How Much Do You Know About Birds?

Last updated · -8 min play time

It's a plane! It's Superman! It's a bird! How much do you know about these fantastic flying fowl? Take this quiz to find out.

This quiz was expert-written by Todd Curtis. Todd has his Bachelor’s in Physics and Mathematics as well as his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, he is a physics professor and has taught astronomy and engineering. In addition to Todd being a history and trivia buff, he is also a DIY guru and built his own house.


Todd has his Bachelor’s in Physics and Mathematics as well as his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, he is a physics professor and has taught astronomy and engineering.

In addition to Todd being a history and trivia buff, he is also a DIY guru and built his own house!

Birds Quiz Questions

20 Questions · 8.9K Plays · 2 Comments

Question 1

Hummingbirds are highly unique birds. Which of the following abilities do ONLY hummingbirds have?

  • A
    Hovering while flying
  • B
    Flying at speeds over 30 mph
  • C
    Flying backwards
  • D
    They don't need to migrate

Question 2

What bird has the largest wingspan of any existing species?

  • A
    Golden eagle
  • B
    Wandering albatross
  • C
    California condor
  • D
    Blue heron

Question 3

The red-tailed hawk is known for its amazing eye sight. Imagine that there is a human with 20/20 vision, meaning they can read reasonably small writing from 20 feet way. How far away could the red-tailed hawk read the same sign (assuming it could read)?

  • A
    40 feet
  • B
    160 feet
  • C
    80 feet
  • D
    20 feet

Question 4

The anhinga is a swamp bird that often spends time swimming with just its head and neck above the water giving it the nickname snakebird. When not swimming, it spends much of its time standing with its wings spread wide, why does it stand like this?

  • A
    To create shade that attracts fish
  • B
    To dry its feathers
  • C
    To look more snake-like
  • D
    As a mating ritual

Question 5

Assume an owl starts with its head facing straight forward, what is the approximate amount it can rotate its head in one direction?

  • A
    360 degrees
  • B
    90 degrees
  • C
    180 degrees
  • D
    270 degrees

Question 6

Flamingos are known for their distinctive bright pink color. Why are they pink?

  • A
    Their diet
  • B
    Blood vessels run through their feathers
  • C
    There are pink parasites that live on their feathers.
  • D
    They roll around in pink foliage.

Question 7

The heart of a bird is composed of how many chambers?

  • A
    Three
  • B
    Four
  • C
    Two
  • D
    Six

Question 8

Puffins are a popular bird found in the north Atlantic ocean. About 60% of all puffins breed on or near one island nation. What island nation is that?

  • A
    Cuba
  • B
    Ireland
  • C
    Iceland
  • D
    Madagascar.

Question 9

What bird is pictured here?

  • A
    Grey pelican
  • B
    Crane
  • C
    Blue heron
  • D
    Turkey Vulture

Question 10

Unlike most birds, vultures have featherless heads, why do most vultures have featherless heads?

  • A
    To prevent over heating
  • B
    To remain clean while eating
  • C
    They pull them off one another when competing for mates.
  • D
    To prevent getting caught when sticking their heads in tree holes

Question 11

Which of the following features of a bird's body structure is key to it being able to fly?

  • A
    Having no liver or kidneys
  • B
    Having zero body fat
  • C
    Having no bones, only cartilage
  • D
    Having hollow bones

Question 12

The common swift, a relatively small bird (about 6.5 inches long) holds the record for the amount of time it can spend in the air without landing. Approximately how long can a common swift fly without landing?

  • A
    30 days
  • B
    300 days
  • C
    150 days
  • D
    75 days

Question 13

Some toucans have beaks that make up one third of their body length. What is the purpose of the toucans extremely large beak?

  • A
    It helps to regulate their body temperature.
  • B
    They use it to store food.
  • C
    Each one is unique so other birds can identify them.
  • D
    It gives them leverage to crack nuts.

Question 14

In parts of Asia, bird's nest soup is a delicacy made from the nest of swiftlets, small swift-like birds. What are these nest made of?

  • A
    Bird saliva
  • B
    Bird feces
  • C
    Rare water plants
  • D
    Recycled eggshells

Question 15

Owls have special fringed feathers at the tips of their wings called flutings. What is the purpose of these feathers?

  • A
    To attract females
  • B
    To pick up potential prey
  • C
    To keep their young warm
  • D
    To allow the owl to fly silently

Question 16

The Bassian thrush, a very ordinary looking bird has a very unique way of locating worms to eat. What do they use to find worms?

  • A
    Singing
  • B
    Flatulence
  • C
    Burrowing underground
  • D
    Having a flexible worm-like beak

Question 17

All of the following are characteristics of emperor penguins EXCEPT one, which one is that?

  • A
    They can dive to depths of 10,000 feet when hunting.
  • B
    The males incubate the eggs.
  • C
    They spend their entire life in Antarctica.
  • D
    They are the largest of all penguin species.

Question 18

Ostriches, the fastest running two-legged animal on the planet, have unique feet. How many toes do ostriches have on each foot?

  • A
    4
  • B
    2
  • C
    3
  • D
    5

Question 19

A woodpecker's head can experience up to 100 g's of force during impact, a force deadly to humans. All of the following features help woodpeckers prevent concussions or other serious brain injuries when pecking EXCEPT one? Which one is NOT a brain-saving feature?

  • A
    A tongue that wraps around the brain
  • B
    A lack of empty space between the brain and the skull
  • C
    A highly compressible beak
  • D
    Spongy bone surrounding the skull

Question 20

This African bird is named after a human job occupation. Can you guess what it is?

  • A
    The mime bird
  • B
    The waiter bird
  • C
    The secretary Bird
  • D
    The magician bird

Comments (2)

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Excellent quizzing

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Good Questions.

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