Class Aves (Birds)

Class Aves (Birds)

Ornithologist

Zoologists that
study birds

Characteristics of Birds
Vertebrate
Feathers
Wings (but not all fly)
Scale-covered legs
Homoeothermic (Keeps their body
temperature at one temperature)
Endothermic (Warm blooded)

Designed For Flight.

The following characteristics equip birds for
flying:
Compact, lightweight, and very strong
skeleton

Designed For Flight.

Lightweight beaks
and skulls.

Designed For Flight.

A nearly rigid backbone that gives a solid

support for the strenuous muscle activity
required for flying

Designed For Flight.

Hollow spaces in the

skeleton that provide
room for air sacs, which
contribute to the
efficiency of the
respiratory system and
make the bird lighter.

Designed For Flight.

Bipedal (twofooted)
anatomy, which
leaves the wings
free for flying.

Designed For Flight.

A prominent ridge, or
keel, on the breastbone
to allow for the
attachment of flight
muscles by strong
tendons.

Designed For Flight.

Three bones in the shoulder to support

each wing.

Designed For Flight.

An efficient circulatory system, including a

four-chambered heart.

Designed For Flight.

Powerful muscles to power the wings

during flight.

Perching Birds

Three toes pointing forward and one toe

pointing backward.
Leg has a special design that allows the
bird to stay on their perch even if they are
sleeping.

Diagram of Perching Birds Leg

Thrushes

Robins

Bluebird

Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Humming Bird

Woodpecker

Birds of Prey Especially acute eyesight

Sharp, Powerful talons (grasping and
killing their prey)
Hooked Beak

Vultures

California Condor

Sea Eagle

Bald Eagle

Golden Eagle

Hawks

Osprey

Falcons

Owls

Swimming and Wading Birds

Many have water repellent feathers

Webbed or Lobed feet for swimming
Some Birds have very long legs designed
for wading

Ducks

Geese

Storks

Herons

Flamingos

Cranes

Egrets

Game Birds
Have been hunted for food and sport
Large flight muscles (Breast meat) allow
them to burst into flight

Quail

Pheasant

Partridge

Grouse

Doves

Turkey

Tropical Birds

Live in the worlds tropical forests

Brightly colored
Many have large unusual beaks

Parakeets

Toucans

Macaw

Flightless Birds

Have wings or wing-like structures

Usually equipped with powerful legs for
running

Ostrich

Emu

Kiwi

Penguins

Extinct Birds

Some became extinct because of the

pressures put on their habitat
Some have been extinct for thousands of
years

Dodo

Moa

Great Auk

Passenger Pigeon

Archaeopteryx

Diatryma

Avian Anatomy and

Physiology

Function of Feathers
Lightweight

body covering that is an

excellent insulator
Smoothly tapered,
streamlined shape
Broad surface area
of wings allow for lift

Types of Feathers
Contour

Feather Strong feathers

found on the
birds body, wings,
and tail

Types of Feathers

Flight Feather A special contour feather

that provides the necessary wing shape
for flight

Types of Feathers

Down Feather Soft fluffy feathers close

to the birds body to provide great
insulation without adding much weight

Types of Feathers

All feathers are pointed to the birds tail to

aid in streamlining

Parts of the Feather

Calamus The shaft in the middle of the

feather that attaches to the bird.

Parts of the Feather

Rachis The long shaft in the middle of

the feather that the barbs attach to.

Parts of the Feather

Barbs Small projections coming off the

rachis which have barbules with hooks or
flanges coming off of them

Parts of the Feather

Barbules Small
projections coming off
the barb that hook
together with the
barbules of the next
barb

Parts of the Feather

Vane All of the Barbs on one side of the

rachis

The Incredible Feather

By design, a feather can change shape

during flight in response to different
pressures in the air

The Incredible Feather

Most of the feathers are designed to give
lift
Some feathers are designed as ailerons
and flaps to control direction and give
extra lift.

The Incredible Feather

The tail feathers serve as a rudder and

elevator to control flight direction.

The Incredible Feather

There are nerve endings near the end of

each feather that turn the feathers into
sensory receptors

Flight Patterns

Powered Flight Flap with a downward

stroke of the wings to produce lift

Flight Patterns

Gliding Use of the air movement to fall

slowly and gracefully

Flight Patterns

Soaring Use of the thermal up-currents

to rise in a circular pattern. Birds can dive
and start climbing again

Flight Patterns

Special Flight Patterns Complicated

motion of the wings produce a vertical,
reverse or hovering flight. (Hummingbird
and Skylark)

Specially Designed Skeletal System

Many bones are hollow and filled with air

instead of marrow

Specially Designed Skeletal System

The hollow bones are strengthened with

internal cross bracing

Specially Designed Skeletal System

Birds have a blade-like sternum or

breastbone that the large muscles
responsible for flight attach to

Specially Designed Muscular System

Very large pectoralis major muscle

powers the downward stroke that gives
the bird lift

Specially Designed Nervous System

Usually have a poor sense of taste and

smell

Specially Designed Nervous System

Their sense of hearing is very good.
Because of the need to distinguish
between the differences of different bird
calls the bird needs to be able to
distinguish differences in intensity and
rapid fluctuations in pitch

Specially Designed Nervous System

Most birds have very good eyesight
Instead of moving their eyes in their head
they will move their whole head

Specially Designed Nervous System

They have a third eyelid called a

nictitating membrane that is transparent
and allows the bird to blink to moisten its
eyes in flight.

