Passeriformes(lat. Passeriformes); obsolete Russian name - passerines) is the most numerous order of birds (about 5,400 species). Mostly small and medium-sized birds, varying significantly in appearance, lifestyle, living conditions and ways of obtaining food. Distributed throughout the world.
They have a beak of various shapes, never covered with wax at the base. The legs are feathered up to the calcaneal articulation and covered in front with several (mostly seven) larger plates. There are four fingers, three of them are directed forward, and one is backward; two outer fingers throughout the first joint are interconnected by a membrane.
Chicken-like, or chicken(lat. Galliformes; obsolete names - lat. Gallinaceae, Rasores), is a widespread order of new-palatine birds. They have strong paws adapted for fast running and digging. Not all chickens can fly and, at best, only for short distances.
Body length varies from 9.5 cm (kinglet) to 65 cm (raven). Males in most species are larger than females. Many have pronounced sexual dimorphism in color, in songbirds - in voice (only males sing).
cuckoo(lat. Cuculiformes) - a detachment of new-palatine birds containing three families.
The hoatzin family, to which only one species belongs, was previously distinguished into an independent detachment Opisthocomiformes .
There are 140 species in the cuckoo family, of which more than 50 practice the well-known tactic of laying their eggs in other people's nests. These are mostly birds of medium size, living mainly in forests and shrublands. Weight and size differ significantly depending on gender.
anseriformes, or lamellar-beaked(lat. Anseriformes) - a detachment of new-palatine birds, which, along with such familiar birds as geese, ducks, swans, also includes more exotic families (for example, palamedeas from South America). The species of the order are widespread and play an important role in the biosphere of the temperate latitudes of the Earth. Some species of anseriformes are of great agricultural importance.
Penguin or penguins(lat. Spheniscidae) - a family of flightless seabirds, the only one in the order penguin-like (Sphenisciformes) . There are 18 species in the family. All members of this family swim and dive well. The largest of the modern representatives is the emperor penguin (height - 110-120 cm, weight up to 46 kg), the smallest are representatives of the species Eudyptula minor- little penguin (height 30-45 cm, weight 1-2.5 kg). Such significant differences are explained by Bergman's rule, of which penguins are a frequent example. Bergman's rule states that animals living in cold regions have large body sizes, since this contributes to a more rational ratio of the volume and surface of the animal's body and, thereby, to a decrease in heat loss.
Flamingo(lat. Phoenicopterus, mouth redwing) is a kind of bird, the only one in the Flamingo family ( Phoenicopteridae) and in the order Flamingos ( Phoenicopteriformes). Flamingos have thin long legs, a flexible neck and plumage, the color of which varies from white to red. Their special distinguishing feature is a massive downward-curved beak, with which they filter food from water or silt. Unlike most other birds, the movable part of the flamingo's beak is not the lower, but the upper part. The front toes are connected by a swimming membrane. The pink or red color of flamingo plumage is given by lipochrome dyes, which birds receive with food. In case of danger, they take off, and it is difficult for a predator to choose a certain prey from them, especially since the flight feathers on the wings are always black, and when flying they make it difficult to focus on the prey.
parrots(lat. Psittaciformes) is a group of birds. Length from 9.5 cm to 1 m. Plumage - small, rather rare. Most parrots are very brightly colored, with the dominant color usually being a bright grassy green. It is especially characteristic that the brightly colored fields are sharply demarcated from one another, and their colors are often complementary colors of the spectrum (green and purple, bluish-violet and light yellow, etc.). Young parrots are usually colored the same.
The most characteristic feature of the detachment is the beak. The height of the beak at the base is more than twice its width, and sometimes exceeds its length. A strongly bent beak, movably connected to the skull, with a sharp ridge and a short cere at the base, similar to the cere of birds of prey. The lateral edges of the mandible usually have a blunt, strong tooth-like protrusion on both sides, which correspond to two deep grooves on the edges of the mandible. The mandible is short and wide. Parrots can peck very hard fruits with their beaks; when climbing, they cling to branches with their beaks. The legs are rather short, thick, feathered to the heel. The 1st and 4th fingers on the paws are turned back, so that the parrots not only cover the branches well with their paws, but can bring food to the beak with their paws. The nails are strongly curved, but rather weak. The very short metatarsus is covered with plates arranged in a grid pattern. The wings are large, pointed; flight feathers, with strong rods and wide fans, usually 20; twelve-fingered tail. The flight is fast, but usually over a short distance.
The skull of parrots is distinguished by its width; the mandibles are very high and long, often extending beyond the occiput. The brain is relatively large; a good memory and the ability to imitate are characteristic (the vocal muscles are well developed). The tongue is short, thick and fleshy, sometimes equipped with numerous filiform papillae at the end. The coccygeal gland is sometimes absent. Vertebrae of opisthocoelous type. The crest of the sternum is high. The arch is poorly developed, often completely absent. The clavicle is short. The stomach is double (glandular and real). There is no gallbladder and blind appendage of the intestine. The pancreas is double.
The head of parrots is large with a large hook-shaped beak, similar to the beak of feathered predators, but taller and thicker. The main feature of the beak of parrots is that it serves not only for obtaining and grinding food, but also as an organ of movement. Figuratively speaking, the parrot's beak is its third leg. It will hook on a knot with a beak-hook - it released its paws, pulled up its torso, grabbed the next step with movable fingers, then again threw its beak-hook higher. With such peculiar methods, parrots move quickly both in the forest and in their dwellings in the zoo; at the same time, they can hold a fruit or a nut in their beak and have a snack on the go.
Birds warm-blooded oviparous vertebrates. A characteristic feature is a cover of feathers. The ability to fly is the main feature of birds, although some species, such as ostriches, do not have it. The upper limbs are shaped like wings. Birds have a special structure of the respiratory and digestive organs, which is closely related to their ability to fly. Another distinguishing feature is the presence of a beak.
Bird classification
All Live nature It is divided into five kingdoms - bacteria, protists, fungi, plants and animals. The animal kingdom is divided into types. The most important of them are protozoa, sponges, coelenterates, echinoderms, worms, arthropods, molluscs and vertebrates.
The type of vertebrates is divided into classes: fish, amphibians (amphibians), reptiles (reptiles), mammals and birds. Classes are divided into orders, orders - into families, families into genera, genera into species. A single animal is called an individual.
