Animal facts, education & inspiration
Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates of the class Aves. They are characterised by their feathers, toothless beaks, scaly legs and laying of hard-shelled eggs. They live worldwide and have evolved over time to inhabit a diverse array of environments, with some even losing their ability to fly!
Explore the fascinating array of birdlife hiding in our A-Z archives below.
Fascinating facts about some of the world’s most amazing animals. From Aardvarks to Zebras our A-Z of the animal world is guaranteed to inspire. If your favourite animal’s not yet included, please let us know. Check out the Top 3 most loved animals! »
The Adélie Penguin lives along the coastline and the small islands of the Antarctic continent. It breeds in rocky, ice-free coastal areas. When the sea freezes in the winter, they travel north and forage in the open ocean. Warming of the air and ocean is causing a decline in the West Antarctic Peninsula colonies.
With their distinctive black and white bodies and brightly coloured beaks, puffins are well known and easily recognisable birds in the auk family. In summer, their broad, triangular beaks and legs are bright orange but in winter, following the end of the breeding season, they dull to a grey colour.
The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world, so small in fact that it is often mistaken for an insect.
A group of crows is called a ‘murder’. They are extremely intelligent birds, some have been observed using basic tools!
Chickens feel empathy for each other. Researchers proved that domesticated hens show a clear physiological and behavioural response when their chicks are mildly distressed.
A cuckoo chick’s call can be so loud and demanding when wanting food that it can persuade birds other than its foster parent to feed it.
Duck feathers have evolved to be highly waterproof. Even when they dive underwater, their underlayer of downy feathers will remain dry.
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