STUDY OF BIRDS

Environmental Science

Abstract
Birds are an ecological litmus paper.
Because of their rapid metabolism and wide geographic
range, they reflect changes in the environment quickly,
they warn us of the things out of balance, sebding out
signals whenever there is deterioration in the

Name Mayur .A.Fale

Year Second Year
Sec B
Roll No. 33
Subject Environmental
Science
Dept. -- Comp. Sci. &
Engg
Birds (Aves), a subgroup of reptiles, are the last living examples of dinosaurs.
They are a group of endothermic vertebrates, characterised by feathers,
toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a
four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live
worldwide and range in size from the 5 cm (2 in) bee hummingbird to the
2.75 m (9 ft) ostrich. They rank as the class of tetrapods with the most living
species, at approximately ten thousand, with more than half of these being
passerines, sometimes known as perching birds. Birds are the closest living
relatives of crocodilians.

The fossil record indicates that birds evolved from feathered ancestors within
the theropod group of saurischian dinosaurs. True birds first appeared during the
Cretaceous period, around 100 million years ago. DNA-based evidence finds
that birds diversified dramatically around the time of the Cretaceous
Palaeogene extinction event 66 million years ago, which reduced the Pterosaurs,
and killed off all the non-avian dinosaur lineages. Birds, especially those in the
southern continents, survived this event and then migrated to other parts of the
world while diversifying during periods of global cooling. Primitive bird-like
dinosaurs that lie outside class Aves proper, in the broader group Avialae, have
been found dating back to the mid-Jurassic period, around 170 million years
ago] Many of these early "stem-birds", such as Archaeopteryx, were not yet
capable of fully powered flight, and many retained primitive characteristics like
toothy jaws in place of beaks, and long bony tails.

Birds have wings which are more or less developed depending on the species;
the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds.
Wings, which evolved from forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although
further evolution has led to the loss of flight in flightless birds, including ratites,
penguins, and diverse endemic island species of birds. The digestive and
respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird
species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds,
have further evolved for swimming.

Some birds, especially corvids and parrots, are among the most intelligent
animals; several bird species make and use tools, and many social species pass
on knowledge across generations, which is considered a form of culture. Many
species annually migrate great distances. Birds are social, communicating with
visual signals, calls, and bird songs, and participating in such social behaviours
as cooperative breeding and hunting, flocking, and mobbing of predators. The
vast majority of bird species are socially monogamous (referring to social living
arrangement, distinct from genetic monogamy), usually for one breeding season
at a time, sometimes for years, but rarely for life. Other species have breeding
systems that are polygynous (arrangement of one male with many females) or,
rarely, polyandrous (arrangement of one female with many males). Birds
produce offspring by laying eggs which are fertilised through sexual
reproduction. They are usually laid in a nest and incubated by the parents. Most
birds have an extended period of parental care after hatching. Some birds, such
as hens, lay eggs even when not fertilised, though unfertilised eggs do not
produce offspring.

Many species of birds are economically important as food for human

consumption and raw material in manufacturing, with domesticated and
undomesticated birds (poultry and game) being important sources of eggs, meat,
and feathers. Songbirds, parrots, and other species are popular as pets. Guano
(bird excrement) is harvested for use as a fertiliser. Birds prominently figure
throughout human culture. About 120130 species have become extinct due to
human activity since the 17th century, and hundreds more before then. Human
activity threatens about 1,200 bird species with extinction, though efforts are
underway to protect them. Recreational birdwatching is an important part of the
ecotourism industry.

Bird Classifications

The classification of birds involves grouping of birds into categories according

to physiological similarities, and more recently, by consideration of their genetic
make-up. This classification is also known as taxonomy. The system of
classification was created by Carl Linnaeus.

The first division of classification is into Kingdom. Birds are classified into the
Kingdom Animalia (i.e. Animals). The kingdom is further divided into the
Phylum. Birds are in the Phylum Chordata (Animals with a backbone). Next in
classification is the Class. The Class for birds is Aves. From this stage we will
be dealing purely with the classification of birds i.e. How the Class Aves is
divided up.

