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Cover title: Birds of eastern North America "With keys to the species and descriptions of their plumages, nests, and eggs, their distribution and migrations, and a brief account of their haunts and habits, with introductory chapters on the study of ornithology, how to identify birds, and how to collect and preserve birds, their nests, and eggs."
Archaeopteryx was the first fossil to display both clearly traditional reptilian characteristics—teeth, clawed fingers, and a long, lizard-like tail—as well as wings with flight feathers similar to those of modern birds. It is not considered a direct ancestor of birds, though it is possibly closely related to the true ancestor.
English: Full title: The code of nomenclature and check-list of North American birds adopted by the American Ornithologists' Union; being the report of the Committee of the Union on Classification and Nomenclature.
The genus Sialia was introduced by the English naturalist William Swainson in 1827 with the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) as the type species. [2] [3] A molecular phylogenetic study using mitochondrial sequences published in 2005 found that Sialia, Myadestes (solitaires) and Neocossyphus (African ant-thrushes) formed a basal clade in the family Turdidae.
Swimming birds have a wide sternum, walking birds have a long sternum, and flying birds have a sternum that is nearly equal in width and height. [19] The chest consists of the furcula (wishbone) and coracoid (collar bone) which, together with the scapula , form the pectoral girdle ; the side of the chest is formed by the ribs, which meet at the ...
Birds have wings whose development varies according to species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which are modified forelimbs , gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in some birds , including ratites , penguins , and diverse endemic island species.
[1] [2] Linnaeus generally followed the classification scheme introduced by the English parson and naturalist John Ray which grouped species based on the characteristics of each species’ bill and feet. [3] The 10th edition appeared in 1758 and was the first in which Linnaeus consistently used his binomial system of nomenclature. He increased ...
In order for birds to balance these forces, certain physical characteristics are required. Asymmetrical wing feathers, found on all flying birds with the exception of hummingbirds, help in the production of thrust and lift. Anything that moves through the air produces drag due to friction. The aerodynamic body of a bird can reduce drag, but ...