Let's pretend that people could fly like birds. People cannot fly like birds. People made airplanes to fly in. Never jump from a high place to try to fly.

Birds fly by flapping their wings. Their wings are covered in feathers. Many birds have hollow bones. These bones keep them light so they can fly.

As of November 2026, the fastest bird is the peregrine falcon. When it dives, it is the fastest animal on Earth.

Of living birds, the wandering albatross has the widest wings. That is true as of November 2026. The wings measure about 11 to 12 feet across.

Bats are the only mammals that can fly. Bat wings are thin skin. The skin is stretched between very long finger bones.

A flying squirrel does not really fly. It glides from tree to tree.

Quetzalcoatlus was a giant pterosaur. It had wings as wide as a small airplane's.

The first airplane flight by the Wright brothers was in 1903. It lasted only 12 seconds. The airplane flew 120 feet through the air.

A hang glider is a light aircraft. It has cloth wings and no engine. The pilot starts it by running off a hill.

Words to know

• feathers: bird's wing covering
• hollow: empty inside
• glides: floats through air
• pterosaur: flying reptile
• airplane: flying machine