Select the one animal that has all of the bird traits listed above.
Brown pelicans live along the west coast of North America. They dive underwater to catch fish in their beaks. Brown pelicans keep their eggs warm by standing on the shells with their large, webbed feet. Salmon lay eggs with no shells at the bottom of freshwater streams. Salmon use their powerful fins to swim. They can even jump up small waterfalls!
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 brown pelican has the following traits:
It has feathers.
It has wings.
It has a beak.
It makes eggs with shells.
A brown pelican has the traits of a bird. A brown pelican is a bird.
A salmon has the following traits:
It has fins, not limbs.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A salmon does not have all of the traits of a bird. A salmon is a fish.