Nictitating Membrane

Nictitating Membrane

Nictitating Membrane

Specially Designed Nervous System

Nocturnal birds have extraordinary night

vision.

Specially Designed Digestive System

Relative small size and great activity

requires a great deal of fuel

Specially Designed Digestive System

Birds absorb a very high percentage of

the food they eat.

Specially Designed Digestive System

Different birds have different bills

designed for what they eat

Specially Designed Digestive System

Birds are able to eat and digest their food

quickly

Special Parts of the Digestive System

Crop Many birds have a special sac in

their esophagus that serves as a storage
chamber.

Special Parts of the Digestive System

Gizzard A chamber of the digestive

system found after the stomach that is
muscular, has horny plates, and
sometimes contains grit to help grind the
food up.

Special Parts of the Digestive System

Cloaca Area of the digestive system

where the waste is expelled. Also where
the sperm is received for reproduction,
where the eggs are released and where
the wastes from the kidneys are released.

Specially Designed Excretory System

Birds produce uric acid instead of urea.

This does not have to be dissolved in
water and keeps water in the bird.

Specially Designed Excretory System

Birds release their uric acid through the

cloaca

Specially Designed Excretory System

Some birds have a salt gland, which takes

salt out of their body and puts it into a
salty solution that runs through a duct in
the nostril.

Specially Designed Excretory System

The salt gland allows marine birds to get

the water they need by drinking seawater

Specially Designed Circulatory System

Have a four-chambered heart
Have a high metabolism to keep the body
at a constant temperature, so they have a
rapid heartbeat

Specially Designed Respiratory System

The respiratory system is completely

different from every other living
vertebrate.

Specially Designed Respiratory System

Breathes through their lungs instead of

into their lungs
Lungs do not expand or contract

Specially Designed Respiratory System

With this different way of breathing, birds

are able to take more oxygen out of the
air

Specially Designed Respiratory System

Respiratory system allows birds to fly at

high altitudes and have enough oxygen

Specially Designed Respiratory System

The air sacs of birds are used to cool the

body during flight.

Specially Designed Respiratory System

The birds voice box (syrinx) has a

membrane that vibrates when air passes
over it.

Family Life of Birds

Migration

Migration the annual movement to a

different region

What we know about Migration

1.Migrating birds follow the same route
each year (These are called Flyways)

What we know about Migration

2.A keen sense of
direction and
recognition of
landmarks seems to be
involved

What we know about Migration

3.The position of stars
and constellations
guide many
migrating birds.

What we know about Migration

4.The earths magnetic
field helps guide certain
birds

What we know about Migration

5.The length of the day
has a bearing on the
migratory instinct

What we know about Migration

6.The urge to migrate may be related to
breeding and development of sex organs

What we know about Migration

7.Migration generally occurs in the spring
and fall

What we know about Migration

8.Most migration is north and south

North American Blue Grouse

Migrates about 300

miles, one of the
shortest

Arctic Tern

Migrates 11,000 miles

each time from
Antarctica to the Arctic

Courtship

Depending on the
species, males
display some form of
behavior that attracts
the female.

Color (Frigate Bird)

Plumage (Superb Bird of Paradise)

Plumage (Peacock)

Song

Nesting
Most birds build a new nest for every new
brood
There are about as many different nests
as there are species of birds

Robin nest

Made of twigs and

grass

Barn Swallow nest

Made of mud

Killdeer nest

Made of stones

Oriole nest

Nest hangs from

branches

Osprey nest

High, built near water

Nesting (Sparrow Eggs)

Nesting is done for the protection of eggs

Parts of the Egg

Yolk A food source rich in fat
Embryo Living part of the egg
Germinal Spot Special area where the
embryo develops

Parts of the Egg

Shell Protective covering of the egg with

tiny pores that allow for diffusion of
oxygen, water vapor, and carbon dioxide.

Parts of the Egg

Chalaza Twisted cord that supports the

yolk and makes sure that the germination
spot is always facing up.

Parts of the Egg

Albumen Egg white. Surrounds the
yolk.
Air Chamber Small amount of air inside
the shell

Diagram of an Egg

Diagram of an Egg

Incubation

Incubation keeps eggs warm so the

young will develop properly

Incubation

Brood Patch a
patch of skin where
an adult loses
feathers on its belly
to transfer heat to
the egg

Incubation

The bird instinctively

senses the temperature
within the egg and
adjusts it accordingly

Emperor Penguin

Emperor penguin
keeps the egg at 93
degrees for 8-9 weeks
with air temperatures
at 77 below 0

Hatching

Altricial Birds are naked and helpless at

birth (Robins, Blue Jays, Cardinals)

Hatching

Precocial Birds that are covered with

down and are able to run or swim
immediately after hatching (Ducks,
Geese, Killdeer)

Feeding

Some birds will wait

with their mouths
open.

Feeding

Parents will store food in their crop and

regurgitate it for the birds

Feeding

Some young birds

reach into their
parents mouth to
eat

Feeding
Doves and pigeons produce crop milk rich
in protein and fat
The flamingo produces an oily fluid in
their digestive tracts to feed their young

Flamingo about to receive crop milk