Kids Research Express

.. Robin Both European and American robins typically live close to human dwellings. The American robin eats mainly fruit, although it occasionally eats insects. Snowy Owl The snowy owl ranges across northern Eurasia and North America. During the winter months, the snowy owl’s white plumage camouflages it, allowing it to swoop down undetected on small mammals and fish. Surf Scoter The surf scoter, Melanitta perspicillata, is a migratory duck that spends its summers in Arctic tundra and muskeg regions of Canada and Alaska and its winters from southern California and the Gulf of California eastward to Florida. Surf scoters feed on insects, larvae, and pondweed. Tropical Parrots Florida’s warm, humid climate allows it to sustain exotic tropical wildlife like these parrots, originally from South America. Vegetarian Finch On visiting the Galápagos Islands in 1835, British naturalist Charles Darwin noted the diversity of life, with each island supporting its own form of tortoise, mockingbird,

. Great Gray Owl The great gray owl, Manitoba’s provincial bird, is one of many kinds of wildlife that live in the undeveloped forests of the province. Because its home is in the far north where it stays light much of the time, this owl must often hunt in daylight. Owls, which are generally nocturnal, prefer to hunt at night. Great Kiskadee Named for its loud kis-ka-dee call, the great kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus, inhabits open country from the southern United States to Argentina. Like other members of the flycatcher family, it feeds mainly on large insects that it catches in flight. Green Heron The green heron, Butorides virescens, is a small, solitary bird that lives among dense vegetation along the banks of ponds and marshes. It often sits in tall grass leaning motionless over the water watching for small fish to swim past. It strikes quickly at prey, seldom missing with its pointed bill. Hawfinch Native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, the shy hawfinch, Coccothraustes coccothraustes

. Common Snipe The common American snipe is one of 81 species of sandpiper, which comprises the largest family of shorebirds. All sandpipers have relatively long wings and short tails, but differ greatly in the shape of their bills. The snipe can be found in swampy marshes and other wet habitats, where it uses its long, slender bill to probe for aquatic insects, snails, and small crustaceans. Emu The emu, Dromiceius novae-hollandiae, is a large, flightless bird native to Australia. Emus roam the western half of the continent in mass movements that may involve as many as 70,000 birds. They depend on the fruits, seeds, and flowers that grow in areas of recent rainfall and must migrate once they have depleted local sources. Frustrated farmers have constructed a 1000 km (600 mi) fence barring the emus from inland agriculture. Only when the males, which hatch and raise the young, are nesting are the giant birds tied to one location. European Goldfinch The European goldfinch, Carduelis cardu

. Bald Eagle Designated as the national bird of the United States in 1782, the bald eagle is the second-largest bird of prey in North America, after the California condor. The bald eagle population has shrunk due to exposure to insecticides such as DDT and other toxins, but is now recovering in some areas. Barred Plymouth Rock Hen The barred Plymouth Rock hen is an American class chicken, categorized with other medium-sized, yellow-skinned fowl developed in the United States. Selectively bred from Asian, English, and Mediterranean stock, this species is valued for the quality of its meat. Black Duck The black duck, Anas rubripes, is a close relative of the mallard. It lives near bodies of freshwater throughout eastern North America. Black ducks are best adapted for life in wooded areas and have been hurt by the widespread clearing of forests within their range. Black Turnstone This plump sandpiper lives along the rocky coastlines of North America’s Pacific coast. The black turnstone, A