FEATHERY FRIDAY
It’s everyone’s favorite day of the week- FRIDAY! And Friday means feathers! Yep it’s our bird friends turn to take the spotlight! Did you know there are about 10,000 species of birds? Goodness who knew that there were so many? And each one is so different. Some birds are flightless, some swim in the water, some are small and some are very small. They eat everything from worms, seeds, nectar, fish, rodents, snakes and fruit. They inhabit every continent on earth and every habitat from deserts, to rainforests, to the icy Arctic. So what’s so special about birds? How are they different from mammals, reptiles and fish? Well let’s find out.
These are the characteristics that make a bird a bird…
- Birds are warm-blooded or endothermic- meaning they regulate their own body temperature.
- Birds are vertebrates (they have a backbone).
- Birds lay eggs.
- Birds are covered in feathers.
- Bird’s bones are hollow and light weight.
Do you have a favorite bird?
Ellie’s favorite bird is the African grey parrot and Edmond’s the Southern ground hornbill!
Are you ready to meet today’s bird?
MEET THE BLUE FOOTED BOOBY!
Range/Habitat: South America to the Galapagos Islands, spend day in ocean and on rocky shores at night
Diet: Carnivores: fish, squid, sardines, anchovy
Size/Weight: 32-34in, 3 ½ lbs
Conservation Status: Common
Fun facts:
- Blue footed boobies are excellent swimmers and divers.
- The name booby comes from the Spanish word bobo meaning “fool or clown”. They were named that because they are so clumsy when walking on land.
- They use their bright blue webbed feet to keep their chicks warm.
- Both parents take care of the chicks.
- The male booby performs a dance to attract a female. Often the male with the bluest feet gets the girl!
Not only do the birds have funny looking feet and a funny sounding name, we think they are FUN!
Check out the video of the male doing his mating dance!
We’re going to be doing the Blue footed booby dance all day!
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 