Ruth Owen - Why Do Birds Have Feathers?

by Ruth Owen Published in 2021 by Ruby Tuesday Books Ltd. Copyright 2021 Ruby Tuesday Books Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Designer: Emma Randall Editor: Mark J. .......................... ..................................... .................................. ................................ ....................... ................. ................................. ............................................ ................................... ................................................................... ................................ Fantastic Feathers Birds are the only animals with feathers. Fantastic Feathers Birds are the only animals with feathers.

Their feathery covering protects them from thorns, insects, hot sun, wind, rain, and snow. Flight feathers Tail feathers Body feathers A macaw parrot

Tiny feathers Feathers are made from keratin. Its the same stuff that your hair and nails are made from. A bird moves its feathers as it flies or when it shows off. It may pull them close to its body to keep warm. How Do Feathers Grow? When a chick hatches, it has a covering of tiny, fluffy feathers called down . How Do Feathers Grow? When a chick hatches, it has a covering of tiny, fluffy feathers called down .

Cockatiel chick Down After a few days, tiny spikes sprout from the chicks body. Each spike is a new feather thats rolled up like a tiny tube. Spikes

Soon the feathers begin to uncurl from the tips of the tubes. The feathers on a birds body are called contour (CON-toor) feathers. Under the contour feathers are tiny, soft, down feathers that keep the bird warm. If you want to see an adult cockatiel, turn to page Tube Tip of new feather Feathers for Flying The big stiff feathers on a birds wings help it fly.

As a bird flaps its wings downward, they force the air down. This pushes the bird up. Then the bird flaps its wings upward, and they are ready for the next downward movement. The birds wings also push the air backward, which pushes the bird forward.

A bird changes direction by moving its feathers to change the shape of its wings. Feathers for Hiding The colors and patterns on a birds feathers can be good camouflage . Feathers for Hiding The colors and patterns on a birds feathers can be good camouflage .

Golden plover birds lay their eggs in nests on the ground. The chicks feathers help them hide from predators in the plants around their nest.

Screech owls sit perfectly still on a branch or in a tree hole. Their camouflage hides them from bigger owls, mink, and other hungry predators. A screech owls feathers blend into a trees bark. Feathers for Survival Emperor penguins live in Antarctica, where temperatures can drop to -40F (-40C).

To survive the extreme cold, emperor penguins have a covering of 30,000 waterproof contour feathers. Under this outer layer are up to 150,000 insulating down feathers. Emperor penguins hunt for fish in the freezing ocean. Sometimes they dive up to 1,600 feet (488 m) beneath the icy water! Chick

Emperor penguin How did scientists discover how many feathers an emperor penguin has? (The answer is on page 24.) Lets Talk Feathers for Showing Off When the mating season comes around, male ruff birds gather in a group called a lek. The males show off to attract a female mate . They bow and jump and flutter their wings.

A ruff bird

Ruffs live in marshes and on the shores of lakes. They are wading birds that wade in shallow water hunting for insects, small fish, and frogs. They also fluff up the large ruffs of feathers around their necks. Sandgrouse are birds that live in dry, desert-like places. When sandgrouse chicks need a drink, the father bird flies to a waterhole . He sits in the waterhole and shakes his belly feathers so they soak up water.

Feathers for Carrying Water Then the sandgrouse flies back to his family. The chicks gather around their dad and drink the water from his feathers. Father Mother Chick