THE ANIMAL

KINGDOM: Birds
 BIRDS
• Also known as Aves or avian
dinosaurs

• These are a group of endothermic

vertebrates, characterized by
feathers, toothless beaked jaws.

• They lay hard-shelled eggs, have

a high metabolic rate, a four-
chambered heart, and a strong
yet lightweight skeleton.
HISTORY
• The evolutionary history of
birds is still unclear.

• Birds belong to a group of

Diapsids called the Archosaurs.

• Archaeopteryx: A fossil that

established the relationship
between birds and dinosaurs.
At Present…
• Birds are the 2nd most abundant
animal in the world with a
roughly estimated population of
200 to 400 billion
individual birds.

• There are roughly about 9,000

to 10,000 species of birds.
Wacky
Facts
About
 FLYING
• Birds fly hundreds of miles to
migrate without ever having to
stop.

• The bar-tailed godwit can fly for

nearly 7,000 miles without
stopping..
 FLYING
• They’re able to nap in mid-air
and spend some time asleep
while "cruising" in higher air
currents and altitudes.

• A certain bird species can fly

backwards.

• Hoatzin chicks are born with

claws on their wings.
 Mating
and
Courtship
• Male birds attract females through
different visual and auditory
displays like "dancing", showing off
their colours, sharing food and
singing mating songs.

• Majority of them are

MONOGAMOUS.

• Lovebirds are cavity dwellers they

make their home in holes in trees,
rocks or shrubs in the wild.
Hunting
and
Feeding
HUNTING
• Some hunt by sound.
• Some have binocular vision.
• Some birds use farts to hunt
prey.
• The Peregrine Falcon can dive as
fast as 200 mph when hunting
prey.
 FEEDING
• They have two stomachs.
• Owls devour their prey whole.
• There is a bird that does not use
a stomach to process their food.
• Mother bird would usually feed
their offspring and eat their
poop.
Did you know?
SWIFTLET NESTS ARE A DELICACY.
Birds and
their
Intelligen
 BIRDS ARE
WICKED SMART,
DESPITE THEIR
SMALL BRAINS.

Birds have a medial

spiriform nucleus (SpM),
which circulates information
between the cortex and
cerebellum.
 BIRDS ARE
WICKED SMART,
DESPITE THEIR
SMALL BRAINS.

Birds pack a ton of neurons

in the forebrain, which
means they make the most
of those small brains for
maximum cognitive ability.
 BIRDS ARE
WICKED SMART,
DESPITE THEIR
SMALL BRAINS.

Ravens are great at

mimicking human speech
and sounds.
 BIRDS ARE
WICKED SMART,
DESPITE THEIR
SMALL BRAINS.

Pigeons are art critics and

could tell a Picasso from a
Monet. Researchers believe
the birds can use color and
pattern cues to tell two
images apart.
 BIRDS ARE
WICKED SMART,
DESPITE THEIR
SMALL BRAINS.

CROWS CAN RECOGNIZE

FACES and hold a grudge
when provoked.
 BIRDS ARE
WICKED SMART,
DESPITE THEIR
SMALL BRAINS.

BLUE JAYS CAN MIMIC

THE SOUND OF A HAWK
to terrifying humans scare
off fretful birds from their
territory.
 BIRDS ARE
WICKED SMART,
DESPITE THEIR
SMALL BRAINS.

Some bird species are

intelligent enough to
create and use tools.
 BIRDS ARE
WICKED SMART,
DESPITE THEIR
SMALL BRAINS.

SOME BIRDS (e.g. ducks)

SLEEP WITH ONE EYE
OPEN.
#LetThe
mFree
#LetThe
mLive
#LetThe
mFly
THE ANIMAL
KINDOM:
Birds