Bird Anatomy & Bird Parts

Designed for flight

Birds are one of the few animals that have developed the ability to fly. Every part from the skeleton to the feathers has evolved to aid in flight. The skeleton while using the same general design of other vertebrates has some distinct differences. The bones are hollow with strut like structures inside. This makes them light while still making them strong enough for flight. The forelimbs have developed into wings.

The wings are composed of the humerus or upper arm and the radius or ulna, which makes up the forearm with wrist and hand bones. The forearm supports the secondary feathers and the fused wrist and hand bones support the primary feathers. The joints have added strength because they have limited movement.

The skeleton has many modifications to allow birds to walk on their hind legs.

The muscles have also evolved for flight. The important muscles for flight run between the upper arm and the breast. There are two pairs of flight muscles. The larger pair called the pectoralis major contracts for the down stroke. The pectoralis minor handles the upstroke, which needs far less power.

The body is the third part of this design for flight. It is very streamlined to reduce friction. The smooth surface of the feathers reduces the friction even more.

The tail consisting entirely of feathers aids in maneuvering. The legs will usually be tucked under the body when flying so they don't affect the flight.

Beaks Legs and Feet

Beaks of birds are varied depending on the species and their diet. In most birds they are light to save weight for flight. Bird beaks are bony structures covered with keratin much like our fingernails.

Just like bird beaks, the feet and legs of birds are specialized depending on each bird's habits and life style.

Here are examples of a few of the specialized beaks and feet.

Drilling Holes  The hard beak of a woodpecker is good for drilling holes.

Birds with short thin beaks usually eat insects.

Cracking seeds  A thick short, or conical beak is good for cracking seeds. Buntings, Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Towhees, Finches ...

Parrots have a different kind of conical bill good for Cracking seeds.

Scooping  A Pelican's pouch is use to scoop fish.  When the fish is caught the pouch contracts to squeeze out water.

Birds such as Thrashers and Wrens, with slender curved bills can probe for insects. .

Straight slender bills are very versatile. Large birds like crows are often omnivorous.  Small birds will feed largely on insects. Blackbirds, Bluebirds, Chickadees, Crows, Grackles, Jays, Magpies, Mockingbirds, Meadowlarks, Orioles, Robins, Thrushes,

Humming birds have long thin beaks for getting nectar from flowers.

Birds such as ducks use their webbed feet to swim and their flat beak to filter food from water.

A broad flat bill such as that of Flycatchers, Shrikes or Waxwings is good for catching flying insects.

Birds like hawks, owls or eagles have sharp hooked beaks and powerful claws for tearing meat and eating other animals.

Bird Feet and Legs  Birds that have long legs such as the Flamingo walk or wade more than they fly. Most birds have four toes, three that face forward and one rearward. Birds that have two toes facing forward and two toes facing rearward usually hang onto the sides of trees. Birds that swim like ducks will have webbed feet. Predatory birds like eagles and hawks will have strong talons.  They are usually not very good runners. Here are a few of the many varied types of feet.

Bird Brain

The brains have also developed for flight. The cerebellum is the part that is responsible for co-ordination of movement. Because birds make extremely fast moves at very high speeds this part of the brain is large. The cerebral hemispheres, which let the bird perform complex behavior patterns is also very large. It turns out many birds are quite intelligent even using tools and having social communication.

Digestive system

Birds are very active animals. They use a lot of energy and consume food at a very rapid rate. Small bird may eat a third of its body weight in a day. They have specialty evolved digestive systems with organs like the gizzard, not found in other animals.

Birds can be herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. The herbivores feed on seeds, fruit and other plants and have a more complex digestive system then carnivores, which feed on meat.

Lungs

Another thing that is different in birds are the lungs. In other vertebrates the lungs consist of sacs. Birds have extensions to the lungs called air sacs. Inhaled air passes through the air sacs and back thought the lungs. This system gives the birds better use of oxygen, which is needed for flying. This also aids birds that dive and need to hold their breath for long periods.

Learning common bird shapes and silhouettes is helpful in identifying birds at a distance.

bird charts and posters