Birds are found everywhere on Earth, except underwater (for long periods of time). From the cold, dark expanses of the arctic to the tropical forests of Peru to grasslands to the Pacific Ocean, our feathered friends are a hardy bunch. Here’s why they’re so cool:

1. They can fly.

Birds have incredibly lightweight skeletons because some of their bones are hollow! This lack of mass allows them to keep themselves in the air for sustained periods of time. They also have feathers that catch the wind and allow for easy takeoff and landing, even in the water. Flying is an asset for birds, as it allows them to live in tall trees, escape ground-dwelling predators, travel long distances and find food. Unfortunately, some birds such as ostriches and penguins cannot fly. However, these birds are blessed with their own unique abilities, such as speed on land and in the water.

2. They are descended from dinosaurs.

Birds are descended from dinosaurs, and for some species, such as the cassowary (above), it’s not hard to tell. Many birds, especially parrots, have scaly legs that are reminiscent of those of a reptile. Many dinosaurs also had primitive forms of feathers, which all birds have today. Interestingly enough, the closest living relative of the T-rex is the species gallus gallus domesticus, or chickens! Next time, think twice before calling someone a chicken: you might actually be giving them a compliment.

3. They are incredibly smart.

Everyone knows that parrots can speak, but many assume that all they do is copy people. Research has shown that this isn’t true; birds don’t just repeat words, they can actually learn languages. This concept has been proved by birds that have incredible vocabularies containing hundreds of words stringing coherent sentences together. However, even the birds that can’t speak are very intelligent. Crows, members of the Corvid family, along with blue jays, have been known to use tools such as sticks to access food. Only a few select species have this ability, so this demonstrates how smart birds are in comparison to their animal and human counterparts.

4. They’re really cute!!

Birds are one of the silliest animals on the planet. With their incredible imitation skills and sense of curiosity, birds are constantly behaving in ways that are downright hilarious. In the picture above, a parrot is wedged in the blinds, looking outside. This is just one example of the ridiculous situations our feathered friends can get themselves into. Their foolish antics endear both bird lovers and people who don’t know much about birds.

Conclusion

It’s easy to see how amazing birds are. Both their physical and mental traits allow them to survive in hostile environments and overcome challenges that many other species can’t. Because of this, it’s no surprise that birds capture the imaginations of people around the world. Here’s to our feathered friends!

Bird Gallery

Here is an image gallery containing one bird species per biome (see homepage for biomes).