keen a.very good or well developed
Hunting birds have keen eyes that enable them to make perfect distance adjustments while they attack their prey.
fond a.having affection or liking for
I am very fond of birds.
attract v.to pull or draw someone or something towards them, by the qualities they have, especially good ones
These flowers are brightly colored in order to attract butterflies.
creature n.any large or small living thing that can move independently
Blue whales are the largest creatures ever to have lived.
vertebrate n.an animal that has a spine
Birds, fish, and reptiles are all vertebrates.
feather n.one of the long, light objects that cover a bird’s body, having soft fibers along each side of a thin, stiff, central stem
The bird has grey feathers with a lighter collar.
beak n.the hard, pointed part of a bird's mouth
Birds use their beaks to pick up food.
Aves n.the class of vertebrates comprising the birds
The vertebrate class Aves includes the birds, an extremely distinctive and successful clade, with an estimated 9000 species worldwide.
distinctive a.marking something as clearly different from others
She's got a very distinctive voice.
flora n.all the bacteria and other organisms that live inside an animal
In the normal, healthy person the gut flora is a balanced community of different organisms.
fauna n.all the animals that live wild in a particular area
While she was in Hawaii, she studied the local flora and fauna.
rare a.not common or frequent; very unusual
It's very rare to find these birds in New England in winter.
shiny a.bright because it reflects light
He owns a shiny new car.
breed v.(of animals) to have sex and produce young animals
At this time of year the birds return to the island to breed.
pigeon n.a large, usually gray-and-white bird that lives esp. in cities
We fed the pigeons in the park.
sparrow n.a common, small, gray-brown bird
Sparrows are classified into 3 families: Emberizidae, Estrildidae, and Passeridae.
finch n.a small singing bird with a short, wide, pointed beak
Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colorful plumage.
exotic a.unusual and especially interesting because of coming from a country that is far away
The garden includes a conservatory for growing exotic plants.
remote a.far away in the distance
Australia is large and remote from the great centers of the population of the world.
hunt v.to chase and try to catch and kill an animal or bird for food, sport, or profit
The owl hunts mice and other small mammals, and sometimes other birds.
roast v.to cook food in an oven or over a fire
I roasted the vegetables with some olive oil.
game birds a.birds which are shot for food or for sport
The sauce is good with other roasted game birds, too, not just pheasant.
delicacy n.something especially rare or expensive that is good to eat
In some parts of the world, sheep's eyes are considered a great delicacy.
cage n.a space surrounded on all sides by bars or wire, in which animals or birds are kept
A lion has escaped from its cage.
nest n.a structure or place made or chosen by a bird for laying eggs and sheltering its young
The cuckoo lays her egg in another bird's nest.
habitat n.the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives
With so many areas of woodland being cut down, a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat.
perch v.(of a bird) to rest on a branch or other object
A blackbird flew down and perched on the parapet outside his window.
amuse v.cause (someone) to find something funny
He made faces to amuse her.