🔍 What's Happening?
When the baby birds hatch, the mama and papa bird fly back and forth, back and forth. They bring tiny worms and bugs to feed the babies. The parents do this all day long!
- Why does the mama bird sit on her eggs for so long?
- What do you think would happen to the baby birds without their parents?
🧠 What Scientists Know
Animal parents do special things to help their babies stay alive. These special things are called behaviors. That means the things animals do again and again.
Different animals have different behaviors. But many animal parents do the same kinds of things! Let's learn about them.
Keeping Babies Safe
Feeding Babies
Keeping Babies Warm
🔬 Let's Try It!
Scientists watch animals very carefully. They write down what they see. This is called observing. That means looking closely and paying attention. Let's observe like scientists!
Animal Parent Watching
You can observe animal parents, too! Here is how:
📖 What We Discovered
When we watch animal parents, we notice something important. Many different animals do the same kinds of things.
Birds feed their babies. Cats feed their babies. Dogs feed their babies. The food is different, but the behavior is the same — parents bring food to their young ones!
Bears protect their cubs. Dogs protect their puppies. Hens protect their chicks. The animals look different, but they all keep their babies safe.
All of these behaviors help babies survive. That means they stay alive and grow up. Without these behaviors, many baby animals could not make it on their own.
🔁 Do You See the Pattern?
Scientists look for patterns. A pattern is when something happens in the same way again and again.
Let's look at animals that are very different from each other. Do they do the same kinds of things for their babies?
| ANIMAL | HOW IT HELPS ITS BABY |
|---|---|
| 🐦 Robin | Brings worms to feed baby birds in the nest |
| 🐊 Crocodile | Carries babies gently in her mouth to water |
| 🐘 Elephant | Stays close to her baby and pushes it away from danger |
| 🐧 Penguin | Keeps egg warm on top of its feet for months |
| 🦁 Lion | Hides cubs in tall grass to keep them safe |
Do you see it? A robin and a lion look nothing alike! But they both take care of their babies. That is a pattern. Many different parents do the same kinds of things to help their babies survive.
🌎 In the Real World
People use what they know about animal behaviors to help animals!
At the zoo, animal keepers watch parent animals and their babies very carefully. They make sure the mama has a safe, warm place for her babies. If a mama cannot feed her baby, the zookeeper will feed the baby with a special bottle.
Scientists who study endangered animals — animals that are very rare — watch how animal parents take care of their young. This helps scientists know what the babies need to survive.
📖 Words to Know
- Behavior — Something an animal does. It is an action, like running, feeding, or sitting on eggs.
- Offspring — The babies of an animal. Chicks are the offspring of birds. Kittens are the offspring of cats.
- Survive — To stay alive. Baby animals need help to survive.
- Protect — To keep safe from danger. A mama bear protects her cubs.
- Pattern — When something happens in the same way again and again. Many animal parents feed their babies — that is a pattern.