HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 2-Lesson 6Birds of prey, or raptors, are birds that capture other birds and animals
for food. Raptors use sharp claws called talons and sharp beaks to help them
catch their food. Their eyesight is also very good. They are able to see the
animals they hunt from very high in the air.
When baby raptors hatch from their eggs, they cannot fl y. They cannot
catch their own food either. The parents fi nd food for their babies as well as
for themselves. Soon, the young raptors are able to fl y and hunt for themselves.
Many birds of prey are active during the day. Others are nocturnal and stay
awake at night. Owls are one kind of nocturnal bird. They can see and hear very
well. This is important because they hunt at night in the dark. Also, owls make
almost no noise when they fl y, which helps them catch other animals by surprise.
Eagles are the largest raptors. These birds look for prey by gliding on air
currents, without needing to fl ap their wings. This helps them save energy so
they can hunt for longer periods of time.
Hawks are also birds of prey. They are smaller than eagles. While eagles
glide on air currents looking for food, hawks perch where animals can’t see
them. Hawks listen for greeting calls and other chatter among the animals.
Then they swoop down and surprise the animals they want to catch.
Many raptors eat animals that sleep through the winter. For this reason,
these raptors have to migrate. That means they fl y to warmer lands where they
can fi nd food. During their travel, the raptors’ feathers usually molt and new
ones grow to replace them.
Some people think that birds of prey are cruel because they kill and eat
small animals. This is a mistake. Like other animals that hunt for food, raptors
act out of natural instinct. Also, because some of the animals they hunt can
damage farmers’ crops, birds of prey can actually be helpful. They play an
important role in the balance of nature.
COMPREHENSION How do different birds of prey catch animals? Why
do some birds of prey migrate?
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Winter was on its way. The bears could feel it in the wind. Suddenly, it was
too cold to sleep outside on the grass. They knew that the grass would soon be
covered with snow.
Bruce the bear said to his friends, “Bears, we must construct shelters!
We need to build places to stay warm when the chill, the snow, and the storms
come. Let’s get moving!”
And they did. They did so in many different ways.
Bruce gathered loads of leaves into a giant mound. He crawled deep into
the mound until only his ears were sticking out.
Bertha the bear chopped timber from the strongest-looking trees. Then she
stacked the slabs of wood into a fort. Bertha crawled inside and curled up.
Now, Buddy the bear sat down to think. The ground felt warm beneath
him. A thought came to him: “What would happen if I hid under the ground in
order to survive this winter?”
So Buddy began to dig. He dug a big tunnel into the earth. And then he
covered the tunnel with rocks and dirt as a brace against the cold. He made
sure to pack the rocks and dirt fi rmly together to reinforce their strength.
Then Bruce, Bertha, and Buddy waited.
A few days later, it snowed. The snow fell into Bruce’s mound of leaves. The
leaves became wet and heavy. “Gosh, I’m all wet and chilly!” Bruce thought.
“I think Buddy had the right idea.” And he began to dig into the earth.
A few days after that, strong winds came. The winds whipped against
Bertha’s soggy fort, splintering her slabs of timber. “Oh no, I must fi nd a new
shelter!” Bertha thought. “I will follow Bruce and Buddy underground.” And
that’s what she did.
Weeks went by. The snow kept falling. The winds continued to whip. But the
bears slept peacefully in their warm tunnels. They were happy that Buddy the
bear was so clever.
COMPREHENSION Why did the bears need to build shelters? What
words helped you understand which shelter was the strongest?
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