Animal Adaptations: Bird Feet

Feet long muscular legs running long skinny legs wading short legs with blunt claws scratching, ground walking three toes in front, one behind perching webbed swimming large hooklike claws (talons) grasping prey tiny short legs hovering two toes in front, two behind climbing

The Perchers Birds which like to perch on branches and twigs have a long back toe which helps them tightly grab a perch.

Jay

Red-winged Blackbird

Black-headed Grosbeak

Wren

The Climbers Climbing birds have hind toes so that they can climb without falling backward.

Woodpecker

Nuthatch

The Swimmers Swimming birds have webbed feet which they use like paddles in the water.

Mallard

Canada Goose

Sea Gull

Water birds use their feet to swim through the water, often as a way to get food. Penguins need to dive and swim quickly through the water to chase and catch small fish as prey. Ducks swim to eat from the bottom of ponds, lakes, and streams. Each type of swimming bird has a unique adaptation for locomotion through the water. How do ducks swim? Birds with webbed feet can paddle through the water and walk on mud. As a duck pushes its feet back, the web spreads out to provide more surface to thrust the water. Then, as the duck draws its foot forward and brings the toes together, the web folds up so there is less resistance to the water.

How are the feet of water birds unique from other birds? How does the webbing of duck feet help ducks to swim? Does the webbing of water birds increase or decrease surface area of the feet? We will now conduct an experiment using “bird feet” to answer these questions.

For the experiment, create webbed feet simply by attaching 3 large popsicle sticks together on the end with hot glue. Use cling wrap to create a webbing all around, attach with heavy tape. To create non-webbed feet, create the feet with 3 large popsicles, just do not wrap with cling wrap. To conduct the experiment, student groups need containers of water. Enough water so that moving the feet through it will allow students to see that webbed feet cause the water to be pushed forward and the non-webbed feet does not push as much. Start at one end and lightly move the feet toward the other end.

Name _____________________________ Date __________________________ Based on your observations and experience with the “bird feet”, answer the following questions. How are the feet of water birds unique from other birds? ______________________________________________________________________ How does the webbing of duck feet help ducks to swim? Does the webbing of water birds increase or decrease surface area of the feet? Name _____________________________ Date __________________________ Based on your observations and experience with the “bird feet”, answer the following questions. How are the feet of water birds unique from other birds? ______________________________________________________________________ How does the webbing of duck feet help ducks to swim? Does the webbing of water birds increase or decrease surface area of the feet?