A bird’s anatomy can be highly variable, from the broadest being body shape, color, bill, wings and feet. Down in more minute features that can often get overlooked. When drawing, we are always told the eye is the most important feature that you want to stand out. But how often do you notice the intricate…
Category: definition
What is a Species?
Even within a single species, there can be great variations of plumage, size and behaviors. For example, I absolutely love red tailed hawks, their diversity is incredible. They also are a good example for this episode. At the very basic the red-tailed hawk is classified as a species with a species name of Buteo jamaicensis….
Bird Feet: Zygodactyl
Not all bird feet are alike, even toe shape and placement can vary. One example of different toe alignment seen in birds is being zygodactyl, where two toes face forward and the other two face backwards. This can be seen in species such as woodpeckers, parrots and owls. This arrangement of toes is perfect for…
Bird Anatomy: Gonys
A bird’s beak can have different components to it depending on the species or bird family. On gull species, where the two lateral plates of the lower mandible connect towards the tip of the beak form a ridge or bulge called the gonydeal expansion. This bulge also causes a bump out on the lower mandible…
Bird Anatomy: Beak
In a previous blog post I went over some of the many different shapes a bird’s beak may have and how they are adapted to their diet, but I never went over what parts of a bird’s beak actually are. They are an important part of the topography of a bird and to truly appreciate…
Dimorphism: Age
When you think of a species, most often a single visage of a species comes to mind. I say bald eagle for example, and the image of a large bird with a dark brown body, white head and tail, orange beak and piercing yellow eyes. But birds don’t generally look exactly the same as they…
Term: Dihedral
One of the more common large birds you may see overhead throughout North America is the turkey vulture, especially in the spring as they migrate in large numbers northward. One of their features to help identify them when they are in flight, even if they are at a great distance away, is their flight style….