamingo

Feathers: The fla
The American Flamingo is a large pink bird that lives in large flocks in wetlands. When a flamingo flies, its long neck and long legs make a nearly straight line. Flamingos live to be about 50 years old. mingo's bright pink color is due to its diet. The carotene from the shrimp in its diet turns its feathers pink. If a flamingo's diet is low in carotene, the feathers become white.
Feathers: The flamingo's bright pink color is due to its diet. The carotene from the shrimp in its diet turns its feathers pink. If a flamingo's diet is low in carotene, the feathers become white.


Diet: The flamingo eats insects, crustaceans (shrimp and other shrimp-like animals), and tiny plants like diatoms and algae. The flamingo eats by putting its head upside-down into the water looking backwards. It takes in water that is rich in tiny organisms and filters nutrients from the water with a comb-like organ on its tongue.
Habitat: Flamingos prefer alkaline (the opposite of acid) waters. The American flamingo is native to Central America and South America. These birds live in warm, lush coastal areas and on cold mountain lakes high in the Andes Mountains (in Chileet (1.2 m) tall. Their long bill turns downward in the middle; it is yellow/orange with a black tip. The large bill is used in filter feeding.

American Crow

The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is a jet-black bird, closely related to the raven. The crow's call sounds like "caw." This social bird sometimes gathers in flocks of many hundreds of birds. When large groups of crows are feeding, there will often be one or two "sentinels" who are on the lookout for danger while the others eat.
Anatomy: The crow is an all-black bird about 18-22 inches (45-56 cm) long. It has a square-shaped tail and pointed wings.
Diet: The American crow is an omnivore; it eats plants and animals. It eats insects, grains, fruit, other birds' eggs, and small land and aquatic animals.
Eggs and Nests: The crow's nest is a cup of twigs and sticks lined with grass, bark, pine needles, and moss. Nests are located high in a tree or utility pole. Eggs are bluish-greenish marked with brown and gray. Females lay 3-7 eggs in each clutch (a set of eggs laid at one time). Both parents incubate the eggs, which hatch in about 17 days. The young are a

African Gray Parrot

The African Gray Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is a very talkative, intelligent, and sensitive bird. It may be the best talker of all the birds, easily learning hundreds of words and other sounds. These parrots have been kept as pets since ancient times, when the ard to distinguish.
Eggs and Chicks: There are 3 to 5 eggs in each clutch (a set of eggs laid in one nesting period). The eggs are laid in a tree cavity high above the ground. The female incubates the eggs for 30 days, and the male feeds her. Both parents will feed the chicks.
Diet: African Gray Parrots eat seeds, berries, nuts, and fruit.