Activity: What Is a Bird?
Activity: What Is a Bird?
Objective: Students will study the characteristics that make a bird a bird.
Materials: None, although a mounted bird would demonstrate parts of this discussion.
Borrow a mounted pheasant or duck from someone you know. ·
Background: Everyone knows what a bird is. We see them every day. Most of your
students probably saw a bird this morning on their way to school. But what makes a bird a
bird? What are the distinguishing characteristics that let you separate birds from other
animals? This activity will help students separate birds from other vertebrates (animals
with backbones). There is usually not a problem separating birds from invertebrates,
although hawk moths and clear-winged moths are sometimes confused with
hummingbirds because they make a humming sound when hovering over flowers.
