Illustrated by KELSEY BUZZELL FERN WEXLER
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a bird with wings and feathers and a sharp, pointy beak?
Maybe you have noticed bird families outside your window or in your backyard and wondered what it would be like to grow up in a family of birds.
Baby birds and their parents spend so much time hiding in their nest that it’s difficult to see how the parents take care of the babies.
But if you look closely, you may notice that some birds have families just like yours!
Your family may be like a Blue Jay family.
Blue Jay parents work together to raise their babies.
Mom and dad both work hard to look after their chicks and teach them how to fly, squawk, and find their own food.
Sometimes they even teach their babies how to make the sounds of other birds!
Maybe your family is like an Emu family.
Emu dads raise their babies all by themselves. They incubate the eggs by sitting on them to keep them warm for eight weeks.
Once their chicks hatch, they protect them and make sure they don’t get into any trouble.
No matter what happens, Emu dads can be trusted to keep their kids safe.
Your family might be like a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird family.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird moms take care of their babies by themselves. It’s hard work for such a small bird!
They bring their babies tiny bugs, like mosquitoes, to eat. They also make sure that the nest is big enough to fit their babies until they’re all grown up and ready to leave.
Perhaps your family is more like a Black Swan family.
Lots of baby Black Swans grow up with two dads. Black Swan dads share everything equally and take turns keeping their eggs warm and caring for their babies after they’ve hatched.
When their babies get tired of swimming and looking for tasty plants to eat, their dads let them ride on their backs to rest.
You could have a family like a Laysan Albatross.
Many Laysan Albatross babies have two moms. For several months before their babies hatch, the moms take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm.