Select the one animal that has all of the bird traits listed above.
Minnows live underwater and have fins to help them swim. They have scaly skin and lay eggs with no shells. Many fishermen use minnows as bait to catch other fish. Painted storks wade in shallow water to look for food. Storks use their beaks to eat fish, insects, worms, and small animals. They have feathers and two wings. Painted storks lay eggs with shells in nests along the water.
Birds are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify birds:
They have feathers.
They have wings.
They have a beak.
They make eggs with shells. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Birds have the following traits:
They have feathers.
They have wings.
They have a beak.
They make eggs with shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A painted stork has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
A painted stork has the traits of a bird. A painted stork is a bird.
A minnow has the following traits:
It has fins, not limbs.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A minnow does not have all of the traits of a bird. A minnow is a fish.