Every bird has a beak, which is used to search for food, capture it, tear it and eat it. The shape of the beak is adapted to the type of food: a long, narrow beak, like that of the hoopoe, is adapted to searching for insects and worms in the soil; a thick, short beak, like that of the sparrow, is adapted to eating seeds; a flat, broad beak, like that of the duck, is adapted to filtering food from the water; a hooked beak, like that of the eagle, is adapted to tearing meat.
All of these unique features — feathers, wings, a beak, hollow, fused bones and air sacs — are what give birds their amazing abilities. Search Print Share. What makes a bird a bird? Print Share. We all love to watch birds as they fly around us, but birds can do so much more: they take off and land, dive and dig, peck and build, and perform many more diverse and interesting activities.
There are about 9, species of birds living all over the world — from the Equator to the cold polar regions, in deserts, on high mountains, on the oceans and islands; large and small, living in flocks or alone, flying well or completely flightless.
However despite this great diversity, there are a several things they all share. So what makes a bird a bird? Aesthetics of insects. Advice for girls in science. The Formosan Termite.
Fish, frogs, toads, snakes, alligators and turtles are just a few of the vertebrate species which lay eggs. Then there are all of the millions of insect species which also lay eggs. Many bird species possess a fairly high level of intelligence. Some of the parrots have been eveluated as having problem-solving skills equal to that of a two-year old human child.
In addition to birds, there are several animals which have shown a high level of intelligence. Monkeys, dolphins, and dogs have all demonstrated the ability to perform tasks which require at least a minimal level of intellectual ability.
While birds certainly demonstrate unique migratory abilities, they are not the only animal which migrates over great distances. Caribou in northern environments will migrate hundreds of miles from summer feeding grounds to their wintering ranges.
The same is true of the African wildebeest, but in their case, migration journeys are driven more by the urge to find food in the dry season than the cold season. And salmon, who float downstream from their spawning grounds far from the ocean, spend six years in the open ocean before somehow managing to find their way back to their spawning grounds.
Birds are the only animals on earth which possess feathers. No other creature possesses a structure similar in composition to feathers. Is it their pretty colors? Feathers are critical not only for flight but also for warmth and protection against the elements -- and in many species, for males to attract mates.
Birds shed, or molt, old feathers once or twice each year, depending on the species. All birds have wings, although not all birds fly. Nor are wings confined to Aves; bats are flying mammals and most insects have wings. Birds' bodies are beautifully designed for flight, with strong chest muscles and just enough curve to their wings to provide lift.
Differences in wing shape provide different advantages to the various bird species. The narrow, sharp-tipped wings of the falcon provide speed; albatrosses soar high on wings much longer than they are wide. Most songbirds have elliptical, evenly shaped wings that facilitate quick, small movements in the tight spaces of their tree homes. Swimming birds, such as penguins and puffins, have flipper-shaped wings that propel them rapidly and gracefully through water.
All birds have beaks, or bills, made of a bony core surrounded by a thin layer of keratin. Birds do not have true teeth, but many species have tomia -- sharp ridges along the edges of their beaks. Birds do not chew food but grind or rip it into pieces small enough to swallow. The shape of a bird's beak indicates the bird's general diet. Meat-eaters like hawks and owls have sharp, hooked beaks for ripping and tearing.
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