Birds of a feather birds as Feathered flying machines

Photo by Alexis Rudd Cascadia Research and OCNMS

Feathers distinguish birds from all other vertebrates

Unlike scales, they are filamentous, soft, lightweight and dead Wear out easily and must be replaced For insulation (temperature regulation) For flight

Cornell Lab All about birds feathers http://www.birds.cornell.edu/allaboutbirds/studying/feathers/f eathers

The bird bill is also unique in the vertebrate world

Much lighter than teeth!

From: http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season10/birdsofprey/worksheet1_activities2.htm

Skeleton has some key adaptations to being a flying machine

Spongy Strutted Hollow Strengthened and lightened by fusion of bones and reduction of number of bones (esp. head, hands, pelvis and feet)

Ucinate processes backward curved projections on ribs, overlap other ribs strengthen walls of thorax
From photobird.com

Also see: http://www.uwlax.edu/biology/ZooLab/Lab-10/Bird-Skeleton-1.htm

Furcula wishbone forms arch for strength without bulk compresses and rebounds like a powerful spring

Fro: http://www.uwlax.edu/biology/Zoo-Lab/Lab-10/Bird-Skeleton-4.htm

Fused hand bones support primary flight feathers

From: http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/06/clubs_spurs_spikes_and_claws.ph p

Here are the bones with the flight feathers

From: Manual of Ornithology Proctor and Lynch

Feet of perching birds grasp branches due to long tendons that pass around the backside of the ankle joints

From: http://arsanatomica.tumblr.com/

Tendons automatically flex, locking toes around branches Screech owl foot video

Extreme metabolic demands (for flight and temp regulation) accommodated by physiology

Red fibers of muscles extraordinary for sustained work Body temp 40 44 degrees C can maintain from poles to tropics 4 chambered heart Efficient lungs/respiratory system flow-through lungs

Birds are organized primarily by their foot structures

From http://www.arthursclipart.org/birdsodds/odds/page_01.htm

Common name 1 2 3 Grebes Pouch-bills Waterfowl

Order Podicipediformes Pelicaniformes Anseriformes

Characteristic Lobed feet Gular sac Webbed feet w 4th toe

Local members Several grebes Cormorants pelicans Ducks Scoters Geese Swans Great blue heron Black-crowned night heron Hawks Eagles Kites Harriers (vultures have moved) Quail, grouse Sandhill Cranes Virginia Rail

Herons, storks and allies Birds of prey

Ciconiiformes

Falconiformes

Long wading legs Fly with feet straight out behind Talons on feet

6 7

Fowl Cranes rails allies

Galliformes Gruiformes

Ground-scratching feet ??

Common name

Order

Characteristic

Local members

Shorebirds, gulls and allies

Charadriiformes

Webbed feet (or not!) United by various features of the skull Very flattened tarsus

9 10

Loons Pigeons and Doves

Gaviiformes Columbiformes

11 12 13 14

Owls Nightjars and allies Swifts and hummingbirds Kingfishers

Strigiformes Caprimulgiforme s Apodiformes Coraciiformes

All secrete a substance from crop known as pigeons milk Feathered talon-ed Several species feet Tiny feet big mouths! Nighthawks Super-tiny feet Fusion of some toes Syndactyly Two toes up, two down Zygodactyly

All shorebirds Gulls Alcids (puffins, guillemots, murres) Several species winter here Band-tailed pigeons Mourning doves Rock Pigeons

Rufus hummingbird Vauxs swift Belted kingfisher

15

Woodpeckers

Piciformes

16

Perching birds

Passeriformes

Sapsuckers Hairy Downy Pileated Corvids Crows etc. Thrushes Songbirds in general

Marine Birds add a few other Orders to the list (not all seen around here, though!)
Common name Order Characteristic Local members

Alcids

Charadriiformes

Pouch-bills

Pelicaniformes

Gular sac

Cormorants pelicans

Tubenoses

Procellariiformes

Tube on nose

Storm-petrels albatross

penguins

Sphenisciformes

Song birds you may be hearing:

White-crowned sparrows

Orange-crowned warblers
American Robins
BirdWeb Seattle Audubon's BirdWeb Birds of NA - Birds of North America Online