Feathered Friends: A Fun Bird Trivia Quiz

Test your bird smarts with playful questions about species, sounds, and habits—perfect for curious kids 12+ who love nature. Ready to take flight?

  1. Which bird is famous for its ability to mimic human speech?
    1. Cockatoo
    2. African grey
    3. Macaw
    4. Budgerigar
  2. Which flightless bird is the largest living bird by height?
    1. Ostrich
    2. Emu
    3. Rhea
    4. Penguin
  3. What structure do birds use instead of teeth to grind food?
    1. Crop
    2. Gizzard
    3. Beak
    4. Cloaca
  4. Which bird is known for long-distance nonstop migration from Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctica?
    1. Bar-tailed godwit
    2. Albatross
    3. Arctic tern
    4. Swallow
  5. Which small nocturnal bird has large eyes and silent flight for hunting at night?
    1. Nightjar
    2. Owl
    3. Hawk
    4. Kingfisher
  6. Which bird family includes species that swim using webbed feet and often have waterproof feathers?
    1. Gull
    2. Swan
    3. Duck
    4. Heron
  7. Which tiny bird has a long beak and hovers to sip nectar from flowers?
    1. Warbler
    2. Sunbird
    3. Swift
    4. Hummingbird

Answers and explanations

  1. Question: Which bird is famous for its ability to mimic human speech?
    Answer: African grey
    Explanation: African grey parrots are exceptional mimics with high intelligence and large vocabularies; other parrots can mimic but usually less accurately.
  2. Question: Which flightless bird is the largest living bird by height?
    Answer: Ostrich
    Explanation: Ostriches can reach over 2.5 meters tall and are built for running; emus are tall too but smaller.
  3. Question: What structure do birds use instead of teeth to grind food?
    Answer: Gizzard
    Explanation: The muscular gizzard grinds food often with ingested stones; stomachs and beaks serve other roles but don't grind internally.
  4. Question: Which bird is known for long-distance nonstop migration from Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctica?
    Answer: Arctic tern
    Explanation: Arctic terns migrate the longest distances, traveling between Arctic and Antarctic each year; albatrosses travel far but follow different routes.
  5. Question: Which small nocturnal bird has large eyes and silent flight for hunting at night?
    Answer: Owl
    Explanation: Owls have silent feathers and forward-facing eyes for depth perception; nightjars are nocturnal too but have different hunting styles.
  6. Question: Which bird family includes species that swim using webbed feet and often have waterproof feathers?
    Answer: Duck
    Explanation: Ducks are waterfowl with webbed feet and oily feathers for swimming; gulls and swans are water-associated but differ in family or size.
  7. Question: Which tiny bird has a long beak and hovers to sip nectar from flowers?
    Answer: Hummingbird
    Explanation: Hummingbirds hover using rapid wingbeats and feed on nectar; sunbirds also feed on nectar but usually perch rather than hover.