Bird Adaptations Zoology

Review  What is one thing birds have that no other animal has?  Feathers!  What are modified bird forelimbs called?  Wings!  Name 3 uses for bird hindlimbs?  Walking, swimming or perching  What do birds have in place of jaws and teeth and why?  Beaks (or bills), weight reduction

What fossil was the link between reptiles and birds? Archaeopterix lithographica

Feathers  Modified scales  Used for insulation, breeding display & camouflage  3 main types:  Contour feathers  Down feathers  Filoplumes

Contour Feathers  Cover body, wings and tail  2 main types  General body feathers  Overall body covering  Color for camouflage or breeding displays  Flight feathers  Wings and Tail - long & strong feathers  Needed to produce lift and for steering & balance

Flight Feathers  Wing feathers or Rectrices  Primaries  Secondaries  Tertiaries  Tail feathers or Remiges

Retrices (plural) Retrix (singular)

Remiges (plural)

Contour Feather Parts  Calamus or quill  Rachis  Vane or blade

Contour Feather Structure  Vanes made up of interlocking parts – why is this needed?  Barbs  Barbules  Barbicels  Barbicels are hooks that hold the barbs together  Must be preened to maintain structure  Uropygial or preen or oil gland

Down Feathers  Lack stiff barbules and barbicels  Short, fluffy and soft barbs  Found underneath and between contour feathers and on juvenile birds  Function in insulation by trapping air  Birds like ducks and geese tend to have more down – Why?  Powder Down  Special type of down on aquatic birds - waterproof

Filoplumes  Probably Sensory feathers – still debated  Other types  Semiplumes  Bristles

Feather Coloration  Why are females usually not as bright as males?

Why do some birds have similarly plumaged sexes?

Why would some birds change color in the winter? How do they change?

Molting  Birds shed feathers and grow new ones  Most do it gradually  Some do it all at once  Alternate or Breeding Plumage  Brightest colors, usually in spring  Basic or Winter Plumage  Usually fairly drab  Most birds molt twice a year

4 Ways Birds are Adapted for Flight 1. Bones of a bird’s forelimbs form wings 2. Weight reduction  Bones are nearly hollow (pneumatic)  Air sacs, no bladder etc. 3. Large chest muscles that move the wings 4. Feathers

Airfoil in a Bird’s Wing Leading edge Trailing edge Top

Birds vs. Airplanes If a bird is just gliding (or "soaring"), that is, not flapping its wings, it flies in pretty much the same way that an airplane flies. The wings push air down, so by Newton's third law the air must push them up. The push comes partly from the angle of the wings and partly from the curvature of the wings.

Flapping Flight The bird uses its strong muscles to push its wings downwards, pushing air downwards, generating lift, and, if the wings are angled properly, also thrust. The big problem then becomes not pushing air back upwards when the bird moves its wings up for the return stroke.

Fixed vs. Flexible Wings Birds have hinged wings. On the downstroke, the wing is fully extended, offering its full surface area for pushing air downwards. On the upstroke, the wing folds up, presenting less area.

Bird Wings Can Move in Many Ways Many can use their tails like a rudder for steering

Motionless Flight  Hummingbirds' wings are pointed and swept back, and they rotate at the shoulder, not at the wrist, allowing the wing to be turned over in midstroke, so that backward motion cancels forward motion and the bird remains motionlessly poised in the air to sip the nectar of flowers.

Wing Shape Can Help to Determine What Type of Bird You are Seeing And what their job or niche is…

Wing Shapes

Raptor Silhouettes

Raptor Wings  Buteos – soaring wings  Found in open country  Accipiters – maneuverable wings and long tail  Found in forests  Falcons – built for speed  Found in the open or above the forest  Vultures – soaring wings

What does raptor mean?  Any species (dinosaur, bird etc.) that catches and kills its prey with its feet

Feet – Another Adaptation

Bird Feet SHAPETYPEADAPTATION Grasping Raptors like Osprey use their large curved claws to snatch fish from the water. Scratching Pheasants and other birds that scratch the soil for food have nail-like toes. Swimming Ducks and other webbed lined swimming birds use their feet like paddles. Perching Robins have a long back toe, which lets them grab a perch tightly. Running Many fast-running birds have three toes rather than four. Climbing A woodpecker's hind toes enable it to climb without falling backward.

Bird Beaks – Another Adaptation

You Can Tell a Lot About a Bird’s Niche by the Shape of the Bill

Bird Bills SHAPETYPEADAPTATION Cracker Seed eaters like sparrows and cardinals have short, thick conical bills for cracking seed. Shredder Birds of prey like hawks and owls have sharp, curved bills for tearing meat. Chisel Woodpeckers have bills that are long and chisel-like for boring into wood to eat insects. Probe Hummingbird bills are long and slender for probing flowers for nectar. Strainer Some ducks have long, flat bills that strain small plants and animals from the water. Spear Birds like herons and kingfishers have spear-like bills adapted for fishing. Tweezer Insect eaters like warblers have thin, pointed bills. Swiss Army Knife Crows have a multi-purpose bill that allows them to eat fruit, seeds, insects, fish, and other animals.

Bird Adaptations  Types of feathers  Forelimb Modified into Wing  Modifications for Flight  Specialized Feet  Specialized Bills