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The World of Birds
There are approximately
9,300 species of birds in the world. They range in size from
the tiny Bee Hummingbird, which weighs little more than a dime, to
the Ostrich, which weighs over 300 pounds and stands taller
than a man does.
Birds are the most mobile of
all the animals. Only birds can go anywhere they please on
the earth's surface. They are most numerous in marshes,
rainforests, and woodlands. Birds inhabit deserts and have
been seen within a few miles of the North and South Pole.
Some birds never stray far from their homes in their entire lives,
but others span entire oceans or continents, sometimes in a single
flight. An example of this is the golden-plover which flies
nonstop from Alaska to Hawaii and back each year.
Species of birds can be
found in almost any color of the rainbow. Brightly colored
peacocks and the camouflaged Tawny Frogmouth are just a few
examples.
While some birds are nearing
extinction, there are more domestic chickens on earth than humans.
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