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TopClicks
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Animals, Pets & More
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Birds
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All About Birds - Learn about the functions of feathers, discover why there are few bird fossils, and see pictures of birds used as national and state symbols. Take loads of links to pages about different species, and chuckle over bird jokes.
American Birding Association - North America's largest membership organization for active birders – providing leadership to field birders by increasing their knowledge, skills, and enjoyment of birding, and by contributing to bird conservation.
Animal Bytes - Brought to you by Sea World Busch Gardens, Animal Bytes were specifically designed to help you quickly find information about some of the unique creatures found in the animal kingdom. Most files include the scientific classification, fun facts, and biological value as well as some incredible photos.
Bird Extremes - How fast can a bird fly? The peregrine falcon has been clocked at 90 mph, and the spine-tailed swift is right up there, too, at 90 to 100 mph. The fastest land bird is the ostrich, which can speed along at 43 mph on a good day. If you want to know the biggest, smallest, highest birds ever, this is a good place to start!
Bird Pamphlets - The bird food store has so many choices: black oil sunflower, safflower seed, niger seed, or maybe peanut hearts. How do you sort it all out? The good news is that you don't have to sort the various seeds-- the birds do that for you! You'll find a handy guide to what species of birds like which foods plus some tips about feeders and placing them in the right spots to attract the most birds.
Bird Records - If you have to know the smartest bird, the smallest egg, or the biggest wingspan, this is the site to visit. Here's an interesting note: the most creative species is the marsh warbler with up to 84 songs. And the most valuable bird? It's the chicken, because "8 billion domestic chickens produce 562 billion eggs annually." These records are from the book The Bird Almanac .
Bird Species Profiles - Confused about cockatiels? Puzzled over parakeets? If you're thinking of getting a pet bird, you should start here. Canaries are best kept in pairs, and they don't like to be handled. Parakeets are good with young children, easy to keep, and sometimes can be trained to talk. A healthy `keet can live for 25 years! Cockatiels need a large cage and prefer to be hand fed. Lovebirds are fun and make good pets for families. Learn more here!
Birdcare Encyclopaedia - A guidebook to the wild birds that visit your garden and how to care for them. You will find practical advice -- including the best feeders, food and nest boxes and knowing where to site them -- together with fascinating background such as the species most likely to visit and the history of birdfeeding.
BirdSource - Sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, BirdSource attempts to chart the large-scale movements of bird populations over time. Where is the first robin of spring? These folks know. Occasionally they ask for your help. Identify what birds are in your area, and then add them to the database at this site. You'll also find links to Cornell's classroom bird watch project so you can get your whole class involved.
Breeds of Poultry - From the Department of Animal Science - Oklahoma State University--you'll discover a wide variety of poultry breeds with each history, physical descriptions and photos.
Butterfly and Hummingbird Gardening - Learn how you can create a beautiful garden to attract both butterflies and hummingbirds to your backyard. Perhaps you will catch a lovely butterfly as it flutters by!
Carter's Rare Birds - Duck, duck, goose! You probably know Daffy Duck, Donald Duck, and even Mother Goose, but let's look at some of the less-famous ducks and geese, such as cackling Canada geese, cinnamon teal, American widgeons, and wood ducks. Stop by this site and meet some of these birds and hear what they sound like. You'll learn about their nests and eggs and also about their status in both the wild and in captivity.
Common Birds of the Australian National Botanic Gardens - It's such a nice day for a walk in the garden. What beautiful birds! And listen--their songs are so pretty. The Australian National Botanic Gardens are so peaceful, it almost feels as if you are actually there. Watch out, though. During the spring breeding season, male magpies protect their territory by "swooping" intruders: a painful experience for those unlucky enough to be hit. Did you know that the tongue of the New Holland honeyeater has a "brush" at the end, which helps it gather the sweet nectar in flowers? Visit the gardens and learn about the other fascinating birds in the sanctuary.
E-nature.com - This fabulous Audubon Field Guide site is new, and it couldn't have come at a better time, when lots of families are out exploring the natural world. Now when you find an amphibian, insect, butterfly, fish, mammal, reptile, seashell, tree, spider, or wildflower, you have an online identification source. Over 4,800 species are included! Naturally, there's an Audubon guide to birds, too. First select the category of feathered friend you spotted; there are 14 from which to choose. Was it a long-legged wader? A tree-clinger? A hawk-like bird? Say you think it may have been a hawk. Click into that part of the site and find photos and details on 35 different types of hawks and hawk-like birds: vultures, falcons, kestrels, eagles, and more. Compare photos and field marks and--Hey, it's a red-tailed hawk!
FeatherSite - The Poultry Page - If you are interested in what breed of chicken crossed the road rather than why it crossed the road, then strut on over to the Featherside Farm and inspect their collection of colorful chick pics and descriptions. If you say there is more to poultry than foul chickens, you're right! They've also included ducks, geese, turkeys, and peafowl guaranteed to smooth your feathers. (Hint: Take the link back to the home page to view a dancing chicken.)
