Abi - 10 centaurus
(British Starling)
Birds are
feathered, winged, two-legged, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates. Modern
birds are characterized by feathers, a beak with no teeth, the laying of
hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a
lightweight but strong skeleton. Birds have adapted their vertebrate skeleton
for flight. Their bones and skull are very thin, making their bodies extremely
light. To support flight also required other changes to their skeleton. Obvious
changes are the addition of wings.
Many species
annually migrate great distances, and many more perform shorter irregular
movements. Birds are social, communicating with visual signals, calls, and
songs, and participating in such social behaviors as cooperative breeding and
hunting, flocking, and mobbing of predators. The vast majority of bird species
are socially monogamous, usually for one breeding season at a time, sometimes
for years, but rarely for life.
Traits
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Birds are vertebrates; they
have backbones.
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They’re body is covered with
feathers
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Birds have a pair of wings and
legs.
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Birds are warm-blooded.
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Birds have beak with no teeth.
Subclass
Neornithes
(Modern Birds)
The subclass is
divided into two superorders:
Superorder
Palaeognathae
The name of the
superorder is derived from paleognath, the ancient Greek for "old
jaws" in reference to the skeletal anatomy of the palate, which is
described as more primitive and reptilian than that in other birds. The
Palaeognathae consists of three orders that comprise 49 existing species
including the moas, ostriches and kiwis.
Superorder
Neognathae
The superorder
Neognathae comprises 27 orders that have a total of nearly 10,000 species. The
Neognathae have undergone adaptive radiation to produce the staggering
diversity of form (especially of the bill and feet), function, and behaviour
that are seen today.
Anatomy
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Compared with other
vertebrates, birds have a body plan that shows many unusual adaptations, mostly
to facilitate flight.
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Birds have one of the most
complex respiratory systems of all animal groups. Upon inhalation, 75% of the
fresh air bypasses the lungs and flows directly into a posterior air sac which
extends from the lungs and connects with air spaces in the bones and fills them
with air. The other 25% of the air goes directly into the lungs. When the bird
exhales, the used air flows out of the lung and the stored fresh air from the
posterior air sac is simultaneously forced into the lungs. Thus, a bird's lungs
receive a constant supply of fresh air during both inhalation and exhalation.
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Feathers are a feature
characteristic of birds (though also present in some dinosaurs not currently
considered to be true birds). They facilitate flight, provide insulation that
aids in thermoregulation, and are used in display, camouflage, and signaling.
There are several types of feathers, each serving its own set of purposes. The
arrangement and appearance of feathers on the body, called plumage, may vary
within species by age, social status, and sex.
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Most birds can fly, which
distinguishes them from almost all other vertebrate classes. Flight is the
primary means of locomotion for most bird species and is used for breeding,
feeding, and predator avoidance and escape. Birds have various adaptations for
flight, including a lightweight skeleton, two large flight muscles, the
pectoralis (which accounts for 15% of the total mass of the bird) and the
supracoracoideus, as well as a modified forelimb (wing) that serves as an
aerofoil.
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Birds' diets are varied and
often include nectar, fruit, plants, seeds, carrion, and various small animals,
including other birds. Because birds have no teeth, their digestive system is
adapted to process unmasticated food items that are swallowed whole. Because of
this, a lot of bird species have their beak adapted on a specific food.
Species
Pileated woodpecker: Birds that are known for their beaks that specialized in hammering and drilling woods to find food.
Species
Pileated woodpecker: Birds that are known for their beaks that specialized in hammering and drilling woods to find food.
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