Fluttershy's Animal Classes

by Majestical4729

Birds

The birds in the sanctuary gathered around Fluttershy and Discord, as the lecture was about them at the moment.

"Alright now feathered friends, I will like you to let Discord observe you, pick up something he can observe by looking at you closely," Fluttershy told the birds, who obeyed her orders.

"Let's see...." Discord said, summoning a magnifying glass with his magic, and looking at the birds up close. "So far, every bird here has feathers, a beak, two feet, two eyes...and wings. Two wings, that is."

"All birds have feathers," Fluttershy explained, "But only some birds can fly. Birds that cannot fly are most notably penguins and ostriches. The ostriches' case is mostly because it is too heavy. After all, they are the largest birds of all time."

"And the penguins'?" Discord asked.

"Probably because rely on the oceans for food, so developing flippers to swim well is more important than growing wings to fly." Fluttershy explained.

"And how many birds are there?" Discord asked.

"According to new research, there is an estimated number of 18 000 bird species, but don't worry, we won't be going into so many details on lesson one..." Flutershy assured.

Discord heaved a sigh of relief,"Thank goodness we are not! I can never handle needing to remember 18 000 bird species!"

"Speaking of birds, you should know that all birds lay eggs, and are warm-blooded. Birds are warm-blooded animals that have a much higher metabolism, and thus higher body temperature, than us. While the exact measurement varies for different bird species, the average bird's body temperature is 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius)." Fluttershy noted.

"So I don't need to memorise any special bird temperature?" Discord asked.

"Not in this lecture," Fluttershy responded, "Now, another fact that you should now about birds is, migration. Birds are known to migrate to warmer places to avoid winter, or to find food elsewhere when food runs low. A lot of birds migrate which means, depending on the season, they fly elsewhere. This is often to do with the weather of different countries or places. But not all birds do so. Some birds that do not migrate include owls, woodpeckers, and scavenging birds of prey, black vultures."

"Then call me one of those birds, as I never migrate." Discord said, placing objects that are most likely for vacation such as sunglasses, a beach umbrella and a hammock, away in a suitcase before making the hole thing disappear into thin air.

"Another fact you should know about birds is birds do not have teeth, but they have an organ called a gizzard which grinds up their food, helping them to digest their food properly." Fluttershy explained.

"No teeth, but have a gizzard. Got it." Discord took note.

"Also, one of the most unusual facts about some birds such as the flamingo, pigeon, and male emperor penguin can produce a milk-like substance known as crop milk or pigeon milk to feed their young ones." Fluttershy noted.

"What?! Birds producing milk?!" discord asked, "You sure they are birds?!"

"They have feathers, lay eggs, and are warm-blooded." Flutershy explained,"Unlike mammals who produce milk through the mammary glands, lactating birds regurgitate crop milk. Pigeon milk contains immune-enhancing and antioxidant factors, and just like mammalian milk, it helps to build the immune system of the young ones. "

"We already talked about milk the last lecture, anything else?" Discord asked after commenting in an annoyed tone.

"One more thing for this lecture, the smallest bird of all time is the bee hummingbird, it can grow up to 5 to 6.1 centimetres." Fluttershy informed.

Discord automatically summoned a ruler and a string. He then got the string and ruler side by side and cut off the string at the 6.1 cm point and looked at the short string.

"Smallest bird indeed because there can barely be a bird even smaller!" Discord commented.

"Now, a quick test to see whether you have learnt something or not." Fluttershy announced before she began asking, "Question One: What do all birds have that makes them birds?!"

"Easy, that question's answer is feathers! All birds have feathers!" Discord replied in a second, before adding, "Plus all birds lay eggs and are warm-blooded."

"Question Two: Why do birds migrate?"

"It is often to do with the weather of different countries or places. And if their food is running low, they need to find it somewhere else to live, so they migrate!"

"Question Three: Examples of flightless birds?"

"The penguin and the ostrich."

"Question Four: Which birds do not migrate?"

