Natural Creatures: Animals Birds (Lower)

Author: Jiang Taobo Yuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: In the animal kingdom, birds are the only feathered warm-blooded animals. The average body temperature of birds is about 10 degrees higher than that of mammals. Birds reproduce through laying eggs. With wings and streamlined bodies, they can freely soar in the sky. Birds are the most widely and numerous group of terrestrial vertebrates. There are currently over 9,198 species of birds worldwide, distributed across all continents. China has 1,244 species, accounting for 13.52% of the world's bird species. It includes extremely rare species such as the Crested Ibis, Black-crowned Crane, Red-crowned Crane, Greater Swan, Green Peafowl, Black Stork, Black-faced Spoonbill, Scaly-sided Merganser, Hill Myna, Golden Eagle, Common Buzzard, Vulture, and Snowy Owl, among others. Birds are very important to nature, not only because of their colorful feathers and melodious songs, but more importantly, they can eliminate pests and serve as guardians of the ecological balance in nature.