By Renee Durham
Official Kids Mag
Birds are important to the
ecosystem. All the different kinds of
birds play different roles in helping to
maintain the ecosystem. Here are a
few ways birds contribute.
1
Birds eat insects - hundreds
of them a day. Insect eating birds
include bluebirds, warblers and
woodpeckers. Also, bats eat thousands
of pesky mosquitos each year.
2
Birds pollinate
flowers. Nectar
eating birds like
Hummingbirds, for
instance, spread pollen
with their beaks
and feathers. Other
common pollinators
are sunbirds and honey-
eaters.
3
Birds spread
seeds. They eat fruit,
then carried the seed in
their intestines and deposit them in
new places. Fruit-eating birds include
finches, orioles, mockingbirds and
robins.
4
Birds help maintain the
rodent population. Predator
birds, also known as raptors,
who eat small rodents and prey are
eagles, hawks, falcons and vultures.
Want to be a junior scientist and help
collect data about birds? It's so easy!
You can do it anytime by yourself, with
your friends or family, or with your
classroom, or other bunch of friends
like a scout troop or 4H group.
It's for
the birds
Great White Egret
Baltimore Oriole
Eastern
Phoebe
Eastern
Kingbird
Of f icialKidsMag.com • FEBRUARY 2020 • 39
