Select the one animal that has all of the bird traits listed above.
Chinese alligators live in lakes and streams in eastern China. They lay eggs with shells and live in underground burrows in the winter. Chinese alligators have scaly, waterproof skin. Blue-footed boobies live on tropical islands in the Pacific Ocean. They have two wings, feathers, and a beak. Blue-footed boobies lay eggs with pale blue shells. They keep the eggs warm with their large blue feet.
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 Chinese alligator has the following traits:
It has scaly, waterproof skin.
It makes eggs with shells.
A Chinese alligator does not have all of the traits of a bird. A Chinese alligator is a reptile.
A blue-footed booby has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
A blue-footed booby has the traits of a bird. A blue-footed booby is a bird.