There are also more complex systematic units, such as superorders and suborders. The division of groups of orders into superorders shows the difference in the origin and structure of these groups of animals, but not so significant as to divide them into different classes. So, for example, in the class of birds, two superorders are distinguished: penguins and typical (new-palatine) birds. Typical birds include all the bird tribe known to us, except for penguins, which differ significantly from the rest in their structure and origin. The expediency of allocating all ratites to the superorder of running birds is also discussed.
The division of family groups into suborders shows a significant difference between them, but not enough to divide them into different orders.
For example, we classify a well-known inhabitant of cities and villages - a sparrow:
house sparrow
- Kingdom: animals
- Type: vertebrates
- Class: Birds
- Superorder: typical (new-palatine) birds
- Order: sparrows
- Suborder: songbirds
- Family: weaver
- Genus: sparrows
- Species: house sparrow
There is no single view on the classification of birds. Scientists are still arguing about, for example, which order to classify the South American hoatzin bird - to the order of chickens or to the order of cuckoos, and some propose to single out this unique bird in a separate order. A lot of controversy is caused, for example, by the taxonomy of the order of cranes - is it worth including eight families of birds in it, which can be considered as independent orders? Similar questions arise with other large detachments. There are even more disputes at the level of families, genera and species. We will follow one of the most established, "classic" schemes for the distribution of orders and families.
Birds are highly organized warm-blooded animals adapted for flight. Due to their large numbers and wide distribution on Earth, they play an extremely important and diverse role in nature and economic activity person. More than 9 thousand modern species of birds are known.
General features of the organization of birds in connection with their adaptation flight laziness:
Rice. 45. Topography of body parts of birds: 1 - forehead; 2 - bridle; 3 - crown; 4 - coverts of the ear; 5 - neck; 6 - back; 7 - rump; 8 - upper tail coverts; 9 - steering feathers; 10 - lower tail coverts; 11 - undertail; 12 - lower leg; 13 - back finger; 14 - lantern; 15 - sides; 16 - belly; 17 - goiter; 18 - throat; 19 - chin; 20 - cheeks; 21 - mandible; 22 - mandible; 23 - shoulder feathers; 24 - upper wing coverts; 25 - secondary primaries; 26 - primary primaries.
Respiratory system - lungs. A flying bird has a breath twonoe: gas exchange in the lungs is carried out both during inhalation and exhalation, when atmospheric air from air sacs enters the lungs. Thanks to double breathing, the bird does not suffocate during the flight.
Heart four-chamber, all organs and tissues are supplied with pure arterial blood. As a result of the intensive process of vital activity, a lot of heat is generated, which is retained by the feather cover. Therefore, all birds warm-blooded animals with constant body temperature.
The excretory organs and types of end products of nitrogen metabolism are the same as in reptiles. Only the bladder is missing due to the need to lighten the body weight of the bird.
Like all vertebrates, the avian brain has five sections. Most developed cerebral hemispheresha, covered with smooth bark and cerebellum, thanks to which birds have good coordination of movements and complex forms of behavior. Orientation of birds in space is carried out with the help of acute vision and hearing.
Birds are dioecious, most species are characterized by sexual dimorphism. In females, only left ovary. Fertilization is internal, development is direct. Most bird species lay eggs in the nest they heat them with the heat of their body (incubation), hatched chicks are fed. Depending on the degree of development of chicks hatched from eggs, nesting and brood birds.
Features of the structure and life
Birds have a small head, long neck and extremely mobile. The jaws are devoid of teeth, elongated and form a beak, dressed with a horn cover. The shape of the beak varies greatly due to the variety of food objects. Large eyes are located on the sides of the head, and below them there are external auditory openings.
The forelimbs are turned into a flying organ - wings. The hind limbs have a diverse structure, which depends on the living conditions and methods of obtaining food. The lower part of the legs and fingers are covered with horny scales. The tail is short, equipped with a fan of tail feathers, and in different birds of an unequal structure.
Leather birds thin, dry, devoid of glands. The only exception is the coccygeal gland, located under the root of the tail. It secretes a fat-containing secret, with which the bird lubricates feathers with the help of its beak. The gland is highly developed in waterfowl. Their skin is covered with a kind of horny cover, consisting of feathers. Bird feathers serve the purposes of thermoregulation, mainly keeping warm, creating a "streamlined" surface of the body and protecting the skin from damage. Although the body of birds is usually completely covered with feathers (with the exception of some bare areas - around the eyes, at the base of the beak, etc.), feathers do not grow on the entire surface of the bird's body. In flying birds, feathers are noted only in certain areas of the skin (parts of the body bearing feathers - pterylia, not bearing feathers - apteria), while in non-flying birds they evenly cover the entire body.
Rice. 46. Apteria and pteriilia on the body of a bird. Pterylia are marked with dots.
a
Rice. 47. The structure of the fly feather: a - general view; b - diagram of the structure of the fan; 1 - start; 2 - rod; 3 - fan; 4 - beards of the first order; 5 - beards of the second order; 6 - hooks.
The vast majority of birds have contour and down feathers. The contour feather consists of a rod, a feather and a fan (Fig. 47). The fan is formed by numerous plates extending from the rod on both sides - barbs of the first order, on which there are thinner barbs of the second order linked to each other with the help of hooks. As a result of this, the linked fan is a light elastic plate, which is easily restored in the event of a rupture (for example, by wind). Contour feathers form the flying planes of the wings, tail, and also give the body of the bird a streamlined surface. Down feathers have a thin shaft and are devoid of second-order beards, so that they do not have solid webs. Down feathers are located under contour. Their main function is to keep the body heat of the bird.
Skeleton birds (Fig. 48) is durable and light. Strength is provided by the early fusion of a number of bones, lightness - by the presence of air cavities in them.
Structure skulls birds is similar to the structure of the skull of reptiles, but it is distinguished by great lightness, a voluminous brain box, which ends in a beak, and has huge eye sockets from the sides.
Rice. 48. Skeleton of a bird: 1 - lower jaw; 2 - skull; 3 - cervical vertebrae; 4 - thoracic vertebrae; 5 - humerus; 6 - bones of the metacarpus and fingers; 7 - bones of the forearm; 8 - scapula; 9 - ribs; 10 - pelvis; 11 - tail vertebrae; 12 - coccygeal bone; 13 - femur; 14 - bones of the lower leg; 15 - lantern; 16 - phalanges of fingers; 17 - sternum keel; 18 - sternum; 19 - coracoid; 20 - clavicle.
