Page 42 - ICSE Science 3 : E-book

These strokes lift the bird’s body into the air making it fl y.

To change the direction of fl ight while fl ying, birds use their tail feathers.

Most of the birds like pigeon, crow, hen and vulture can fl y. But there are some

birds like emu, ostrich, kiwi and penguin that cannot fl y. These are fl ightless birds
with heavy bodies.

TIME TO REVISE

Identify the following.

1. Type of feather: ______________

2. Type of feet and claws: ______________

3. Bird having strong and chisel-shaped beak: ______________

Food Habits

Birds feed on diff erent types of food. Some birds eat fruit, grains, seeds and

nuts while others eat fl esh and insects. Their food habits depend upon the type
of beaks and claws they have.

• Birds like sparrows and parrots use their strong curved beaks to crack open

the seeds and nuts to eat.

• Birds of prey like eagles and hawks use their strong, sharp and hooked beaks
to kill their prey and eat its fl esh.

• Woodpeckers eat insects by pulling them out from the tree trunk using their
chisel-shaped beaks.

• Some birds like sunbirds and hummingbirds suck nectar from fl owers using
their long beaks.

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