THE TOP TEN LIST

Birds have feathers
Birds have hollow bones
Birds have air sacs near their lungs
Most birds migrate
They all have wings
Birds repair their feathers using a process called preening
They have the warmest bodies of all warm bloodied animals
Birds have a two part stomach
Birds lay eggs
Birds incubate their eggs

BIRDS OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN

ORDER I. ACCIPITRES

FALCONIDÆ
Bald eagle, Haliætos leucocephalus Wilson
ORDER II. PASSERESeagle.jpg
ALCEDINIDÆ
Red-throated Hummingbird, Trochilus colubris Linnæus
ORDER III. GALLINÆhumming_bird.jpg
PHASIANIDÆ
Wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo Linnæus
ORDER IV. GRALLÆturkey.jpg
CHARADRADÆ
Golden plover, Charadrius virginianus Borkheim
ORDER V. NATATORESplover.jpg
ANATIDÆ
Wild goose, Anser Canadensis Willoughby
googse.jpg

ANATOMY TERMS

Feathers- feathers are made of keratin, a protein. They are used for flight and for attracting a mate. They also insulate the body

Contour Feathers- These are the feathers that give the areodynamic shape. They provide the bird with insulation and and colors.

Flight Feathers- these are specialized feathers at the end of the tail and wings.
Preen Gland- this gland is used to secret oil for the preening process. The gland is located near the base of the tail.
Wings- wings are modified forelimbs that are needed for flight
Proventriculus- the first part of the two chambered stomach, this is where the food is broken down using enzymes and acids
Gizzard- the second part of the two chambered stomach, this is where food is crushed into smaller chunks. The gizzards usually contains small pebbles to help digestions
Vasa Deferentia- these are small tubes used during reproduction. They are used to pass sperm from the male to the female when the cloacas are pressed agianst each other
Brood Patch- this is a thickened, featherless patch of skin on the abdomen. It is used to incubate the eggs
Crop Milk- this is a milk-like fluid that is secreted in the crop to feed the young. Both the male and the female secret the milk

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BIRDS

  • Swifts, doves, falcons, and sandpipers can approach 200 mph.

  • The oldest bird was known as an Archaeopteryx and lived about 150 million years ago. It was the size of a raven, was covered with feathers, and had wings.
  • The egg of the hummingbird is the world's smallest bird's egg; the egg of the ostrich, the world's largest.
  • The now-extinct elephant bird of Madagascar laid an egg that weighed 27 pounds.
  • A bird's heart beats 400 times per minute while resting and up to 1000 beats per minute while flying.
  • The world's only wingless bird is the kiwi of New Zealand.
  • The only known poisonous bird in the world is the hooded pitohui of Papua, New Guinea. The poison is found in its skin and feathers.
  • The most common bird on the planet is the chicken.
  • A bird's feathers weigh more than its skeleton does.

  • There are about 9 703 species of birds divided up into 23 orders, 142 families and 2 057 genera.
  • The Sudanese Red Sea Cliff Swallow (Hirundo perdita) seen once in 1984 and the Orange-necked Partridge (Arborophila davidi) seen once in 1927 are among the rarest birds in the world.

Picture url’s
https://www.uvm.edu/~aniemczu/nr260/canada-goose-01.jpg
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/images/GoldenPloverFeathers.jpg
http://sdakotabirds.com/species/photos/wild_turkey.jpg
http://tnhiker.smugmug.com/photos/124314174-S.jpg
http://www.kingfishermanor.com/images/Wildlife/baldEagle.jpg

Website info
http://faculty.evansville.edu/ck6/bstud/pratbirds.html
http://birds.about.com/od/livingwithabird/a/birdfacts.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=15+1794&aid=179
http://www.earthlife.net/birds/intro.html