Birds: The Flying Vertebrates By Scott Knowles and Christopher Kan, Period 1

 There are over 9700 different kinds of birds  These intresting creatures are found all over the world  Birds range from 2 in to over 8 ft  The ability to fly makes them seem the fastest animals in the world, the fastest birds flying at over 100 mph

 All birds hatch from eggs, have feathers, beaks, and wings  Beak used for calling, eating, breathing, etc.  Wings used for flight, body temperature control, and attracting mates.

 Birds adapt to their environment depending on their traits and requirements.  Different birds require different needs according to different foods, different ways of getting around, and different behaviors  (Example: A pigeon can adapt to a more urban environment because it can eat many different kinds of food.)

 Lift is the main factor of a bird’s flight.  An inclined plane is one of the main factors in a bird’s flight. Hold out your hand like the wing in the picture in the wind. First you will feel the rising force, then drag. *Another factor is their lightweight skeletons of hollow bone. Their skeletons are lighter than their wings, which helps greatly in flight.

Skeletal Diagram of a Bird This picture shows the skeletal structure of a basic bird. Notice its backbone.

Flightless Birds  Flightless birds are birds that have evolved to the lack of being able to fly and instead, rely on running or swimming to get around  There are over 40 known species of flight less birds including ostriches, kiwis, cassowaries, and penguins

Interesting Facts  The highest flyer is the bar-headed goose flying at an altitude of more than 25,000 ft  The largest bird is the male African Ostrich growing to almost 8 ft and weighing over 800 lbs  The smallest bird is the bee hummingbird, measuring about 2 in and weighing about 1/10 of an ounce  The greatest traveler is the Arctic Tern traveling for almost 11,000 each way between their breeding grounds in the arctic and home in Antarctica  The deepest diver is the emperor penguin having been recorded underwter to almost 900 ft below sea level

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