In an adult bird, the bones of the cranium grow together until the sutures disappear completely.
Spine, like all terrestrial vertebrates, it consists of five sections - cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and caudal. Greater mobility retains only the cervical region. The thoracic vertebrae are inactive, and the lumbar and sacral vertebrae are firmly fused with each other (complex sacrum) and with the pelvic bones. Some bones of the shoulder girdle also grow together: a saber-shaped shoulder blade with a crow bone, the clavicles with each other, which ensures the strength of the shoulder girdle, to which the forelimbs are attached - the wings. They contain all the typical sections: the humerus, ulna and radius bones of the forearm and the hand, the bones of which are fused. Of the fingers, only three are preserved.
The pelvic girdle provides reliable support for the hind limbs, which is achieved by fusion of the iliac bones throughout with a complex sacrum. Due to the fact that the pelvic (pubic) bones do not fuse and are widely spaced apart, the bird can lay large eggs.
Powerful hind limbs are formed by bones typical of all terrestrial animals. To strengthen the lower leg, the fibula is attached to the tibia. The bones of the metatarsus fuse with part of the bones of the tarsus with the formation of a bone peculiar only to birds - lanterns. Of the four fingers, most often three are directed forward, one is backward.
The chest is formed by the thoracic vertebrae, ribs and sternum. Each rib consists of two bone sections - dorsal and abdominal, movably articulated with each other, which ensures the approach or retraction of the sternum from the spine during breathing. The sternum in birds is large and has a large protrusion - the keel, to which the pectoral muscles are attached, which set the wings in motion.
Due to the great mobility and variety of movements musclelatura birds are highly differentiated. The pectoral muscles (1/5 of the total mass of the bird), which are attached to the keel of the sternum and serve to lower the wings, have reached the greatest development. The subclavian muscles located under the pectoral muscles provide raising of the wings. The flight speed of birds is different: 60-70 km / h for ducks and
65-100 km / h for a peregrine falcon. The highest speed was noted in the black swift - 110-150 km / h.
The powerful leg muscles of birds that have lost the ability to fly allow them to move quickly on land (ostriches run at an average speed of 30 km / h).
Intense motor activity of birds requires a lot of energy.
Concerning digestive organ systemnew has a number of features. Food is captured and held by the horny beak, moistened with saliva in the oral cavity and advanced into the esophagus. At the base of the neck, the esophagus expands into a goiter, which is especially well developed in granivorous birds. In the goiter, food accumulates, swells and partially undergoes chemical processing. In the anterior, glandular section of the stomach of birds, the chemical processing of incoming food takes place, in the posterior, muscular, its mechanical processing. The walls of the muscular section work like millstones and grind hard and coarse food. Pebbles swallowed by birds also contribute to this. From the stomach, food sequentially enters the duodenum, small and short large intestine, which ends in the cloaca. Due to the underdevelopment of the rectum, birds often empty their intestines, which facilitates their mass. Powerful digestive glands (liver and pancreas) actively secrete digestive enzymes into the duodenal cavity and process food, depending on its type, in 1 to 4 hours. Large energy costs require a significant amount of food: 50 - 80% of body weight per day for small birds and 20 - 40% for large ones.
In connection with the flight, birds have a peculiar structure. organew breath. The lungs of birds are dense spongy bodies. The bronchi, having entered the lungs, strongly branch into them to the thinnest, blindly closed bronchioles, entangled in a network of capillaries, where gas exchange occurs. Part of the large bronchi, without branching, goes beyond the lungs and expands into huge thin-walled air sacs, the volume of which is many times greater than the volume of the lungs (Fig. 49).
Air sacs are located between various internal organs, and their branches pass between the muscles, under the skin and in the cavity of the bones. The act of breathing in a flightless bird is carried out by changing the volume of the chest due to the approach or removal of the sternum from the spine. In flight, such a breathing mechanism is impossible due to the work of the pectoral muscles, and it is performed with the participation of air sacs. When the wings are raised, the bags are stretched and air is sucked through the nostrils with force into the lungs and further into the bags themselves. When the wings are lowered, the air sacs are compressed and the air from them enters the lungs, where gas exchange again takes place. The exchange of gases in the lungs during inhalation and exhalation is called double breath. Its adaptive value is obvious: the more often the bird flaps its wings, the more actively it breathes. In addition, the air sacs keep the bird's body from overheating during fast flight.
Rice. 49. Respiratory system of a pigeon: 1 - trachea; 2 - lung;
3 - air bags.
The high level of vital activity of birds is due to a more perfect circulatory system compared with the animals of the previous classes, they had a complete separation of the arterial and venous blood flows. This is due to the fact that the heart of birds is four-chambered and is completely divided into the left - arterial, and right - venous parts. The aortic arch is only one (right) and departs from the left ventricle. Pure arterial blood flows in it, supplying all the tissues and organs of the body.
Rice. fifty. Internal organs birds: 1 - esophagus; 2 - glandular stomach; 3 - spleen; 4 - muscular stomach; 5 - pancreas; 6 - duodenum; 7 - small intestine; 8 - rectum; 9 - caecum; 10 - cloaca; 11 - goiter; 12 - liver; 13 - trachea; 14 - lower larynx; 15 - light and air sacs; 16 - testes; 17 - seed tubes; 18 - kidneys; 19 - ureters.
The pulmonary artery departs from the right ventricle, carrying venous blood to the lungs. Blood moves rapidly through the vessels, gas exchange occurs intensively, a lot of heat is released. The body temperature is maintained constant and high (in different birds from 38 to 43.5 ° C). This leads to a general rise in the vital processes of the bird's body.
In response to a decrease in the temperature of the external environment, birds do not hibernate, like amphibians and reptiles, but increase their movement - migrations or flights, that is, they migrate to more favorable conditions of existence.
Selection end products of metabolism is carried out by large pelvic kidneys. The bladder is missing. Like most reptiles, uric acid is the product of nitrogen metabolism. In the cloaca, the water contained in the urine is absorbed and returned to the body, and the thick urine is mixed with the remnants of undigested food and excreted.