Hinterland Who's Who Index - Lemmings--those are cute little computer game characters who run up and down hills and in and out of caves, right? Better check out this site! Real lemmings are mouselike rodents that live in the treeless areas of northern Canada. They are a very important species in Arctic ecosystems. The curious thing is that lemming populations fluctuate drastically, peaking about every four years and then crashing almost to extinction. One of the Inuit names for the collared lemming is kilangmiutak , which means "one who comes from the sky." Read about this Indian legend and the various theories on the rise and fall of the lemming population as well as interesting information about more than 80 other animals native to Canada's hinterlands. Put on your snowshoes and follow the animal tracks across northern Canada.
Kaytee Discovery Zone - Did you know there are over 8,500 living species of birds? At this wonderful site you can learn about bird habitat, anatomy, feather differences, and conservation of endangered species around the world.
North American Loon Fund - Loons are among the oldest of all bird species. They are water birds and go ashore only to mate and to incubate their eggs. They eat fish, which they catch by diving. They scrape up pebbles on the lake bottom to help them digest their food. Sometimes the "pebbles" are really abandoned lead fishing sinkers. Studies show that eating these sinkers poisons loons! If you find some old fishing lines, hooks, or sinkers, be sure to throw them away in a trash can. This organization aims to help save loons through education, research, and preservation of habitat. Visit here to learn all about loons.
Old Abe the War Eagle - During the Civil War, many military units adopted an animal mascot. Usually it was a dog or a goat, but the Eighth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment had something really unique: a bald eagle, which they named "Old Abe," after President Abraham Lincoln. You can read about Old Abe's war stories and see pictures. Old Abe's legacy lives on in the logos of Wisconsin companies, in replicas at the Wisconsin State Assembly and elsewhere, and in the names of school sports teams. Additionally, the insignia patch of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, originally formed in Wisconsin during World War I, carries a graphic of Old Abe. According to this page, the "Screaming Eagles" saw extensive action in World War II and the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars.
Patuxent - Migratory Bird Research - Learn all about the Audubon Christmas bird count, migratory bird research, the bird identification info center and more! You'll find lots of pictures, song files, and tips for identifying our feathered friends.
Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter - Basic information on a variety of perching (and other) birds can be found at this site. Look for photographs, songs, identification tips, maps, and life history information for North American birds.
Satellite Tracking of Threatened Species - Certain traditional bird migration routes, used for years, have become unsuitable for one reason or another, usually because habitat along the way has been destroyed. The key is to teach these threatened birds new routes. Meet the sandhill cranes who have been trained to migrate by riding in the back of a pickup truck! Check out other birds who follow ultralight aircraft, as seen in the movie Fly Away Home . You'll also learn about tiny transmitters worn by birds and the NOAA satellites that receive their signals and transmit them back to the ground stations for data analysis. Many examples are given of birds that have been tracked all over the world. Watch their animated movements on the maps.
SERRC'S Home Page - Did you ever wonder how injured wild birds are rehabilitated? What if they don't fully recover? Visit the Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center (SERRC) and discover what it takes to rehabilitate injured birds before they can be released to the wild. Meet the special permanent residents that will never be released due to the severity of their injuries. Learn the importance of raptors and how you can help ensure that these birds get the finest care available. Maybe your class could participate in the Adopt-A-Raptor program!
The Aviary - Join the flock here for a large variety of information about birds. Whether you own a companion bird or enjoy watching wild birds, this home page is a gathering place and resource center for all bird lovers. You'll find information about bird health as well as food and nutrition tips. You'll discover the importance of toys for your pet bird and learn about wild bird rescue. Fly on over and ask an avian vet a question about your pet bird today.
Virtual Antarctica Science: Seabirds - In the early seventeenth century, seagoing mariners believed the souls of drowned sailors were reincarnated as albatrosses, and killing them brought very bad luck. The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge even wrote a famous poem about it, called "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." The largest species, the wandering albatross, has a wingspan of around 11 to 11.5 feet and weighs around 18 pounds. According to this resource, adult birds have been recorded flying up to 550 miles per day, at speeds of 50 mph! In a single food-foraging flight they can cover an incredible 1,800 to 9,300 miles--a distance greater than the diameter of Earth.
Virtual Birding - Educational Materials - Have you ever noticed that all birds don't have the same size and shape of bill? That's because they eat different types of things: some peck at seeds while others gobble down insects. This resource offers a series of lessons that will teach you how to discover a bird's diet by inspecting its beak. Besides that, you'll learn how birds are classified, how they build nests, and how they communicate. This is a simple and informative beginner birding guide.
Virtual Birding in Tokyo - Wouldn't it be fun to see what kinds of birds are in other kids' backyards--say, in Tokyo, Japan? This site lets you compare your local birds to their counterparts on the other side of the world. Does the puddle duck mallard you have strutting around your park pond look the same as the ones in Japan? Find out here at this beautiful site.
Wild Channel - The Wild Channel is an interactive wildlife experience designed to take you on a journey into the world of natural history and wildlife. Watch the stunning video clips an the in-depth features which highlight different animals.
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