Years ago, scientists realized that grouping objects in nature by their features made them easier to understand. This is called classification. Birds are in a class of vertebrates called Aves. Other vertebrates are fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
Birds have many unique features. Like mammals, all birds are warm-blooded, and like amphibians and most reptiles they lay eggs. Birds are the only vertebrates that have feathers. They have the greatest sound-producing capability of all vertebrates and have a broader hearing range than humans. Birds have large, well developed brains, complex social behaviors like intricate mating activities and incredible motor skills, like flying.
Birds have two types of names: a scientific name and a common name. The scientific name is either Latin or latinized, includes the genus and species and usually describes distinctive features of the bird. Birds may have several common names depending on where they live. These names are generally descriptive of the bird's looks, song or behavior. Sometimes both the scientific and common name honor a person who discovered or first described the bird.
Bird watching is a popular activity that many people enjoy. Many birdwatchers have a Life List. This is a list of all the bird species they have ever seen. Some spend a lot of time searching for additions to their list. There are birders who are so serious about collecting species for their life list, they plan their vacations to visit good birding locations. Would you want to do that? Where would you go?
A field guide is a reference book that contains information about and illustrations of birds. The facts and pictures help you identify birds. There are many different field guides available, some of which are listed on the Resources page.
What makes a bird a bird?
Life List
Chatterbox
Continue to