Feathered animals - species and characteristics

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 7 August 2021
Update Date: 10 December 2024
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Vertebrate Animals for kids: Mammals, fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles
Video: Vertebrate Animals for kids: Mammals, fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles

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Mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians, crustaceans, among many others. There is a huge diversity of animals around the world. Although each species has particular characteristics that help them survive in their habitat, the characteristics they share contribute to their classification in the animal kingdom.

Among these traits are feathers. Do you know which species have them? And which class do they belong to? One thing is certain: they further beautify nature with a variety of colors and shapes. In this article by PeritoAnimal we present to you the feathered animals - species of characteristics. Good reading!


What are feathered animals?

When you think of feathers, which animals come to mind? You probably remember species like the duck, chicken, hummingbird or parrot. Now, do only birds have feathers? The answer to that question is yes. Nowadays onlyonly birds are animals that have feathers, this is a feature that allows a species to be included in the bird group.

However, it has been shown that, in the past, some species of dinosaurs also developed feathers and the birds we know are descendants of them. Currently, there is still no definitive conclusion about this, but everything indicates that the feathers and hairs originate from the scales that covered the bodies of the ancestral reptiles of birds and mammals.

Different theories claim there may have been a evolutionary process that allowed some species of dinosaurs to fly over treetops and jumping branches, while others point to thermal protection or attraction mechanisms during the mating season.


Despite this, there is evidence pointing to dinosaurs belonging to the theropod group, such as the famous velociraptor, among the first ancestors of modern birds. This conclusion was reinforced in 1996, when a fossil of a Sinosauropteryx it was discovered with thin filaments covering its body. This animal's feathers supposedly evolved from the scales. Likewise, in 2009 a fossil of Tianyulog, a Cretaceous species, with samples of bristles on its back.

What are the feathers for?

Feathers are essential elements for flying, but this it's not the only role they play.. The feather is an epidermal structure made of keratin, meaning it is part of the skin. Keratin is the protein responsible not only for the formation of feathers, but also for the nails, hair and scales. Like these three, the feather is "dead", meaning it is not attached to the body by blood vessels. The most serious accidents that happen due to cutting feathers or nails occur when an inexperienced person makes the cut hitting the nerve.


The set of feathers is called plumage and although they play an important role in flight, not all birds do. Among the functions of the feathers are:

  • Provide propulsion and speed in flight.
  • Retain air during flight so the bird can glide
  • Eliminate or reduce in-flight turbulence
  • direct the flight
  • Provide dynamism and support
  • Protect during different seasons and stages of life (there is a winter plumage, more abundant and less visible, and a bridal plumage, colored and visible, used for the breeding season).
  • Distinguish between males and females (this occurs in those species where there is sexual dimorphism, that is, physical characteristics vary between males and females).
  • Allow for camouflage (the plumage of some species simulates the colors found in their habitat).
  • Drive away predators (the bright color of some plumages is a method of defense, indicating that the species can be dangerous).

now that you know what are the feathers for, we'll tell you about some animals that have feathers and curiosities about them.

Feathered animals

You already know which are the feathered animals, that is, the birds. Now let's get to know facts about some of them:

  • Cuckoo
  • Cuban bee hummingbird
  • mandarin duck
  • Flamingo
  • toe-toe
  • superb lyre bird
  • Toucan
  • Indian peacock
  • Swan
  • pigeon
  • Eagle
  • owl

1. Cuckoo

The cuckoo or song cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is a bird that can be found in Asia, Europe and Africa. the females of this species are parasites because they have a curious way of raising their young: instead of building their own nests, they take advantage of existing ones from other birds. For this choice, they take into account the size and color of these other birds.

Unnoticed, she gets rid of one of the eggs in the nest to leave hers in place. At birth, the cuckoo also has a tricky behavior: it instinctively throws away the remaining eggs in the nest that have not yet hatched so that it is the only one to be fed.

2. Cuban bee hummingbird

Popularly known as hummingbird bee (Mellisuga helenae), is a species that lives in Cuba and it's the smallest bird in the world. It is characterized by red and blue plumage in males, while females display shades of green and blue. This hummingbird reaches only 5 centimeters in adulthood.

Discover the Mayan legend of the hummingbird in this other PeritoAnimal article.

3. Mandarin duck

Also known as the mandarin teal, it is undoubtedly one of the most exotic feathered animals. The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) is a bird native to China, Siberia and Japan, but has also come to be found in Europe.

A curiosity about this species is sexual dimorphism: females have a brown or brown plumage with some areas of cream or white, while the male exhibits an unprecedented and unique color combination, a mixture of cream, bright green, blue, coral , purple, black and reddish brown.

4. Flamingo

Various species of the genus Phoenicopterus are named under the name Flamingo, characterized by their long legs, long, slender neck and pink plumage. However, did you know that this color of feathers is a result of their feeding? At birth, flamingos are white, but their diet is based on the consumption of plankton and crustaceans, which contain large amounts of carotene, an organic pigment that provides the characteristic color of their plumage.

You can find out more about this in the article because the flamingo is pink.

5. Clog-toe

Also known as shoe-tip stork, the toe-in (Balaeniceps rex) is one of the most curious feathered animals in existence, as it is a species of bird of the order of pelicans that attracts attention for its peculiar appearance. It has a huge beak whose shape reminds us of a shoe, a fact that gave rise to its fun name. Little is known about its habits or population, as it rarely leaves the African swamps where it lives.

