Crossword Dictionary
perch
perch, roost, rest - v
sit, as on a branch; "The birds perched high in the tree"
When a bird is not flying, it is standing. It is rare to see a bird laying down or sitting. That is why perches are very important. Birds use perches for standing, climbing, playing, rubbing, cleaning their beaks, chewing, and entertainment.
Wood branches or natural wood make the best perches because their varying diameters allow birds to distribute pressure to different areas on the bottom of their feet.
Depending on the species, birds sleep while standing or sitting with their feet locked on perches, or cling by their claws to tree-trunks.
perch
perch, either of two species of fish, the common and the yellow perch (Perca fluviatilis and P. flavescens, sometimes considered as single species, P. fluviatilis) of the family Percidae (order Perciformes). The name also is widely, and sometimes confusingly, applied to a variety of other fishes.
The common and yellow perches are found, respectively, in the fresh waters of Eurasia and North America. Both are well-known and popular as both food and sport fishes. They have two dorsal fins, the first spiny and the second soft-rayed.
Perches are carnivores and inhabit quiet ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers. They spawn in spring, the female at that time laying strings of eggs in the shallows among water plants, branches, and the like. The common, or European, perch is greenish with dark, vertical bars on the sides and reddish or orange colouring in the lower fins. It grows to a maximum weight of about 3 kg (6 pounds), rarely more. The yellow perch, native to eastern North America and introduced on the Pacific coast, is similar to the European perch but yellower in colour. It grows to about 40 cm (15 inches) and 1 kg (2.2 pounds).