Brain birds differs from the brain of reptiles in the large size of the hemispheres of the forebrain and cerebellum. Birds have sharp eyesight and excellent hearing. Their eyes are large, especially in nocturnal and crepuscular birds. The accommodation of vision is double, which is achieved by changing the curvature of the lens and the distance between the lens and the retina. All birds have color vision. The organ of hearing is represented by the inner, middle ear and external auditory meatus. The sense of smell is poorly developed, with the exception of a few species.
reproduction birds are characterized by a number of progressive features: 1) fertilized eggs, covered with a strong shell membrane, are laid not just in the external environment, but in special structures - nests; 2) eggs develop under the influence of the body heat of the parents and do not depend on random bad weather, which is typical for developing eggs of fish, amphibians and reptiles; 3) nests are protected from enemies by parents; 4) the chicks are not left to their fate, but are fed, protected and trained by their parents for a long time, which contributes to the preservation of the young.
Fertilization in birds is internal. In connection with the laying of large eggs, which make birds heavier, only the left ovary is developed in females. Birds have the largest eggs in the animal kingdom due to the large amount of yolk they contain. The glands of the oviduct secrete subshell and shell membranes, through numerous pores of which gas exchange of the embryo with the external environment occurs.
Origin of birds. Birds are related to reptiles. Probably, the separation of birds from the group of reptiles, which were the ancestors of crocodiles, dinosaurs and flying pangolins, occurred at the end of the Triassic or the beginning of the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era (i.e., 170 - 190 million years ago). The evolution of this group of reptiles went by adapting to climbing trees, in connection with which the hind limbs served to support the body, and the front limbs specialized for grasping branches with fingers. Subsequently, the ability to flutter from branch to branch and gliding flight developed.
The immediate ancestors of birds have not been found. Paleontological finds of an intermediate link between reptiles and birds are known - Archeopteryx.
Nesting, migrations and flights. seasonal phenomena in the life of birds are more pronounced than in other classes, and have a completely different character.
With the onset of spring, birds begin to breed, they break into pairs, mating games (lekking) occur, the nature of which is specific to each species. Many species form pairs for life (large predators, owls, herons, storks, etc.), others are seasonal pairs. There are species of birds that do not form pairs at all, and all care for the offspring falls only on the share of one sex - the female.
Bird nests are varied, but each species has a more or less definite shape: hollow, burrow, stucco and spherical nests, etc. Some bird species do not build nests (guillemot, nightjar).
The number of eggs in a clutch varies in different bird species from 1 (guillemots, gulls, diurnal predators, penguins, etc.) to 26 (grey partridge). In some birds, eggs are incubated by one of the parents (only by females - in chickens, passerines, anseriformes, owls, or only by males - in Australian and American ostriches), in other birds - by both. The duration of incubation varies and is to some extent related to the size of the egg - from 14 days in passerines to 42 in African ostriches.
Depending on the degree of development of the chicks when they hatch from the egg, two groups of birds are distinguished: brood and nesting(chicks). In the first, the chicks appear sighted, covered with down, able to walk and peck food on their own (ostriches, chickens, anseriformes). In nestlings, chicks are completely or partially naked, blind, helpless, remain in the nest for a long time and are fed by their parents (passerines, woodpeckers, swifts, etc.).
In the summer, birds molt, grow, store nutrients. With the onset of autumn cold weather, they do not reduce the level of their vital activity, like amphibians and reptiles, but, on the contrary, increase it, increasing their mobility and wandering in search of food. In addition, birds become very fat and thus adapt to wintering.
settled birds(white partridge, tits, sparrows, jays, crows, etc.) with the onset of adverse conditions, they stay in the same area. wandering birds(waxwings, bullfinches, crossbills, tap dances, etc.) leave their summer habitats and fly away over relatively short distances. migratory birds (storks, geese, waders, swifts, orioles, nightingales, swallows, cuckoos, etc.) leave their nesting areas and fly away to wintering places many thousands of kilometers away. Most of them fly in a flock, and only a few (the cuckoo) fly alone. Large birds fly in a certain formation (geese - in a line, cranes - in a wedge), small ones - in disorderly flocks. Insectivores fly first, then granivorous, and last of all - waterfowl and wading birds.
It is believed that bird flights arose as a result of periodic changes in climatic conditions associated with the change of seasons. The direct causes of flights are considered to be complex interactions of both external (shortening daylight hours, lowering temperatures, worsening conditions for obtaining food) and internal factors (physiological changes in the body due to the end of the breeding season).
In the study of flights, the banding method is of great importance. Caught birds are put on an aluminum ring on their foot, on which their number and the institution conducting the ringing are indicated. Ringing has been carried out in the USSR since 1924. All information about ringing and hunting of ringed birds is sent to the Ringing Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow). The banding method made it possible to find out the ways and speeds of the flight of birds, the constancy of the return from wintering to the old nesting sites, wintering places, etc.
Variety of birds and their meaning. The Bird class is represented by more than 40 units. Let's consider some of them.
Detachment Penguins. Distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. Birds swim well and dive with the help of forelimbs converted into flippers. The keel is well developed on the sternum. On land, the body is held vertically. Feathers tightly overlap each other, which prevents them from being inflated by the wind and water penetration. Subcutaneous fat deposits contribute to thermal protection. They feed in the sea on fish, mollusks, crustaceans. They nest in colonies. Pairs remain for several years. Hatched chicks are covered with thick and short down. After the breeding season, flocks of penguins with grown young roam the sea. The emperor penguin nests on the coastal ice of Antarctica, its mass reaches almost 40 kg.
Superorder Ostrich-like. Characterized by the absence of a keel on the sternum and the ability to fly. The feathers are feathered, as the barbs are not interlocked due to the lack of hooks. Powerful hind limbs have two or three fingers, which is associated with the speed of movement. The African ostrich, the largest living bird, reaches a mass of 75-100 kg. Several females (2 - 5) lay eggs weighing about 1.5 kg in a common nest. The male incubates the clutch at night, the females alternate during the day.
Ostrich-like birds include rhea (South America), emu and cassowary (Australia), kiwi (New Zealand).
Squad Storks. They live along the banks of shallow water bodies. A small membrane between the bases of the long toes of the storks allows them to confidently walk through swampy places. Birds fly slowly active or soaring flight. They feed on a variety of animal food, grabbing it with a long, hard, like tweezers, beak. Nest 2 - 8 eggs; both parents feed the chicks. The order includes storks, herons, flamingos, etc.
Storks are migratory birds that winter in Central and South Africa, in some parts of South Asia. The white stork is a large bird with large black wings and long red legs. They nest in single pairs. The stork scares its prey away, slowly wandering through forest clearings, meadows, and banks of water bodies. The black stork nests in dense forests. It is listed in the Red Book.
