Birds

Birds

We all think we know what a bird is. It seems fairly obvious. But if you were to really stop and think about birds, you would be amazed at the diversity of these organisms. From hummingbirds to ostriches, and countless varieties in between, birds are amazing creatures. It is pretty easy to be aware of birds all around us. From pet birds in our houses to those seen flying and perching in the out-of-doors, birds constantly remind us of their diversity in both appearance and habits. Birds have special adaptations for flight, including feathers and a lightweight skeleton. They also have a wide variety of reproductive strategies among the different types of birds. Let us examine some of their principle traits so we can get a better appreciation of what birds can do.

Birds (class Aves) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals with two legs (bipedal), who lay eggs. They range in size from the tiny 2 in (5 cm) Bee Hummingbird to the 9 ft (2.7 m) ostrich. With approximately 10,000 living species, birds are the most numerous vertebrates with four limbs (tetrapod). They occur in diverse habitats across the globe, ranging from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

Instructions - complete the following

Lesson

Class Aves

Notes - see Notes for Chp 30, 31, 32

Watch the following

The 1-Way Bird Respiratory System

Dinosaur Feathers

Miller & Levine pg 806-815