There are three major families of shorebirds: 1  Waders, about 220 species, include sandpipers, lapwings, snipes, plovers, stilts and various other species. These birds inhabit coasts and shorelines, as well as other open habitats. 2  Gulls, terns, skuas, jaegers and skimmers form a group of a little over 100 species.
The compass was probably invented in the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) by Chinese fortune-tellers who used the lodestones to construct their fortune telling boards.
The first paper was invented in the 2nd century BC and the manufacture later perfected around 105 AD. Printing-Wood block printing was invented in AD 868 and then moveable type around 200 years later. Gunpowder, paper, printing, and the compass are sometimes called the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China. 2  Kites were first used as a way for the army to signal warnings. 3  Umbrellas were invented for protection from the sun as well as the rain. 4  Chinese doctors knew about certain herbs to help sick people.