In bird classification the Class Aves is split up into 23 orders. Birds in an order
all share very similar characteristics. More than half of the Class of Aves are in
the order Passeriformes (aka Passerines). The other smaller orders include:
Struthioniformes (Ostriches, emus etc.), Galliformes (pheasants, guinea fowl
etc.), Piciformes (Barbets, woodpeckers etc.) and many more.
The orders are further divided into families. There are 142 families in the Class
Aves. The family designation is usually indicated by ending in -dae. For
example, the order Apodiformes is divided into the families of: Apodidae
(typical swifts) and Hemiprocnidae (crested swifts).

Within the families you will find the genus, of which there are 2,057 in the
Class Aves. The next smallest unit of bird classification is species. In some
cases the species is further divided into subspecies, this often occurs because
birds of the same species living in a different geographical area may differ
slightly. There are 9,702 species of birds.

The genus and species names are used when using a birds scientific name. The
genus always begins with a capital letter and the species with a lower case letter.
They should always be written as follows: Struthio camelus (Ostrich) or
underlined if hand written.

Let us look at a complete example bird classification. The African fish eagle is
classified as follows :

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Ciconiiformes

Family: Accipitridae

Genus: Haliaeetus

Species: Vocifer

The above is just a basic explanation of the classification of birds. We trust that
it has provided you with insight into this fascinating study of bird classification.

Birds of Prey

Birds of the World

Garden Birds

Pet Birds
 Wild Birds

Some of the Popular Birds are :-

Parrot
The parrots are a broad order of more than 350 birds. Macaws, Amazons,
lorikeets, lovebirds, cockatoos and many others are all considered parrots.

Though there is great diversity among these birds, there are similarities as well.
All parrots have curved beaks and all are zygodactyls, meaning they have four
toes on each foot, two pointing forward and two projecting backward. Most
parrots eat fruit, flowers, buds, nuts, seeds, and some small creatures such as
insects.

Parrots are found in warm climates all over most of the world. The greatest
diversities exist in Australasia, Central America, and South America.

Many parrots are kept as pets, especially macaws, Amazon parrots, cockatiels,
parakeets, and cockatoos. These birds have been popular companions
throughout history because they are intelligent, charismatic, colorful, and
musical. Some birds can imitate many nonavian sounds, including human
speech. The male African gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus) is the most
accomplished user of human speech in the animal world; this rain forest-dweller
is an uncanny mimic.

Currently the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

(CITES) bans the sale of any wild-caught species, yet the parrots' popularity
continues to drive illegal trade.

Some parrot species are highly endangered. In other cases, once tame birds have
reproduced in the wild and established thriving feral populations in foreign
ecosystems. The monk (green) parakeet, for example, now lives in several U.S.
states.

Golden Eagle
This powerful eagle is North America's largest bird of prey and the national bird
of Mexico. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on
their heads and necks. They are extremely swift, and can dive upon their quarry
at speeds of more than 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour.

Golden eagles use their speed and sharp talons to snatch up rabbits, marmots,
and ground squirrels. They also eat carrion, reptiles, birds, fish, and smaller fare
such as large insects. They have even been known to attack full grown deer.
Ranchers once killed many of these birds for fear that they would prey on their
livestock, but studies showed that the animal's impact was minimal. Today,
golden eagles are protected by law.

Golden eagle pairs maintain territories that may be as large as 60 square miles
(155 square kilometers). They are monogamous and may remain with their mate
for several years or possibly for life. Golden eagles nest in high places including
cliffs, trees, or human structures such as telephone poles. They build huge nests
to which they may return for several breeding years. Females lay from one to
four eggs, and both parents incubate them for 40 to 45 days. Typically, one or
two young survive to fledge in about three months.

These majestic birds range from Mexico through much of western North
America as far north as Alaska; they also appear in the east but are uncommon.
Golden eagles are also found in Asia, northern Africa, and Europe.

Some golden eagles migrate, but others do notdepending on the conditions of

their geographic location. Alaskan and Canadian eagles typically fly south in the
fall, for example, while birds that live in the western continental U.S. tend to
remain in their ranges year-round.

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