Select the one animal that has all of the bird traits listed above.
American tree sparrows have a beak and lay eggs with shells. They have dark feathers on their wings and lighter feathers on other parts of their bodies. Male tree sparrows sing songs to attract mates. Florida manatees have hairs on their bodies that are similar to whiskers. These hairs help the manatees feel the water moving around them. Female manatees feed their offspring milk.
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.
An American tree sparrow has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
An American tree sparrow has the traits of a bird. An American tree sparrow is a bird.
A Florida manatee has the following traits:
It feeds its offspring milk.
It has hair.
A Florida manatee does not have all of the traits of a bird. A Florida manatee is a mammal.