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