Order Diurnal birds of prey. They are distributed in a wide variety of habitats: in forests, mountains, steppes, on reservoirs, etc. Birds have a short but strong beak with a sharp beak sharply bent down. At the base of the beak there is a cere - a patch of bare, often colored skin, on which the external nostrils open. The muscles of the chest and hind limbs are powerful. The fingers end in large curved claws.
Flight, fast, maneuverable, many species are capable of long soaring. Some types of predators eat only dead animals (vultures, vultures, vultures), others catch live prey (falcons, eagles, hawks, buzzards, harriers).
Most species of birds of prey benefit by exterminating mouse-like rodents, ground squirrels, and harmful insects. Carrion-eating species perform a sanitary function. The number of birds of prey has declined sharply due to changes in landscapes, poisoning with pesticides and direct extermination. Birds of prey are protected in many countries. The following are listed in the Red Book: osprey, short-toed eagle, greater spotted eagle, golden eagle.
Order Owls includes nocturnal birds (owls, eagle owls, owls, barn owls) inhabiting all regions of the globe. They are adapted for hunting at night: they have large eyes directed forward, well-developed hearing, and silent flight. They feed on animal food, mainly mouse-like rodents. They nest in hollows. The eggs are incubated by the female, while the male feeds her. After 3 - 6 weeks, the chicks acquire the ability to fly. Exterminate harmful animals. Owl birds need protection.
Order Galliformes includes terrestrial and terrestrial-arboreal birds. They have a short and convex beak, short and wide wings. A voluminous goiter is isolated from the esophagus. The muscular stomach is lined with dense, ribbed cuticle. To improve the grinding of food, birds swallow stones that accumulate in the stomach and play the role of millstones. They feed on plant foods - vegetative parts of plants, fruits, seeds, invertebrates that have fallen along the way. Males are more brightly colored than females.
Almost all types of chickens are objects of sport hunting and breeding. Hazel grouse, white partridge, black grouse, and in some areas - partridge and gray partridge are of commercial importance. Due to the diverse economic activities of man, immoderate hunting, the number of many species has decreased, and the distribution areas have decreased.
Detachment Sparrows - the largest order, including approximately 60% of all living species. Its representatives are distributed on all continents except Antarctica. They vary greatly in size, appearance and ecological characteristics. They build nests (sometimes very skillfully) in branches, rock crevices, hollows, on the ground, etc. The chicks hatch blind, naked and slightly pubescent. Most passerines are insectivorous birds.
Larks live in open landscapes (in the field, in the meadows, in the steppe). They arrive in early spring. They feed only on invertebrates and seeds on the ground. They nest on the ground. Males often sing in the air.
swallows nest in river valleys, forest edges, in human settlements. Insects are caught in the air on the fly using a wide mouth. Few walk on the ground. Some species (city swallow) build stucco nests from lumps of dirt, fastening them with sticky saliva; others dig holes in cliffs (shore martin) or nest in hollows, crevices.
tits nest in hollows, laying 10 to 16 eggs. The female often incubates, and the male feeds her; both parents feed the chicks. They feed on various insects and their larvae, eat berries and seeds. Easily attracted to cultural landscapes when arranging artificial nests. Very useful as exterminators of various harmful insects.
Summarizing the characteristics of the main orders of birds, we can draw conclusions about their significance in nature. Due to the high number and high level of vital activity, birds daily consume a huge amount of plant and animal food, significantly affecting natural biocenoses. Their role is especially great in regulating the number of insects and small rodents. Often the birds themselves serve as food for other animals.
In addition, birds contribute to the dispersal of plants as a result of their dispersal of seeds. Pecking the juicy fruits of mountain ash, elderberry, lingonberry, bird cherry, blueberry, they fly from place to place and throw out intact seeds along with the litter.
Many birds exterminate pests of cultivated and valuable wild plants. Birds of prey are also useful, destroying small rodents - pests of field crops and distributors of infectious diseases (plague, jaundice, etc.).
On many wild birds there is sport and commercial hunting. Of great economic importance is the collection of eider down, which has great softness and low thermal conductivity.
Litter of sea waterfowl (pelicans, cormorants, etc.) - guano - is used as a valuable fertilizer.
One of the economically profitable branches of animal husbandry is poultry farming, which provides a person with valuable meat products, eggs, and feathers. Poultry farming has been put on an industrial basis. At large modern poultry farms, the entire process of growing birds (chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese) is mechanized.
Test questions:
What organizational features are characteristic of birds in connection with their adaptation to flight?
What is the peculiarity of the structure of the digestive system of birds?
What characterizes the double breathing of birds?
What makes birds warm-blooded?
What progressive features are characteristic of bird reproduction?
What seasonal phenomena are observed in the life of birds?
What is the role of birds in nature and in human activities?
(118 kinds)
Cranes, storks, herons, bitterns
Widespread (except in the Arctic)
and Antarctica), more often
in the tropics and
subtropics.
Wet meadows, swamps and in the coastal parts of water bodies
Birds are large and medium in size, with a long neck and long legs. They usually nest in colonies
Small fish, amphibians, shellfish
chick
They nest in trees, near bodies of water, in
thickets, up to 6 eggs.
petrels
(81 species)
Albatrosses, petrels, ocean dwellers
Pacific Ocean, oceanic islands, Arctic and Antarctic. Some species gather for nesting only on one or a few islands, while outside the nesting time they can be found in the vast waters of many seas.
Tube-nosed - birds (their nostrils are enclosed in horny tubes), densely built, wings are long, sometimes very long; the beak is medium in size, ends with a hook bent down. Legs are either of moderate length or short. A well-developed swimming membrane connects the front three fingers, the back finger is free and poorly developed.
Various fish visas, plankton, various marine animals
Chick birds.
They lay 1-2 eggs. Nests in rocks or in the ground.
passeriformes
(more than 5000
species)
sparrows, larks,
swallows, starlings,
crows, magpies, thrushes, wagtails
The most varied, most common in
forests, some species are found in urban areas.
Mostly forest birds, have four-fingered limbs (three fingers point forward, one back); during the nesting period they live in pairs, build skillful nests.
Insectivores
Chick birds.
Build skilful
nests, up to 14 eggs
loons
(5 types)
Black-throated, white-billed, red-throated, dark-billed loon
They live in Asia, America and northern Europe. During the breeding season, loons inhabit the tundra, forest-tundra and forest belt of Eurasia and North America. At the end of breeding, they leave their nesting sites in autumn and, with the exception of individual populations nesting in the southern regions of their range, they migrate to spend the winter mainly on the seas of the temperate zone. Typically aquatic birds.
