The Bird is the Word (For Kids) Quiz

The American robin is a bird with a bright red-orange belly and a gray back that you often see hopping around on lawns looking for worms. Robins build nests from grass and mud and sometimes raise two or three families in one summer. In winter robins either head south or winter down if there are lots of berries and fruit around. We often spot them in parks, backyards, and fields because robins like open places where they can run around and peck.

The European turtle dove is a small, gentle bird with soft brown feathers marked with neat black stripes on its neck. When it flies, it shows off its reddish wings, and when it lands, you may hear its purring call. Each spring it travels a long way from Africa back to Europe to build its nest in hedges and small trees.

It likes to eat seeds, especially from weeds and farm plants. Today these doves are not as common as they used to be because their nesting places and food are harder to find, so many people are working to protect them.

The hairy woodpecker is a black-and-white bird with a strong, long beak that it uses like a tiny tool. The male has a small red patch on the back of his head. You can hear it tapping on tree trunks like a drum as it looks for beetles and other bugs hiding under the bark. Hairy woodpeckers make homes by chiseling out holes in dead trees where they lay eggs and raise chicks.

The bald eagle is a big, strong bird with a white head and tail and dark brown body that you can spot soaring over rivers and lakes. Its wings can stretch as wide as seven feet (two meters), and it uses sharp claws called talons to catch fish from the water. Bald eagles build very large nests high in trees and often return to the same nest each year.

The bald eagle has been a famous symbol of the United States for a very long time.

The European robin is a small bird with a bright orange-red chest and a soft brown back. You might see it in gardens, parks, or woods, and it often hops near people who are digging because it loves the worms that turn up. Robins sing clear, warbling songs almost all year, and they can get cross when they guard their patch from other birds.

The mother builds a snug cup nest of moss and leaves in a hedge, a wall crack, or a tree hole and lays about four to six speckled eggs. In summer they eat mostly insects and worms.

The Australian king parrot is a bright parrot that looks like a little red and green flag flying through the trees. The male parrot has a red head and chest, while the female has a green head and a red belly, so you can tell them apart easily. They live in the rainforests and wet forests of eastern Australia, and they hop around the branches eating seeds, fruit, and berries.

The rufous hummingbird is a tiny, fast bird about 3 inches (7 centimeters) long. The male is bright orange on his throat and back, while the female is greener with a bit of orange. They drink nectar from flowers and catch tiny bugs, visiting thousands of flowers some days. Every year many rufous hummingbirds fly nearly 4,000 miles (over 6,000 kilometers) one way between Mexico and places as far north as Alaska. Rufous hummingbirds are pretty protective of their food and will chase other birds away from flowers.

The great horned owl is a large, powerful owl with ear feathers that look like little horns and bright yellow eyes. It hunts mostly at night, sitting on a high branch and then swooping down to grab small animals (including other birds!) with its sharp feet.

These owls do not build their own nests. Instead, they use old nests made by big birds or find a hollow in a tree. The parents feed fluffy baby owls called owlets until the young birds can fly and hunt on their own. You can often hear a deep hooting call that helps them keep their territory.

The American goldfinch is a small, bright little bird about 4-5 inches (10 centimeters) long. In summer the male is a bright yellow with black wings and a black cap, but in winter both males and females turn duller brownish colors. They mostly eat seeds.

They love sunflower, thistle, and tree seeds. They're also great acrobats, balancing on plant stems to pick at seedheads. Goldfinches build their nests late in the season, using plant fibers and spider webs, and they line it with soft feathers so it's cozy.

The house sparrow is a small bird people see all around towns and farms. The male has a gray top to his head, a rusty patch on the back of the head, and a black patch on his throat. Females and young birds are plain brown and streaky. Sparrows like to live near people because they eat birdseed, crumbs, and anything else people leave around. You can watch them hop on the ground in noisy groups, take baths in dust, and squeeze into small holes or eaves to make messy nests.

The European starling is a shiny bird with dark feathers that can look speckled in winter and greenish and purple in summer. Starlings eat insects, fruit, and seeds and they walk on the ground a lot while they look for food. In the fall and winter thousands of starlings sometimes gather and fly together in huge swarms (called "murmurations") that twist and turn like a moving cloud.

The Eurasian magpie is a clever black-and-white bird with a long tail and shiny feathers that sometimes look green or purple in the light. It lives in places like towns, farms, and parks, so pretty much anywhere with trees and open ground. Magpies eat lots of different things like insects, seeds, small animals, eggs, and even leftovers people throw away. Magpie parents are very caring. Both feed their young until they can fly.

These birds are very social, and sometimes whole groups chitchat loudly together.