Birds

45 questions · Answers revealed below each question · Print this set

1.Which bird gets its pink color from its diet of shrimp and algae?
- A. flamingo
- B. hornbill
- C. Andean condor
- D. mute swan
Show answer
flamingo
Did you know? Flamingos often stand on one leg to conserve heat.
2.Which bird stands motionless before striking fish with its bill?
- A. snowy owl
- B. heron
- C. emu
- D. Andean condor
Show answer
heron
Did you know? Herons fly with their necks folded in an S-shape.
3.Which bird uses a pouch under its bill to scoop up fish?
- A. pelican
- B. hummingbird
- C. cockatoo
- D. swallow (barn)
Show answer
pelican
Did you know? Pelicans sometimes hunt in coordinated groups.
4.Which bird lays an egg that can weigh up to a fifth of its body weight?
- A. kiwi
- B. stork
- C. macaw
- D. quetzal
Show answer
kiwi
Did you know? The kiwi cannot fly and has nostrils at the tip of its bill.
5.Which bird is among the most intelligent of all birds?
- A. emu
- B. raven
- C. kingfisher
- D. cockatoo
Show answer
raven
Did you know? Ravens can solve puzzles and use tools.
6.Which bird was originally called a "robin redbreast"?
- A. kingfisher
- B. northern cardinal
- C. robin (European)
- D. snowy owl
Show answer
robin (European)
Did you know? "European robins" sing at night under city lights.
7.Which bird breeds during the Antarctic winter?
- A. macaw
- B. northern cardinal
- C. vulture (turkey)
- D. emperor penguin
Show answer
emperor penguin
Did you know? Emperor penguins incubate their egg on the males' feet.
8.Which bird drills into trees with rapid hammering blows?
- A. woodpecker
- B. blue jay
- C. pigeon (rock dove)
- D. sparrow (house)
Show answer
woodpecker
Did you know? Woodpeckers have shock-absorbing skulls.
9.Which bird is the fastest animal in a dive?
- A. peregrine falcon
- B. kingfisher
- C. Andean condor
- D. goose (barnacle)
Show answer
peregrine falcon
Did you know? The peregrine falcon hunts other birds in mid-air.
10.Which bird is among the longest-lived parrots?
- A. hummingbird
- B. macaw
- C. sparrow (house)
- D. albatross
Show answer
macaw
Did you know? Macaws often mate for life.
11.Which bird delivers long-distance migration over thermal currents?
- A. stork
- B. Andean condor
- C. barn owl
- D. cockatoo
Show answer
stork
Did you know? European storks often nest on rooftops and chimneys.
12.Which bird hunts by sound in almost total darkness?
- A. stork
- B. swallow (barn)
- C. superb lyrebird
- D. barn owl
Show answer
barn owl
Did you know? The barn owl's face is shaped like a heart.
13.Which bird hunts hares and marmots across the Northern Hemisphere?
- A. snowy owl
- B. kiwi
- C. cockatoo
- D. golden eagle
Show answer
golden eagle
Did you know? Golden eagles can spot prey from over 3 kilometers away.
14.Which bird thrives wherever humans build cities?
- A. goose (barnacle)
- B. vulture (turkey)
- C. bee hummingbird
- D. sparrow (house)
Show answer
sparrow (house)
Did you know? House sparrows nest in cavities and under roofs.
15.Which bird displays a fan-shaped train of iridescent feathers?
- A. bald eagle
- B. peacock
- C. cockatoo
- D. stork
Show answer
peacock
Did you know? The peacock's long feathers are called a "train".
16.Which bird is the national bird of the United States?
- A. northern cardinal
- B. bald eagle
- C. toucan
- D. emu
Show answer
bald eagle
Did you know? Bald eagles build the largest tree nests of any bird.
17.Which bird was once proposed as the national bird of the United States?
- A. wild turkey
- B. kingfisher
- C. swallow (barn)
- D. roadrunner
Show answer
wild turkey
Did you know? Turkeys can fly short distances despite their size.
18.Which bird is the only bird that can hover in place for sustained periods?
- A. woodpecker
- B. albatross
- C. robin (European)
- D. hummingbird
Show answer
hummingbird
Did you know? Hummingbirds can fly backward.
19.Which bird can recognize its own reflection and learn words?
- A. albatross
- B. barn owl
- C. puffin
- D. pigeon (rock dove)
Show answer
pigeon (rock dove)
Did you know? Pigeons were used as wartime message carriers.
20.Which bird is the largest living bird?
- A. blue jay
- B. ostrich
- C. goose (barnacle)
- D. superb lyrebird
Show answer
ostrich
Did you know? The ostrich cannot fly but can run faster than most horses.
21.Which bird has an oversized bill despite its light weight?
- A. bee hummingbird
- B. toucan
- C. woodpecker
- D. stork
Show answer
toucan
Did you know? The toucan's bill helps regulate body temperature.
22.Which bird is named for the red robes of Catholic cardinals?
- A. northern cardinal
- B. blue jay
- C. golden eagle
- D. hornbill
Show answer
northern cardinal
Did you know? Both male and female cardinals sing.
23.Which bird carries fish crosswise in its colorful bill?
- A. kiwi
- B. vulture (turkey)
- C. cassowary
- D. puffin
Show answer
puffin
Did you know? Puffins dig burrows to nest on cliff tops.
