Why Don't Birds Comb Their Hair?
Why don鈥檛 bulbuls comb their hair? It looks like a little wave.
If I had a bulbul鈥檚 hair, I would wear clips.
Why don鈥檛 hoopoes comb their hair? It looks like a frilly fan.
If I had a hoopoe's hair, I would push it back with a band.
If I had a spoonbill's hair, I would plait it all together.
Why don't spoonbills comb their hair? It looks like an old paintbrush.
Why don鈥檛 monals comb their hair? It looks like a tiny broom.
If I had a monal鈥檚 hair, I would tie it up with ribbons.
Why don't fish owls comb their hair? It looks like two furry worms.
If I had a fish owl鈥檚 hair, I would make two ponytails.
Why don't drongos comb their hair? It looks like a messy mop.
If I had a drongo鈥檚 hair, I would oil it well and brush it down.
Why don鈥檛 hornbills have hair to comb? They look like they're wearing helmets.
If I had a hornbill鈥檚 helmet, I would ride around all day.
Why don鈥檛 vultures have any hair? They look so bald.
If I had a vulture鈥檚 head, I would never have to comb my hair!
Meet The Birds That Have Funny Hair
Crests are useful in many ways. They make birds look attractive. Some birds can open and fold their crests to send signals to other birds. Some open their crests when they want to frighten away other birds and animals.
Some birds look like they have hair on their heads. But their hair is not like ours. Instead, each hair is just a very thin feather. A group of such feathers is called a crest.
Do birds really have hair?
The hornbill鈥檚 helmet is called a casque (rhymes with mask). Like ear-tufts and crests, casques make hornbills look good. This helps them find mates. A hornbill鈥檚 casque also makes its beak stronger. With a strong beak, hornbills can pick and eat fruits more easily.
The furry worms on the owl鈥檚 head are called ear-tufts. They are not really ears, just bits of skin covered with feathers. These help owls hide more easily, making them look like they are part of a tree. The ear-tufts also help them look attractive (to other owls) or scary (to other birds and animals).
