Bird characteristics

Content

• The plumage, the most unique feature of birds
• General characteristics of birds
• the flight of birds
• The bird migration
• the bird skeleton
• Other bird characteristics

Birds are warm-blooded tetrapods (that is, endothermic) vertebrates that have very distinct characteristics that differentiate them from the rest of the animals. Your ancestors were a group of theropod dinosaurs that inhabited the Earth during the Jurassic, between 150 and 200 million years ago. They are the most diverse vertebrates, with about 10,000 species today. They inhabit all environments on the planet, being found in cold areas of the poles, to deserts and aquatic environments. There are species as small as some hummingbirds, even large species such as the ostrich.

As there is such a great diversity of birds, in this article by PeritoAnimal, we will show you what these animals have in common, that is, all of the bird characteristics and its most surprising details.

The plumage, the most unique feature of birds

While not all bird species can fly, most do so thanks to the streamlined shape of their bodies and wings. This ability allowed them to colonize all kinds of habitats that other animals could not reach. Bird feathers have a complex structure, and they evolved from their simple beginnings in pre-avian dinosaurs to their modern form over millions of years. So today we can find big differences in 10,000 species that exist in the world.

Each type of feather varies according to the region of the body where it is found and according to its shape, and this also varies with each species, as the feathers not only perform the function of flying, but also the following:

• Partner selection.
• During nesting.
• Cospecific recognition (ie, individuals of the same species).
• Thermoregulation of the body, since, in the case of waterfowl, the plumage traps air bubbles that prevent the bird from getting wet during dives.
• Camouflage.

General characteristics of birds

Among the characteristics of the birds, the following stand out:

the flight of birds

Thanks to the shape of their wings, birds can perform from spectacular glide paths to extremely long journeys, in the case of migratory birds. The wings developed differently in each group of birds, for example:

• birds without feathers: in the case of penguins, they lack feathers and their wings have a fin shape, as they are adapted to swimming.
• Birds with reduced feathers: in other cases, the feathers are reduced, as in ostriches, chickens and partridges.
• birds with rudimentary feathers: in other species, such as kiwi, the wings are rudimentary and the feathers have a structure similar to the fur.

On the other hand, in flying species the wings are very developed and, depending on their lifestyle, they can have different shapes:

• Wide and rounded: in species that inhabit closed environments.
• Narrow and pointed: in fast-flying birds such as swallows.
• narrow and wide: present in birds such as seagulls, which glide over water.
• Feathers imitating fingers: also in species such as vultures, the feathers are observed as fingers on the tips of the wings, which allows them to glide at high altitudes, taking advantage of columns of warm air in mountainous areas, for example.

However, there are also non-flying birds, as we explain to you in this other article about non-flying birds - Features and 10 examples.

The bird migration

Birds are able to make long flights during migrations, which are regular and synchronized, and which occur due to seasonal changes in which birds move from winter regions in the south to summer areas in the north, for example, to seek greater availability of food to be able to feed their young during the breeding season.

During this season, the migration also allows them to find better territories to nest and raise your puppies. In addition, this process helps them to maintain homeostasis (internal body balance), because these movements allow them to avoid extreme climates. However, birds that do not migrate are called residents and have other adaptations to deal with bad times.

There are several ways in which birds orient themselves during migrations, and many studies have shown that they use the sun to find their way. Navigation also includes detecting magnetic fields, using smell, and using visual landmarks.

If you want to know more about this subject, don't miss this other PeritoAnimal article about migratory birds.

the bird skeleton

Birds have a peculiarity in their bones, and it is the presence of holes (in flying species) full of air, but with great resistance which, in turn, gives them lightness. On the other hand, these bones have different degrees of fusion in different areas of the body, such as the skull bones, which do not have sutures. The spine also has variations, having a greater number of vertebrae in the neck, which generates great flexibility. The last posterior vertebrae are also fused with the pelvis and form the synsacrum. On the other hand, birds have flat ribs and a keel-shaped sternum, which serves to insert the flight muscles. They have four-toed legs that, according to their disposition, have different names:

• anisodactyls: Most common among birds, with three fingers facing forward and one finger backward.
• syndactyls: third and fourth fingers fused, like the kingfisher.
• Zygodactyls: typical of arboreal birds, such as woodpeckers or toucans, with two fingers facing forward (fingers 2 and 3) and two fingers facing backwards (fingers 1 and 4).
• Pamprodactyls: arrangement in which the four fingers point forward. Characteristic of the swifts (Apodidae), which use the nail of the first finger to hang, since these birds cannot land or walk.
• heterodactyls: is the same as zygodactyly, except here fingers 3 and 4 point forward, and fingers 1 and 2 point backward. It is typical of trogoniforms such as quetzals.

Other bird characteristics

Other characteristics of birds are as follows:

• Very developed sense of sight: Birds have very large orbits (where the eyeballs lodge) and large eyes, and this is related to flight. Its visual acuity, especially in some species such as eagles, is up to three times better than that of other animals, including humans.
• sense of smellpoor: although in many species, such as some carrion birds, kiwis, albatrosses and petrels, the sense of smell is highly developed and allows them to locate their prey.
• Earwell developed: that allows certain species to orient themselves in the dark because they are adapted to echolocation.
• Horny Beaks: that is, they have a keratin structure, and their shape will be directly related to the type of diet that the bird has. On the one hand, there are beaks adapted to suck nectar from flowers, or large and robust to open grains and seeds. On the other hand, there are filter nozzles that allow you to feed in the mud or in flooded areas, and also in the form of a spear to be able to fish. Some species have sharp, pointed beaks to cut wood, and others have a hook that allows them to hunt prey.
• Syrinx: it is the vocal organ of birds and, like the vocal chords of human beings, it allows them to emit vocalizations and melodious songs in some species so that they can communicate.
• reproduction: the birds' reproduction occurs through internal fertilization, and they lay eggs with a hard limestone covering.
• Mating: they can be monogamous, that is, have only one partner during the entire reproductive season (or even longer, or in consecutive years), or be polygamous and have several partners.
• nesting: they lay their eggs in nests built for this purpose, and this construction can be performed by both parents or just one of them. Puppies can be altricial, that is, they are born without feathers, and in this case the parents invest a lot of time in their feeding and care; or they may be precocious, in which case they leave the nest earlier and parental care is short-lived.