They swim and dive well, fly and walk poorly. The legs are pushed back almost. The three front fingers are connected by a web. The neck is long, the beak is straight, sharp. The wings are short, sharp, the flight is heavy. The coloration of both sexes is the same. During the breeding season, they live in pairs in primitive nests.
They feed almost exclusively on fish.
Brood birds.
More often in laying 2 eggs, incubate in turn.
Pigeons
(about 400
species)
Wood dove, common and large turtledoves, stock dove and rock dove
In the tropics and temperate zones.
Arboreal or ground
Pigeons are characterized by evening and morning flights to the fields, where they find a lot of food. During the nesting period they live in pairs, the rest of the time they usually stay in small flocks.
Grain-eating birds feed on the seeds of various plants and feed the chicks with them.
Chick birds.
Nests in trees
Anseriformes
(more than 200
species)
Geese, ducks, swans
They live in open areas of various water bodies.
The body is wide, the limbs are widely spaced with well-developed membranes between the toes; have dense plumage with developed down, large oil gland; the edges of the wide beak are with teeth or with transverse plates forming a filtering apparatus (beak-filter). They dive well, getting food in the water or at the bottom of the reservoir.
Worms, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, algae
Brood birds.
Nests on the shore, in hollows, alien burrows, up to 20 eggs.
Woodpeckers
(about 400
species)
Greater and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, Green Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, or Yellow Spotted Woodpecker
Most are forest dwellers. Greatest diversity in tropical forests
A sharp, chisel-shaped beak, a long, sharp, jagged tongue, elastic ends of the tail feathers bent towards the support, legs with two fingers pointing forward and two backwards, and also have other features that contribute to feeding on tree trunks. The exception is the wryneck, which has a straight and weak beak, the tail rods are not elastic. Unlike other woodpeckers, the wryneck is migrant.
Insectivores
Chick birds.
Nest in hollows or burrows
Cranes
(about 210 species)
Cranes, three-fingered, agami, shepherds, sun herons, seriems, cinquefoils, bustards, Avdotka
Birds of open spaces.
Distributed throughout the world, excluding regions.
Very large birds with high legs and a long neck. The head is relatively small, the beak is long, sharp, straight. The wings are long and wide. The body is somewhat elongated and laterally compressed. They have long legs and a neck. There are 4 fingers, of which 3 are directed forward and 1 back, there are no membranes between them.
The food of cranes is mainly vegetable, but some species also eat animal food in large quantities. Food is obtained from the ground.
Brood birds.
Nests are usually on the ground.
cassowaries
3 types of cassowaries
Rainforests
New Guinea and
australia
Detachment of ratites. Three-toed, large birds, with
underdeveloped wings, head
brightly colored
plant foods and some small animals.
Brood birds.
Nests on the ground, 3-7
kivibrase
Includes one family and three (according to the latest data - five) kiwi belonging to one .
Several types of kiwi
Lives in damp, evergreen forests of New Zealand
Flightless ratites. The body is pear-shaped, with a small and short . Weigh from 1.4 to 4 kg. They have strong four-toed legs and a long narrow one with nostrils at the very tip, they are not developed, the tail is absent, more like a thick one. Kiwis are nocturnal birds that live mainly by smell; very weak.
Chick birds. One nest in a hole or under the roots of a tree, rarely two
Nightjars
(23 genera with 93 species)
It is divided into two suborders. The suborder guajaro, or zhiryaki, and the suborder of the nightjars proper, which includes four families: frogmouths, gigantic nightjars, owl nightjars and real nightjars. There are 23 genera with 93 species in the order.
They are distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
The wings are long and pointed, with 10, less often with 11 flight feathers. The tail is also long, with 6 pairs of tail feathers, the legs are short, they move on the ground mostly slowly, with clumsy jumps, a short and very wide beak with special device at the corners of the incision of the mouth - to the extraction of insects at night on the fly
Insectivores
Chick birds.
Lays 1-4 eggs
Hummingbirds
(330 species)
White-throated hummingbird, Anna's hummingbird, ruby-throated hummingbird,
All species of hummingbirds live exclusively in the forests of South and Central America; in North America they are found only in its southern part. The range of some species can be very limited (such species are called endemics).
They are the smallest birds and one of the smallest vertebrates in general. The length of most species fits a couple of centimeters, weight 2-4 g, even the largest species - a giant hummingbird - has a length of 20 cm, of which half is the tail. The body proportions of hummingbirds resemble passerine birds: a medium-sized head, a short neck, rather long wings Their legs are short and very weak. They can sit on branches, clasping them with their paws, but they cannot move on the ground. Most of their life they are in flight.
These birds feed exclusively on nectar and pollen of plants. These foods are rich in carbohydrates but poor in protein. To fill the need for protein, hummingbirds eat small insects.
Chick birds. The female lays 2 tiny eggs (the weight of an egg of the smallest species is 2 mg!) and incubates them for 16-18 days.
cuckoo
(147 species)
common cuckoo,
Widespread, especially painful
What is the diversity in tropical forests.
The legs of the terrestrial are long, adapted to fast running, those of the trees are short. many well
Insectivores
Chick birds.
Peculiar to nesting
Galliformes
(283 species)
Grouse, black grouse, quail, partridges, capercaillie, pheasants, wild bank and domestic chickens, turkeys
Forests, steppes, deserts
They have short rounded wings (they fly hard), strong legs adapted to raking the soil or forest litter when foraging, four-fingered with large claws, have dense plumage, short and wide wings, providing a rapid take-off and short flight;
the beak is relatively large.
Adult birds are herbivorous, chicks feed mainly on insects, worms and other invertebrates.
Brood birds.
Nests on the ground
recesses up to 20 eggs
Nandu-shaped
ordinary and
long-billed
South America
Flightless, no tail feathers
small feathers cover the neck and
Omnivorous birds and feed on broadleaf plants, seeds, fruits, roots, insects and small vertebrates.
Brood birds.
Nests on the ground, up to 40 eggs
Pelicans
Frigatebirds, phaetons, cormorants, boobies, darters
They are distributed throughout the world, except for the polar regions, mainly on the ocean coasts of the continents and archipelagos.
(Copepods). Large freshwater, partly sea birds with very short legs, on which all 4 fingers are connected by a wide swimming membrane. The thumb is turned inward. The beak is long with a leathery bag. Monogamous.
