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Learn About Birds

Explore Bird Species

Tag: science

Bird Feet: Zygodactyl

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Kayla Fisk

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…

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Bird Adaptations: Woodpecker’s Tail

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Kayla Fisk

When you see a woodpecker, they are typically clinging onto the bark of a tree or branches, usually using their tail to prop themselves up. This position would typically put a lot of pressure and wear on their longest tail feathers. Because of this risk of increased damage to these feathers, they have a special…

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Bird Anatomy: Beak

Posted on December 15, 2022December 16, 2022 by Kayla Fisk

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…

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A Day Bird Banding

Posted on November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 by Kayla Fisk

Bird banding can provide valuable data on several fronts. From monitoring populations in an area, studying migration and various other study and research programs. So how does bird banding work? A typical day of bird banding for passerines (songbirds) starts before the sun rises, and in our case, that means 4:45 am. It’s still dark…

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Term: Dihedral

Posted on April 29, 2022September 12, 2022 by Kayla Fisk

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….

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Bird Adaptations: Ocelli

Posted on April 16, 2022September 12, 2022 by Kayla Fisk

While out hiking in a field, you spot a little american kestrel in a telephone wire. Its back is to you and you notice an interesting pattern on the back of its head, which appears to resemble eyes. These feather patterns aren’t eyes though, they are called ocelli, or false eye spots. This adaptation can…

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Bird Anatomy: Nictitating Membrane

Posted on April 8, 2022September 12, 2022 by Kayla Fisk

For birds to survive, they need keen eyesight, to find food, to navigate their environment, find a mate and avoiding becoming something else’s meal. So it is critical to protect their eyes, especially when flying through the air and through vegetation where there is an increased risk of something hitting their eyes and causing abrasions….

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Bird Anatomy: Lamellae

Posted on March 5, 2022September 12, 2022 by Kayla Fisk

If you look at the bills of some duck species, you may see it lined with fine comb-like structures. These little projections are called lamellae and are made of keratin. These slightly flexible structures are used to filter and strain food from mud or water. These structures will be seen mostly in dabbling ducks along…

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Bird Anatomy: Tomial Tooth

Posted on February 25, 2022September 12, 2022 by Kayla Fisk

The tomial tooth, or the mandibular tomia, is not really a tooth at all, but a projection that can be seen in the outer edge on beaks of falcons, kites, and shrikes. This “tooth”  also corresponds with a divot on the lower bill, called the mandibular notch; these together act like a pair of scissors…

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Bird Anatomy: Ear Tufts

Posted on February 23, 2022September 11, 2022 by Kayla Fisk

In the bird world, if you say ear tufts, you would probably instantly think of the ear tufts on owls. This feature is found on many owl species, about 50 of the 200 plus owl species have ear tufts, seemingly mostly occurring in nocturnal, forest dwelling species. But there are many other species that possess…

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