Chapter 1: Flamingos
What makes flamingos special?
Flamingos can stand on one leg, did you know that it’s easier for them but it’s harder for humans? Since flamingos are pink, they don’t do it on their own. There’s pink plankton stuff in the water and they eat it and that’s what makes flamingos pink. Baby flamingos don’t start out pink, they start out gray. They start out puffy and they look like penguin babies because they are gray and puffy.
Where do flamingos live?
Flamingos usually live in mangrove swamps. Did you know that flamingos are a relative to dodo birds? They have the same beaks.
What do flamingo eggs look like?
Flamingo eggs are not the same as chicken eggs. They are like an oval, but no arch on the top. It kind of comes in on the side. Did you know that flamingos fly? Mostly only swamp flamingos fly because the swamp gives them much more cool and they can sense when something is coming. There’s not that much danger in lakes though. Flamingo packs are called flamboyances. A flamingo is 3 and a half to 5 feet tall. And did you know that lake flamingos make mud and stick nests?
Chapter 2: Golden Pheasants
Did you know that golden pheasants live in Western China?
Did you know that golden pheasant eggs are the exact same size and shape of chicken eggs? But they don’t have spots on them.
What do female golden pheasants look like?
They look more brownish blackish. And the males look; blue, red, a little black, yellow, gold, and there’s some grayish on the tail. Golden pheasants can fly but only a few feet in the air and they prefer to stay on the ground. Golden pheasants eat berries, bugs, and leaves. In the wild, golden pheasants live 5 to 6 years. But in people’s homes they can live 15 to 20 years. I think that’s because they get more treatment in houses. And I don’t think they live long in the wild because there are predators coming out to eat them.
What are golden pheasants’ predators?
Their predators are foxes and wild cats.
Chapter 3: Toucans
Where do Toucans live?
They live in the Amazon Rainforest.
What is a flock of Toucans called?
It is called a durante of Toucans. I thought durante means together, but it is Portuguese for during. It makes sense because durante and during kind of sound similar.
What do males look like? Male and females look the same, except male beaks are longer and narrower.
How many years do they live?
They live 12 to 20 years.
Did you know that there are different types of Toucans?
There are over 40 different species of Toucan. I would guess there are 60 because they are one of the most popular kinds of birds. All the different types of Toucan species have a big beak.
Chapter 4: Owls
Did you know that owls are nocturnal?
What does nocturnal mean?
Nocturnal means you stay awake all night and go to sleep all day.
What is a flock of owls called?
A flock of owls is called a parliament. A parliament is how people make laws in England.
What are owls’ ancestors?
Owls are closely related to Toucans and Hornbills.
What do owl eggs look like?
They are very round and they are white.
How many species of owl are there?
There were 250 species of owl. I knew there would be more than 100 species of owl because they are so smart and cunning like foxes! Here are some types of owls: the snowy owl, the elf owl, the barn owl.
Chapter 5: Eagles
Eagles are one of the most interesting birds on the planet. Eagle flocks have many names but the top three are: convocation, congregation, and aerie.
My favorite, personally, is definitely convocation. They are almost as fast as peregrine falcons. Peregrine falcons can go at almost 100 miles per hour while eagles can go 90 miles per hour.
I think that the females are more attractive because the males don’t really have any color. The female’s wingspan is just huge!
When eagles go out hunting it depends on where they live for what they eat. If they live on land they mostly eat snakes, rabbits, and squirrels. If they live near the sea, they usually eat fish.