They feed exclusively on fish
Chick birds.
Lays 2 to 4 eggs
penguins
15-17 kinds
emperor penguin, small, adelie
Antarctica, islands
and south coast
hemisphere
The wings are narrow, unsuitable for flight, there are swimming membranes on the paws, the legs are carried back, the skeleton is heavy, the feather cover is very dense. Birds swim well and dive with the help of forelimbs converted into flippers. The keel is well developed on the sternum. On land, the body is held vertically. Feathers tightly overlap each other, which prevents them from being inflated by the wind and water penetration. Subcutaneous fat deposits contribute to thermal protection.
They feed on fish, shellfish, and crustaceans.
Brood birds.
Nests in colonies on the shore, 1-2 eggs. Pairs are saved somewhat.
Toadstools
(20 kinds)
Families: Toadstools, Grey-headed grebes, Western grebes, Lesser grebes, Spotted grebes, Rollandii
Distributed on all continents except Antarctica. They live in tropical, temperate and subpolar regions. Only the red-necked grebe is found north of the Arctic Circle; grebes, unlike loons, have not mastered the distant polar regions. The ranges of some species of grebe are limited to individual islands, such as Madagascar or New Zealand.
Strong short legs are carried far back relative to the body; they help grebes to swim and dive well. The toes are not connected by membranes, but are trimmed on the sides with hard skin blades up to a centimeter wide, no less convenient for rowing. In this case, three fingers are directed forward, and the fourth - back. The legs work very effectively from behind, forming a kind of ship's propeller.
They feed on fish, arthropods, insects and small crustaceans.
Brood birds. After hatching, the chicks can swim immediately
parrots
(up to 350 types)
Cockatoo, jaco, macaw, lory
They inhabit the subtropics and tropics, most numerous in the Australian faunal region (the probable center of the order's origin). Also distributed in Southeast Asia, India, West Africa, South America and Central America.
Bright plumage. The most characteristic feature of the detachment is the beak, the height of which at the base is more than twice its width, and sometimes exceeds its length. The legs are rather short, thick, feathered to the heel. The 1st and 4th fingers on the paws are turned back, so that the parrots not only cover the branches well with their paws, but can bring food to the beak with their paws. The nails are strongly curved, but rather weak. Wings large, pointed
Chick birds.
In laying 1-12 (usually 2-5) eggs.
Mouse birds, mice
Brown-winged, white-headed, red-backed, white-backed, blue-capped, red-faced
Distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, they live in savannahs, bushes, sparse forests, they rise up to 2500 m in mountains. They actively develop city parks and squares, are considered pests on plantations and orchards.
Arboreal and shrubby birds, climbing branches well, flying poorly; the wings are short and wide, the plumage is loose, soft; the structure of the paws indicates a deep adaptation to climbing, and the structure of the jaw apparatus and the digestive system - to the consumption of juicy high-calorie food. Paws are short, with sharp claws,
Fleshy fruits and leaves, buds, buds, flower nectar. Additionally, they use animal feed - they catch insects, occasionally destroy nests small birds.
Shellfish
(6 families)
Earthen raksha, kingfisher, roller-roller, kurol, shurkov, momot, thodi
Inhabitants of various landscapes, some species are found on the territory of Russia, but mainly live in tropical and subtropical forests.
Bright, colorful plumage
Insectivores
Nestling birds.. Lay from 2 to 10 eggs.
Charadriiformes
Woodcock, lapwing, plover, carrier and other waders.
They live in wetlands, along the banks of rivers and other bodies of water.
Small and medium-sized birds, with long legs and a thin, long beak.
Feeds mainly on invertebrates
Brood birds
owls
(over 220 species)
Eagle Owl, Owl, Barn Owl, Scops Owl, Tawny Owl
Night predators.
They live in forest areas, sometimes near people.
Nocturnal birds of prey, with strong curved beaks and sharp claws, sensitive hearing and sharp eyesight, have loose and soft plumage, which allows them to fly silently.
small mammals, birds or bats, there are insectivorous and piscivorous species. Plant foods play an insignificant role in the diet
Chick birds.
tree nests,
hollows, up to 10 eggs
Falconiformes
(270 species)
Falcons, hawks, kites, eagles
They live in forests, mountains, and plains.
Everywhere except
Antarctica.
Diurnal birds of prey with strong legs with sharp curved claws, hooked beak, keen eyesight; wings are either narrow, sharp, contributing to rapid flight, wide, allowing you to soar in the air in search of prey.
They feed mainly on various birds and mammals.
Chick birds.
Nests in trees, hollows, on rocks, on the ground, 1-2 or 5-7 eggs
ostriches
African ostrich
Birds of the steppes and deserts.
Eastern and Southern
Large birds; have weak, unsuitable for flight wings and strong legs;
there is no keel on the sternum, the flight feathers do not have dense webs. They cannot fly, the wings are used as a sail in a tailwind and as a rudder in sharp turns; fast running is facilitated by reducing the number of toes to two. They live in herds.
Feeds on plant seeds, insects, lizards
Brood birds.
Nests in sand, up to 30 eggs.
Swift-shaped
(about 390 species)
Black and white-rumped swift; swallows (village, or killer whale, city, or funnel, coastal)
Birds of open air spaces. Spend most of their lives in the air
They have long, narrow wings, strongly developed pectoral muscles, a notched tail - a steering wheel during flight. They catch insects in flight with a wide-opening mouth, along the edges of which there are bristles that increase it. The legs are short and close to the body during flight.
Different kinds insects
Chick birds.
They nest along the cliffs of the coast, under the roofs of houses
Tinamouiformes
(47 types)
Forests and steppes of South and Central America
Slender neck, slightly elongated head, Strong legs of medium length, with three toes pointing forward and one back. With their help, tinamou is able to run quite fast (similar to partridges).
Omnivorous: Plant foods of any kind, small invertebrates such as ants, termites, beetles, locusts, insect larvae, snails and earthworms. The largest species feed on small vertebrates: lizards, frogs and mice.
Brood birds.
A few hours after hatching, they are able to run and eat on their own.
Trogon-like
(40 kinds)
African, Sunda, Eared, Asian and other trogons
They live in tropical and subtropical forests of three parts of the world: America (from the southern borders of Texas and Arizona to Argentina), Asia (South and Southeast Asia), Africa (south of the Sahara, but without the southern tip of the mainland). They are found both in hot valleys and in cool belts of high mountains. Some species penetrate the cultural landscape: they nest on coffee plantations.
