Bird Quiz
Just like fish dominate the underwater domain, birds are the rulers of the skies. The same properties of physics that have set airplanes aloft have also propelled birds for millennia. But aside from feathers and flight, how much do you really know about these winged creatures?
Question 2 of 11
What characteristic makes birds unique?
... Birds are the only animals with feathers. Since some birds like emus and ostriches can't fly, this isn't a distinctive trait to the species.
Question 3 of 11
How many known species of birds exist?
... Currently, there are about 9,000 known species of birds alive today, of which 700 live in the United States and Canada.
Question 4 of 11
What is a bird's keel?
... The sternum, or breastbone, has a flat outer surface, called the keel, that provides a large area for the attachment of the wing muscles. The keel helps prevent the ribs and sternum from collapsing due to the powerful contractions of the breast and wing muscles during flight.
Question 5 of 11
What's the easiest way to tell the difference between wading birds and perching birds?
... With perching birds, the toes remain curled and pulled together as long as the legs are bent, allowing these birds to perch for hours at a time. Wading birds have webbed or lobed feet.
Question 6 of 11
Which is not a difference between birds and other mammals?
... Birds have four-chambered hearts, which are larger and more muscular than that of a mammal of comparable size. They also have higher body temperatures than most mammals, ranging from 102 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (39 to 43 degrees Celsius).
Question 7 of 11
Which of the following senses is weakest in birds?
... Most birds have poor senses of smell and taste.
Question 8 of 11
What's the major difference between human and bird digestion?
... All birds have two types of "stomachs": a glandular stomach (proventriculus) and a muscular stomach (gizzard).
Question 9 of 11
Which type of flight is the least common among birds?
... Hovering flight is used to remain motionless over one spot and requires more energy than flapping flight. Only a few species, such as hummingbirds, are capable of hovering flight.
Question 10 of 11
Which of the following is not a flightless bird?
... Although puffins look a lot like penguins, the big difference is that puffins can fly.
Question 11 of 11
Which of the following is true about bird songs?
... In most species, songs, triggered by the release of sex hormones, are sung only by the males during spring.
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