6. Superb lyrebird

The magnificent superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) is a native bird of Australia. It is a singing species that stands out from others of this type because it is able to imitate sounds as incredible as the click of a camera shutter or the noise made by a chainsaw. It is also curious for its peculiar appearance, especially the males, which have a very striking tail due to the variety of their plumage.

See also other animals from Oceania in the article 35 animals from Australia.

7. Toucan

The toucan is the name given to the birds of the family Ramphastidae, who inhabit a large territory of the Mexico to Argentina. In addition to the beautiful colors that characterize them, they show a curious behavior during the mating ritual: both males and females usually carry or throw food and branches.

8. Indian Peacock

It is a bird also called the blue peacock that can be found in Asia and Europe. The most unique feature of the Pavo cristatus is the wonderful and colored plumage of males, characterized by its blue and green colors. However, there is an even more impressive version, the white peacock. This plumage is the product of a recessive gene and only appears after very well selected crosses.

9. Swan

There are many questions about the swan's (Cygnus) ability to fly. But the answer is simple: yes, swan fly. With aquatic habits, the swans are distributed in several areas of America, Europe and Asia. Although most of the existing species have white plumage, there are also some that have black plumage.

Like ducks, swans fly and have migratory habits, as they move to warmer areas when winter comes.

10. Pigeon

It is one of the most common birds in most cities in the world, coming to be considered a urban plague. Originally, this bird comes from Eurasia and Africa and has about 70 cm of wingspan and 29 to 37 cm in length. The weight can vary between 238 and 380 g and, living in cities, they live, on average, 4 years.

11. Eagle

Eagles are diurnal birds of prey that are part of the family. Accipitridae, along with the vultures. They are animals much admired by humans, although some people may find them terrifying. This is due to its reputation as voracious predators and, not least, since the characteristics of eagles are closely related to their great hunting ability.

12. Owl

Owls belong to the order Strigiformes and are carnivorous and nocturnal birds of prey, although some species may be more active during the day. The legs of many species are covered with feathers, often brown, gray and brown. They inhabit all kinds of habitats., from very cold places in the northern hemisphere to tropical rainforests. Owls have a spectacular sight and, thanks to the shape of their wings, which allows them excellent aerial maneuvers, many species can hunt their prey within leafy forests.

Animals with non-flying feathers

Although feathers are indispensable elements during flight, there are some animals with feathers that don't fly, that is, they are non-flying birds. These are some of the most curious and striking:

  • Kakapo
  • Penguin
  • Ostrich
  • Kiwi
  • Cassowary
  • Cormorant

1. Kakapo

The kakapo or also cap (Strigops habroptila) is a species of flightless parrot endemic to New Zealand. Is night bird it measures 60 centimeters and weighs about 4 kilos. It has a moss green and black plumage.

There are currently less than 200 live specimens, for this reason the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources IUCN Red List considers the species in critical danger. Its main threat is the introduction of non-native invasive species into their habitat. Due to their inability to fly, they are easier to catch than other animals.

2. penguin

Various species of the genus Sphenisciform are included under the name of penguins. they live in the Galapagos Islands and in much of the northern hemisphere. Although can't fly, penguins are good swimmers and even use their wings to propel themselves out of the water when fleeing predators.

3. Ostrich

the ostrich (Struthio camelus) and the biggest and heaviest bird in the world, weighing up to 180 pounds. However, this does not pose a problem for the species, as it is capable of reaching 70 km/hour running over the leaves of Africa. In this way, this feathered animal holds two great records, as in addition to being the biggest bird, it is the fastest bird on land.

Want to know which are the 10 fastest animals in the world? Read this article by PeritoAnimal.

4. Kiwi

The kiwi, which belongs to the genus Apteryx, it's a bird similar to the chicken found in New Zealand. It is an omnivorous animal with nocturnal habits. Although it doesn't fly, it has very small wings. As a curious fact, we can say that the species is the official New Zealand animal.

5. Cassowary

It is a genus of birds that includes three species that inhabit the Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. The cassowary has a curious appearance: long legs, a somewhat oval body full of feathers, and a long neck. It is usually 2 meters long and weighs around 40 kg.

6. Cormorant

And we finished the list of animals with feathers that don't fly with the cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi), an endemic bird of the Galapagos Islands. It is characterized by a curious reproduction system, the polyandrous mating, which means that a female reproduces with several males, and by her small wings.

Do you know other curious species of feathered animals would you like to share? Leave your comment!

Brazilian Feathered Animals

According to the Brazilian Committee of Ornithological Records (CBRO), they exist in Brazil 1,919 bird species, which corresponds to 18.4% of all birds identified worldwide (10,426, according to data from BirdLife International).

This number places Brazil among the three countries with greatest diversity of birds on the planet. Although the vast majority of species spend their entire life cycle in Brazilian territory, some come from the Northern Hemisphere, southern South America or countries west of Brazil, passing only part of the life cycle in our country. There are some that are considered wanderers because they have an irregular occurrence.

Here are some of these feathered animals Brazilians, that is, which are quite typical in the country:

  • Lear's Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus lear)
  • Caatinga Parakeet (Eupsittila cactorum)
  • Yellow Woodpecker (Celeus flavus subflavus)
  • Peacock-do-pará (Eurypyga helias)
  • Long-eared Owl (clamator pseudoscopes)
  • I saw you (Pitangus sulphuratus)
  • Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus)
  • The orange thrush (turdus rufiventris)
  • seriema (Cariamidae)

Enjoy and meet Alex, the smartest parrot in the world:

If you want to read more articles similar to Feathered animals - species and characteristics, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.