2 Outsmarting the Enemy

When a garden warbler sings from trees or bushes, no one can see it. The colors of this songbird match the colors of the leaves. When an animal blends in with its surroundings, its enemies can’t see it either. This kind of protection is called camouflage.

Birds must protect themselves from their enemies. Sometimes this means having to fight. Sometimes it means fooling the enemy. Sometimes it means being able to escape. Birds must also protect their eggs and their young. Cats, rats, and foxes love eggs for breakfast. They prowl around looking for eggs and young chicks to eat. How can birds defend themselves against such enemies?

Each species has its own way of defending itself. Birds called common terns fight with their beaks and claws. In a swarm, they peck and scratch at anyone who comes too close to their nests. Ostriches protect themselves by escaping. They can’t fly, but they can run very fast on their long, muscular legs. These birds can reach speeds of up to forty miles per hour. How fast is that? Well, if the wind blows this hard, it can rip huge branches from trees.

A bird called a killdeer has a lot of courage. It cares very much for its young. It would rather die than see its eggs eaten by a fox. If a fox wanders toward the nest, the killdeer pretends to be hurt. Dragging one wing, it hops away from the nest and draws the hungry fox after it.

2 智胜敌人 当一只园林莺在树上或灌木丛中歌唱时，没人能看到它。这种鸣禽的颜色与树叶的颜色相匹配。当动物与周围环境融为一体时，它的敌人也看不到它。这种保护方式被称为伪装。

鸟类必须保护自己免受敌人的侵害。有时这意味着必须战斗。有时这意味着愚弄敌人。有时这意味着能够逃跑。鸟类还必须保护它们的蛋和幼鸟。猫、老鼠和狐狸喜欢把蛋当早餐。它们四处徘徊，寻找蛋和幼鸟来吃。鸟类如何能抵御这些敌人呢？

每个物种都有自己的自卫方式。被称为普通燕鸥的鸟类用喙和爪子战斗。它们成群结队地啄咬和抓挠任何离它们巢穴太近的生物。鸵鸟通过逃跑来保护自己。它们不会飞，但可以用它们修长、肌肉发达的腿跑得非常快。这些鸟的速度可以达到每小时四十英里。那有多快呢？嗯，如果风刮得这么大，它可以把大树枝从树上刮下来。

一种叫做双领鸻的鸟非常有勇气。它非常关心自己的幼鸟。它宁愿死也不愿看到自己的蛋被狐狸吃掉。如果一只狐狸向巢穴徘徊，双领鸻就会假装受伤。它拖着一只翅膀，跳着离开巢穴，把饥饿的狐狸引开。