Back to: PRIMARY SIX SCIENCE LESSON NOTES
WARM BLOODED VERTERBRATES
BIRDS (CHARATERISTICS OF BIRDS)
A bird is warm blooded vertebrate covered with feathers, two wings, two legs and a beak.
Characteristics of birds
They are warm blooded vertebrates.
Their legs are covered with scales and the body with feathers. They reproduce by means of laying eggs which are fertilized internally They breathe using lungs.
They are stream lined/pointed at the front and the back to overcome friction
They have a four chambered heart.
Birds use beaks for pecking food.
Birds care for their young ones They have endo skeleton.
Birds have back bones
NOTE 1:Birds use their front limbs modified as wings for flying and the hind limbs for walking.
An illustration showing the external parts of a bird.
NOTE 2: Their skin is dry, loose and has no sweat glands so cooling is effected by panting.
Note 3:
A bird has spurs on the legs for protection/defence.
Birds use feathers for protection of the inner body parts from external damage.
Feathers of birds provide warmth to the body of the bird.
Feathers help the bird to fly especially those of the wings and tail.
Learners’ Activity
- Give any four characteristics of birds
- In one sentence give the functions of the following parts of the bird a) Talons c) feathers
b) Beak
- State how birds reproduce
- Draw and name the following parts of a hen
i) Spur ii) Wattle iii) Eye
- In one sentence give two differences between a hen and a cock