This document discusses bird adaptations through their beaks, feet, and feathers. It describes different beak shapes including cone-shaped, slender, chisel-shaped, long and tubular, sharp and hooked, fringed edges, and flat and wide beaks. Each shape is adapted for different feeding methods. It also discusses feet adaptations such as toes for grasping, climbing, swimming, walking on soft surfaces, capturing prey, scratching, and protection. Finally, it covers feather structures, types including contour, down, semiplumes and filoplumes, and their functions in insulation, flight, and appearance.

1. Surviving and Thriving in the
Sky
Bird Adaptations

2. Bird Adaptations
Beaks
Feet
Feathers

3. Different Shaped Beaks
 Cone shaped
 Slender, pointed
 Chisel shaped tip
 Long, tubular
 Sharp, tooth-like edge
 Sharp, hooked
 Fringed edges
 Flat and wide at base

4. Cone Shaped Beak
 A cone shaped bill is found in many birds
such as finches and grosbeaks. It is a
strong beak used for cracking seeds.
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5. Slender, pointed beak
 Thin, slender, pointed beaks are found
mainly in insect eaters. They are used to
pick insects off leaves, twigs, and bark. This
warbler is a good example.
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6. Chisel shaped tip
 Woodpeckers have strong beaks which
taper to the tip, forming a chisel for pecking
holes in trees for food or nests. Most feed
on insects which live under the bark.
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7. Long, tubular beak
 Hummingbirds have long, tubular bills that
resemble straws, which they use to sip
nectar from flowers.
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8. Sharp, tooth-like edge
 Mergansers, specialized for eating fish,
have sharp tooth-like structures on the edge
of the bill to hold fish tightly.
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9. Sharp, hooked
 Hawks, owls, and other birds of prey which
catch and kill live prey have sharp, "hooked"
beaks. These are used to bite the skull or
neck and also to tear the body into pieces
small enough to swallow.
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10. Fringed edges
 The edges of a Mallard's bill are fringed to
strain plants, seeds, and small animals from
mud and water.
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11. Flat and wide at base
 Beaks which are flat and wide at the base
are found in birds which catch insects in
flight, such as flycatchers. These birds also
often have whiskers at the corners of the
mouth, which effectively widens the mouth
opening, allowing more effective capture of
prey.
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12. Bird Beaks Review
 Bird Adapations - Beaks
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13. Bird Beaks Review
 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
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15. Bird Feet Adaptations
 Independent, flexible toes for grasping
 Two forward, two backward for climbing
 Webbed for swimming
 Long toes for soft surfaces
 Talons to capture, kill
 Strong feet to scratch dirt
 Strong feet, sharp claws for protection

16. Independent, flexible toes for grasping
SONG BIRDS or PERCHING
BIRDS (warblers, thrushes,
wrens, etc.) have
independent, flexible toes,
with one pointing backwards,
ideal for grasping perches.
They don’t fall when they
sleep because a tendon on
the backside of the ankle
automatically flexes locking
their toes around the branch.
With feet locked, sleeping
birds don't fall. As the bird
stands up its feet release.
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17. Two forward, two backward for climbing
 WOODPECKERS
have two toes pointing
forwards and two
backwards; for
climbing up, down, and
sideways on tree
trunks.
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18. Webbed for swimming
 WATER BIRDS such
as ducks have
webbing between their
toes for swimming.
GULLS also have feet
similar to these so they
don't sink while
walking in the soft
sand or mud near the
water's edge.
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19. Long toes for soft surfaces
 WADING BIRDS. The
long toes of herons,
which spreads the
bird's weight over a
large surface area,
helps them walk on
soft surfaces near the
water's edge (where
wading birds like to
eat).
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20. Talons to capture, kill
 RAPTORS such as
hawks, eagles, and
owls use large claws
(called talons) to
capture, kill, and carry
prey with their feet.
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21. Strong feet to scratch dirt
 Pheasants and
chickens use their
strong feet to scratch
the dirt and leaf litter to
uncover seeds and
insects.
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22. Strong feet, sharp claw for
protection
Strong-legged
flightless birds, like the
cassowary, protect
themselves by kicking
with their powerful feet
and sharp claws.
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23. Bird Feet Review
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24. Test Your Knowledge!
Which type of feet does each bird have?
Heron =
Pheasant =
Great Horned
Owl =
Wren =
Mallard Duck =
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AA

25. Feathers
Feathers are one of the most prominent
features of a bird's anatomy and they are
unique to birds. Feathers perform a
number of functions for a bird:
1) They provide insulation, body
temperature of most birds is maintained
at around 40 C;
2) Feathers allow for flight;
3) Feathers control what a bird looks like by
supplying the bird with colors. Colors in
birds are used for camouflage and
attracting a mate(consider the tail
feathers of a peacock).
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26. Feather Structure
Feathers have a basic form
of a hollow, central shaft
called a rachis and a number
of smaller side branches.
The side branches are called
barbs and are linked together
by a set of barbules and their
"hooklets" sometimes called
'Hamuli' (this is perhaps best
understood by seeing the
diagram). The base of the
feather - where there are no
side branches - is called the
quill.
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27. Types of Feathers
 Contour feathers
 Down feathers
 Semiplumes
 Filoplumes QuickTime™ and a
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28. Contour Feathers
 Contour feathers give the
bird its characteristic
smooth round shape. They
also give the bird its visual
coloring and provide a first
level of defense against
physical objects, sunlight,
wind and rain. They are
very important.
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29. Down feathers
 Down feathers are smaller
and lack the barbules and
their accompanying
hooklets so they are not
zipped together and do not
look as neat. In fact they
are soft and fluffy. They
provide most of the
insulation and are so good
at this that mankind for
many years collected
down feathers from
various birds to put into
sleeping bags and jackets
to help keep us warm.
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30. Semiplumes
 Semiplumes are half-
way between a contour
feather and a down
feather. These occur
between the contour
feathers and help to
supply insulation and a
certain amount of form
as well.
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31. Filoplumes
 Filoplumes are very
small and have only a
very few barbs at their
tips. They are
believed to have a
sensory function,
helping birds keep
their feathers in order.
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32. Birds in Friendswwod
 Red Tailed Hawk
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Listen to a Red-Tailed Hawk
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33. Birds in Friendswood
 Great Horned Owl

34. Birds in Friendswood
 Screech Owl

35. Birds in Friendswood
 Kestrel

36. Birds in Friendswood
 Northern Flicker

37. Birds in Friendswood
 Blue Jay

38. Birds in Friendswood
 Cardinal

39. Birds in Friendswood
 Red-headed
Woodpecker

40. Birds in Friendswood
 House Wren

41. Birds in Friendswood
 Great Blue Heron

42. Birds in Friendswood
 Mourning Dove

43. Birds in Friendswood
 Purple Martin

44. Birds in Friendswood
 Killdeer

45. Birds in Friendswood
 Ruby-throated
Humingbird

46. Birds in Friendswood
 Robin

47. Birds in Friendswood
 Common Grackle

48. Birds in Friendswood
 Northern Mockingbird

49. Birds in Friendswood
 House Sparrow