Bright plumage, wings are short and rounded, tail is long, beak is short and wide, paws are weak, tarsus is feathered. Distinctive feature trogon is the location of the toes: the first and second fingers are directed back, the third and fourth - forward
They feed by flying up from a branch and grabbing insects or picking small fruits; they also feed on shellfish. At the same time, in African species, insects predominate in the diet, while in Asian and American species, fruits and berries (Quezal, on occasion, can grab a frog, lizard, or snake).
Chick birds.
The female lays from 2 to 4 rounded eggs on the bottom of the hollow,
Turkiformes
hoopoe
(includes 45 types)
Hoopoes, rhinoceros princes
live in the forests of the tropical zones of Africa, South and South-East Asia.
Birds weighing from 150 g to 4 kg. Characterized by a large, downwardly curved beak with a horny outgrowth at the base. It is very light due to the spongy structure of the bone base and the presence of an internal cavity. The toes are fused, eyelashes on the upper eyelid and a highly developed system are characteristic. air sacs
Almost omnivorous: they feed on various fruits and, as well as insects, reptiles, bird eggs.
Chick birds.
In 1-5 eggs, incubation up to 1.5 months.
They nest in natural hollows. The male immures the female in a hollow, using clay and droppings moistened with salivary gland secretions. Only a small gap remains, through which he feeds the female, and then the chicks with belching from half-digested fruits.
Flamingos
(6 kinds)
Andean, Red, Small, Common, Chilean, James Flamingo
Africa, Caucasus (Azerbaijan), Southeast and Central Asia, and South and Central America
Colonies of pink or common flamingos also exist in southern Spain, France and Sardinia. This species is the largest and most common species in the family. Its height reaches 130 cm and it is found on all continents of the Old World.
Thin long legs, a flexible neck and plumage, the color of which varies from white to red. Their special distinguishing feature is a massive downward-curved beak, with which they filter food from water or silt; the upper part of the beak is movable. The front toes are connected by a swimming membrane.
Small crustaceans, insect larvae, worms, molluscs and algae, plankton
Brood birds.
Chicks are born well developed, active and leave the nest in a few days.
Prepared by: Andrey Smakhtin, student of group 1-ITS9-12-VB
Lecturer: Rodionova E.V.
Bird class- warm-blooded animals, whose body is covered with feathers (the only group of animals), and the front limbs are turned into wings; hind limbs - legs. Birds fly beautifully, surpassing all other vertebrates in this respect. Also, birds move well on the ground, climb trees, many dive and swim in the water. Birds are extremely diverse in size, shape, color, habits and have adapted to living in various climatic conditions. There are about 9 thousand species.
The external structure of the bird
Birds have a head, neck, torso, limbs and tail. The head of the birds is small, it has a beak, eyes, nostrils. The beak is formed by bone jaws extended forward, which are covered with horn covers from above. Birds have no teeth, which makes the skull lighter. At the base of the upper part of the beak are the nostrils. Rounded eyes are covered with two eyelids and a nictitating membrane. Closer to the back of the head, ear holes are hidden under the feathers. The movable neck connects the head to the compact body.
Features of the body structure of a bird
|
signs |
Features of the structure of the body of birds |
|
body shape |
streamlined |
|
Dry skin covered with horny feathers |
|
|
Types of feathers |
1. Contour - creates the shape of the body and helps with flight; 2. Down feather and down - keep warm |
|
Lightweight and durable due to: Fusions of bones (bones of the hand, pelvis, skull) Air cavities inside the bones Flight muscles are attached to the keel (breast bone) |
|
|
Large chest (lower wings); Subclavian (raise wings) |
|
|
Digestive system |
Digestion of food in 2-3 hours (rapid metabolism to maintain a constant body temperature) Beak --> pharynx --> esophagus (with goiter) --> stomach (from two sections - muscular and glandular) --> intestines --> cloaca |
|
Respiratory system |
Cellular lungs and additional air sacs in the body cavity and bones - to improve gas exchange and protect against overheating. Breathing is double. |
|
Circulatory system |
Four-chambered heart (two atria and two ventricles), two circles of blood circulation |
|
Nervous system |
The cerebellum is well developed; Developed hemispheres of the forebrain (complex behavior, instincts) |
|
reproduction |
Fertilization is internal, the female lays eggs containing a supply of nutrients for the embryo and protected by a calcareous shell and shell membrane |
|
bird development |
Spring: pair formation --> mating of males --> nesting --> laying eggs (from 1-2 to 15-20 pieces) --> incubation of eggs --> care for offspring. Chicks: 1. Brood - appear dressed in down, with open eyes and can leave the nest and follow the mother. 2. Nesting - appear helpless, with eyes fused for centuries, do not leave the nest for a long time. |
The most important orders of birds
|
Orders of birds |
signs |
Representatives |
|
passeriformes |
Mostly forest birds, have four-fingered limbs (three fingers point forward, one back); nesting birds, live in pairs during the nesting period |
Sparrows, larks, swallows, starlings, crows, blackbirds |
|
Charadriiformes |
Brood birds live along river banks, wetlands; medium size, long legs and thin long beak |
Sandpiper, woodcock, lapwing, snipe |
|
Anseriformes |
Along the edges of the beak are horny plates or teeth, and at the end of the beak there is a thickening - nogo-tok; waterfowl vodka birds |
Geese, ducks, swans |
|
penguins |
The wings are narrow, unsuitable for flight, there are swimming membranes on the paws, the legs are carried back, the skeleton is heavy, the feather cover is very dense |
Emperor Pinguin |
|
Cranes |
Birds of open spaces, have long legs and necks |
demoiselle crane |
|
Large birds; have weak, unsuitable wings and strong legs |
African ostrich |
|
|
Short rounded wings (heavy flying), four-toed feet with large claws and densely feathered beak relatively large |
Grouse, black grouse, quail, partridges, capercaillie |
|
|
Diurnal Predators |
Long sharp hooked claws; the beak is short, curved; flying fast |
Falcons, eagles, hawks, vultures |
|
Nocturnal birds of prey, with strong curved beaks and sharp claws, sensitive hearing and sharp eyesight, have loose and soft plumage that allows you to fly silently |
Eagle owl, owl, barn owl, scops owl |
_______________
The source of information: Biology in tables and diagrams. / Edition 2e, - St. Petersburg: 2004.