Starchild: Malaysian children love all varieties of birds

Wong Zhi Ying, 8

Did you know chickens and ostriches are the closest living relatives to the Tyrannosaurus Rex? Studies published in American Science journal suggest that dinosaurs share some amount of similar cell structure with modern-day chickens.

Here’s another interesting fact – a group of geese is called a gaggle, a group of ravens is called an unkindness, and a group of owls is called a parliament.

There are an estimated billions of birds of various species on Earth.

There are also the migratory birds, these birds fly over hundreds and thousands of kilometres to find the best habitats for feeding, breeding and raising their hatchings. World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated annually on May 14 to raise awareness on the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.

The objective of this special day is to highlight the threats migratory birds face and their ecological importance.

Here are the letters from Starchild readers on the topic, Migratory Birds.

Wong Zhi Ying, eight, dreams of travelling around the world with a little egret. She says her parents can save their money on the airfares and other expenses if she can achieve her dream. “Little egrets are migratory birds. They fly from different countries at regular intervals over long distances to escape from the freezing cold weather. Little egrets have fantastic vision which help them to spot fish hidden against rocks and the riverbed.”

Asher Wang Qi Chuen, 4

“I love colourful birds as they are so pretty. Birds have feathers, no teeth and they lay eggs. Mother birds take good care of their babies by feeding them with a variety of delicious bird food,” says Asher Wang Qi Chuen, four.

Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 7

“Seagulls are fascinating and clever seabirds. They drop a crab from high in the sky to break the shell so they can get the meat. Seagulls are affected by pollution with some mistakenly eating thrash and falling sick from it. Seagulls are devoted parents with both male and female taking equal responsibility to care for their babies,” writes Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, seven.

Florence Chan Zi Hsuan, eight, writes: “I like the woodpecker because it has beautiful and colourful feathers. It has a sharp and strong beak to hammer into trees to find insects. It likes to eat insects, worms and fruits. I like listening to the hammering sound “tok tok tok” made by woodpecker.”

Florence Chan Zi Hsuan, 8

Claire Yap Jyn Wei, six, says: “Birds fly around the Earth to find warm places especially when it is winter. They can be warm and they can find food.”

Claire Yap Jyn Wei, 6

Older sibling Sophie Yap Jyn Qing, nine, writes: “Pelicans, storks, birds of prey and swifts are some examples of migratory birds. Birds migrate south when winter is cold in search of food, and nesting places.”

Sophie Yap Jyn Qing, 9

Tan Wei Ming, 10, says: “There are many birds in my garden. They include mynahs, sparrows, pigeons and crows. Hopefully, I can find a woodpecker in my garden one day.” - Compiled by Sheela Chandran

Tan Wei Ming, 10

ITEM: World Oceans Day is celebrated on June 8 to urge people to stop polluting the oceans and rivers. It is also a day to spread awareness on reducing single-use plastics and caring for Mother Earth. Share some tips on how people can do their part to keep our oceans clean. And don’t forget to send a drawing on the ocean and beautiful sea creatures.

Email your contributions to [e-mail] by June 17.

Please put “STARCHILD: Oceans” in the subject line of your email. Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200 dpi.

Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone number and address.

Please send us typewritten letters.