bird anatomy
Feathered body science
Bird anatomy refers to the physical structure and bodily systems of birds, studied as a branch of ornithology and comparative biology.
Birds share features with other vertebrates but have specialized adaptations for flight, including hollow bones, a keeled breastbone for flight muscle attachment, and a unique respiratory system with air sacs.
The museum exhibit on bird anatomy showed how wing structure varies across species.
Understanding bird anatomy helps explain everything from migration capabilities to feeding behaviors.
- air sacsGas-exchange lung cavities
- syrinxBird's sound-producing organ
- cropCultivated agricultural plants
- sternumFlat chest bone
- contour feathersFeathers shaping bird outline
keel · cloaca · feather shaft · gizzard · pneumatic bones · oviduct · tail feathers · skull · down feathers · secondaries · primaries · wishbone · cerebellum · hollow bones · talons · down · preening · oil gland