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Learn all about the defining characteristics and examples of common birds. Related content including worksheets, videos and other interactive media can be found on the world's most comprehensive science portal for kids – ngscience.com.
Birds are animals with bodies covered in feathers. All birds also have two wings, two feet and a beak or bill.
With light bodies and powerful muscles, many birds use their wings to fly. There are flightless birds, like emus and cassowaries, that move about by walking and running. Penguins are also flightless birds that use their wings as fins and rudders to swim.
All birds are warm-blooded, which means they regulate their own body temperature. Birds reproduce by internal fertilization whereby the egg cells are fertilized inside the female bird. Hard-shelled eggs then develop and are laid in a nest. The eggs are kept warm and are cared for by the parents until the young hatch from each egg.
Once hatched, most birds care for their young. They provide them with warmth, food and protection from predators.