"Owls, woodpeckers, and scavenging birds of prey, black vultures."

"Question Five: Which birds produce crop milk to feed their young ones?"

"The flamingo, pigeon, and male emperor penguin ."

"Question Six: What helps birds digest their food properly?"

"Birds do not have teeth, but they do have an organ called a gizzard which grinds up their food, that's what helps them digest their food properly."

"Question Seven: Which bird is the smallest?"

"The bee humming bird, it grows up to 5 to 6.1 centimetres!"

"Question Eight: Which bird is the largest?" Fluttershy asked.

"The ostrich, it's so big that it's too heavy to fly!"

"Well done Discord, you got 8 out of 8! In other words..." Fluttershy began complimenting Discord, but was cut off by his excited exclaiming, "Full marks! I knew it! I knew I could do it!"

"That's 2 lectures down, and 5 more to go for lesson number 1." Fluttershy informed.

"5 more to go?! Are you sure it's lesson number 1?!" Discord asked in a shock tone.

---

Author's Note:

Acknowledgements:

https://www.google.com/search?q=why+can%27t+penguins+fly&client=safari&channel=mac_bm&sxsrf=ALeKk00Re__uHI-K4Z9qYCd_8hy2_HDBUA%3A1618309787782&source=hp&ei=m3J1YLiCLZCF4t4P9YCpiAg&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAYHWAq-xp-YYHgGHT1VJGSzB257rvL-l8&oq=why+can%27t+pe&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIFCAAQkQIyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAA6BAgAEEM6BAguEEM6BQgAELEDOggIABCxAxCDAToCCC46BQguELEDOgsILhCxAxDHARCvAToICC4QxwEQrwFQgAFYghZgjyBoAHAAeACAAWGIAfwFkgECMTKYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=gws-wiz

https://www.amnh.org/about/press-center/new-study-doubles-the-estimate-of-bird-species-in-the-world

https://www.google.com/search?q=bird+warm+or+cold+blooded&client=safari&channel=mac_bm&sxsrf=ALeKk00kg2sLQZycnnpdVVT2gIRxnViPnw%3A1618310563401&source=hp&ei=o3V1YNW-FoTHrQHai6v4Cw&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAYHWDswBbs87_Jq3_3sZyN9-TGK3yTZPn&oq=bird+warm&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYAjICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAA6BAgjECc6BAgAEEM6BQguEJECOgUIABCRAjoECC4QQzoICC4QsQMQgwE6BQgAELEDOgcILhCxAxBDOgcIABCHAhAUOgIILlCxAlj4EGDYHmgAcAB4AIABV4gBvQSSAQE5mAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=gws-wiz

https://www.google.com/search?q=a+bird+that+never+migrates&client=safari&channel=mac_bm&sxsrf=ALeKk01K-emytDGLTvztiyRLLLu4CD5Qcw%3A1618310567664&ei=p3V1YLeGKMrarQGt94_oCQ&oq=a+bird+that+never+mi&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAEYADIICCEQFhAdEB4yCAghEBYQHRAeMggIIRAWEB0QHjIICCEQFhAdEB4yCAghEBYQHRAeMggIIRAWEB0QHjIICCEQFhAdEB4yCAghEBYQHRAeMggIIRAWEB0QHjIICCEQFhAdEB46BwgjEOoCECc6BAgjECc6BQgAEJECOgQILhBDOgcIABCxAxBDOgsILhCxAxDHARCjAjoICAAQsQMQgwE6CwguELEDEMcBEK8BOg4ILhCxAxCDARDHARCvAToICC4QsQMQgwE6BAgAEEM6BwgAEIcCEBQ6AggAOgcILhCHAhAUOgIILjoHCC4QQxCTAjoICC4QxwEQowI6CAguEMcBEK8BOgYIABAWEB5QyrcUWITiFGCp8BRoAXACeACAAc4BiAHpDJIBBjE4LjIuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXqwAQrAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-pigeon-milk-do-birds-produce-milk.html