Fascinating Bird Facts

Just sitting and watching the birds in your back yard is fascinating and captivating. And birds really are interesting creatures, even more so than you may realize. So here’s a collection of fascinating and fun bird facts for you…

Fun Bird Facts

  • There are nearly 10,000 different bird species in the world.
  • The biggest bird in the world is the Ostrich. It can grow up to 9 feet tall. As well as being the largest bird, it’s also the fastest runner and lays the biggest eggs.
  • If you want a hard-boiled Ostrich egg, you’ll have to boil it for 2 hours.
  • The smallest bird in the world is the Bee Hummingbird. It’s just 2 inches long.
  • The hummingbird also lays the smallest eggs. Hummingbird eggs are about as big as a pea.
  • Despite their small size, hummingbirds eat about every ten minutes. In just one day, they’ll eat the equivalent of twice their body weight in nectar.
  • Arctic Terns migrate further than any other birds. They migrate from the Arctic to Antarctica, a distance of 25,000 miles. And then they go back!
  • Birds have hollow bones. This makes them lighter, making it easier for the birds to fly. Indeed, a bird’s feathers weigh more than their skeleton.
  • The most common bird in the world is the chicken.
  • The chicken also has the distinction of being the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur.
  • The Kiwi bird of New Zealand is the only wingless bird in the world. It also hunts using smell as it’s blind.
  • Hummingbirds can fly backwards.
  • The penguin is the only bird that walks upright. It’s also the only bird that can swim but can’t fly.
  • Homing pigeons can find their way home over long distances. They’ve been to carry messages for thousands of years.
  • The fastest diving bird is the Peregrine Falcon. It can reach speeds of over 180 kph.
  • Owls can rotate their heads through almost a complete circle, but they can’t move their eyes. Owls are also found on every continent except for Antarctica.
  • Crows have the largest brains relative to their size of all birds.
  • The Australian Pelican has the longest bill of any bird. It’s bill is nearly 2 feet long.
  • The Whistling Swan can have up to 25,000 feathers, more than any other bird.
  • The African Gray Parrot is the most talkative bird in the world.
  • The Albatross can soar without moving its wings for up to 6 hours.

2 thoughts on “Fascinating Bird Facts”

  1. When it comes to birds, the males tend to have the more glamorous feather shape, coloration, songs, and dances.  Female birds choose their mate based on how attractive they find them!

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