24.Which bird is the largest bird of Australia?
- A. hummingbird
- B. peacock
- C. emu
- D. emperor penguin
Show answer
emu
Did you know? The emu's eggs are dark green and weigh about half a kilogram.
25.Which bird hunts mainly lemmings in the Arctic tundra?
- A. Andean condor
- B. bee hummingbird
- C. hornbill
- D. snowy owl
Show answer
snowy owl
Did you know? The snowy owl hunts by day as well as by night.
26.Which bird raises a striking crest when excited?
- A. woodpecker
- B. cockatoo
- C. king penguin
- D. peacock
Show answer
cockatoo
Did you know? Cockatoos are native to Australia and nearby islands.
27.Which bird is the smallest living bird?
- A. emperor penguin
- B. snowy owl
- C. macaw
- D. bee hummingbird
Show answer
bee hummingbird
Did you know? The bee hummingbird's egg is the size of a pea.
28.Which bird finds carrion using keen eyesight?
- A. bee hummingbird
- B. vulture (turkey)
- C. pigeon (rock dove)
- D. canary
Show answer
vulture (turkey)
Did you know? Turkey vultures ride thermal currents with a V-shaped posture.
29.Which bird copies sounds from its surroundings into elaborate songs?
- A. puffin
- B. Andean condor
- C. superb lyrebird
- D. wild turkey
Show answer
superb lyrebird
Did you know? The superb lyrebird can mimic chainsaws and camera shutters.
30.Which bird dives headfirst into water to catch fish?
- A. mute swan
- B. kingfisher
- C. hornbill
- D. puffin
Show answer
kingfisher
Did you know? Kingfishers nest in tunnels dug into riverbanks.
31.Which bird was first kept by Spanish sailors as a songbird?
- A. peregrine falcon
- B. vulture (turkey)
- C. blue jay
- D. canary
Show answer
canary
Did you know? Canaries were once used in coal mines as gas alarms.
32.Which bird builds cup-shaped nests from mud?
- A. swallow (barn)
- B. puffin
- C. robin (European)
- D. peregrine falcon
Show answer
swallow (barn)
Did you know? Barn swallows migrate thousands of kilometers each year.
33.Which bird is one of the heaviest flying birds?
- A. vulture (turkey)
- B. kingfisher
- C. bee hummingbird
- D. mute swan
Show answer
mute swan
Did you know? In Britain, mute swans were long considered royal property.
34.Which bird mimics the calls of hawks?
- A. pelican
- B. roadrunner
- C. bald eagle
- D. blue jay
Show answer
blue jay
Did you know? Blue jays cache acorns and help spread oak forests.
35.Which bird was saved from extinction by captive breeding?
- A. golden eagle
- B. superb lyrebird
- C. stork
- D. whooping crane
Show answer
whooping crane
Did you know? Whooping cranes stand nearly 1.5 meters tall.
36.Which bird prefers running to flying and can reach 30 km/h?
- A. robin (European)
- B. roadrunner
- C. golden eagle
- D. bee hummingbird
Show answer
roadrunner
Did you know? The roadrunner is a ground cuckoo of the American Southwest.
37.Which bird has the longest wingspan of any living bird?
- A. toucan
- B. superb lyrebird
- C. whooping crane
- D. albatross
Show answer
albatross
Did you know? Albatrosses can lock their wings to soar with little effort.
38.Which bird is among the world's largest flying birds?
- A. canary
- B. cockatoo
- C. golden eagle
- D. Andean condor
Show answer
Andean condor
Did you know? The Andean condor can soar for hours without flapping.
39.Which bird nests on the ground in open fields?
- A. barn owl
- B. flamingo
- C. quail (common)
- D. emperor penguin
Show answer
quail (common)
Did you know? Quail eggs are among the smallest commercially sold eggs.
40.Which bird seals its nest cavity leaving only a narrow slit?
- A. snowy owl
- B. flamingo
- C. hornbill
- D. pigeon (rock dove)
Show answer
hornbill
Did you know? Hornbills seal their nests with mud and droppings.
41.Which bird ranks first in mirror self-recognition tests among birds?
- A. magpie
- B. superb lyrebird
- C. quetzal
- D. hornbill
Show answer
magpie
Did you know? Magpies are members of the crow family.
42.Which bird was sacred to the Maya and Aztec civilizations?
- A. Andean condor
- B. kingfisher
- C. whooping crane
- D. quetzal
Show answer
quetzal
Did you know? The resplendent quetzal's tail streamers can exceed its body length.
43.Which bird is considered among the most dangerous birds to keep?
- A. cassowary
- B. sparrow (house)
- C. golden eagle
- D. pelican
Show answer
cassowary
Did you know? The cassowary's dagger-like claw can be 12 centimeters long.
44.Which bird broods its egg on its feet like the emperor penguin?
- A. pelican
- B. robin (European)
- C. barn owl
- D. king penguin
Show answer
king penguin
Did you know? King penguins take nine months to fledge a chick.
45.Which bird was once believed to hatch from barnacles?
- A. northern cardinal
- B. goose (barnacle)
- C. magpie
- D. stork
Show answer
goose (barnacle)
Did you know? Medieval naturalists thought barnacle geese grew on trees.

Questions are for entertainment — difficulty ratings are a guide, and you know your crowd best. Always follow the rules of your venue or event.