edHelper.com
Animal Themes
Birds


Great Frigate Birds


Great Frigate Birds
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.47

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    tropical, aspect, commit, extremely, feathery, fully-grown, hence, lays, mating, mid-air, occasionally, offense, seabirds, mainly, criminal, living
     content words:    Atlantic Oceans


Print Great Frigate Birds
edHelper.com subscriber options:
     Print Great Frigate Birds  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)

     Quickly print reading comprehension

     Print a proofreading activity


Feedback on Great Frigate Birds
     Leave your feedback on Great Frigate Birds  (use this link if you found an error in the story)



Great Frigate Birds   

1     Seabirds living in tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, or Atlantic Oceans don't like great frigate birds at all! Their resentment is easily understood, because great frigate birds (or man-o'-war birds) are bullies. Indeed, who would like to be chased, harassed, and forced to give up the food that they have just caught? It is no wonder that great frigate birds are unpopular.
 
2     Why do great frigate birds commit robbery? Well, the motive has a lot to do with their feathers and feet. Great frigate birds lack sufficient preening oil on their feathers to make the outfit waterproof. In addition, their web-less feet are too short and too small -- virtually useless for swimming or for taking off from the water. Since great frigate birds cannot afford to get their wings wet, they need to find alternative means to gather food. Fortunately, they are superb flyers. Hence, they use their gifted skill to intimidate their fellow seabirds, compelling them to throw up the catch in their throats. Once their victims let go of their hard-won food, great frigate birds swoop down to collect their prize.
 
3     Aside from pirating, great frigate birds also make their own catch. They fly above the surface, hold up their wings, and dip their long, hooked beaks into the water to snatch up prey. Great frigate birds mainly eat fish and squid. They occasionally supplement their diet with crustaceans, jellyfish, young turtles, baby birds, and eggs.

Paragraphs 4 to 6:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable


Copyright © 2008 edHelper