Do you really know about birds?

There are more than 9,000 species of birds in the world. More than 500 species have been recorded in Scotland. Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates. They have three characteristics, which distinguish them from other animals: feathers, hard-shelled eggs and hollow bones.

What makes a Bird a Bird?

WARM-BLOODED: Like mammals, birds are warm-blooded. This means their body temperature stays the same no matter how hot or cold it is outside. This characteristic allows birds to maintain the high levels of energy needed to fly.

FEATHERS: Birds use their feathers in many ways, such as flight, regulation of body temperature (thermoregulation), protection of the body, attraction of mates and identification of species.

Contour feathers cover the body of a bird and have a strong, hollow shaft and network of hooks. Down feathers are small and are located under the contour feathers. The purpose of these feathers is to insulate the bird from the cold.

HARD-SHELLED EGGS: Birds lay hard-shelled eggs. The hard shell keeps an egg from drying out and allows parents to sit on the eggs during incubation. Even though bird eggs are hard-shelled, they have microscopic pores, which allow oxygen to pass into it and carbon dioxide to exit out of the shell.

Eggs come in a variety of colours, patterns, shapes and textures. Colours and patterns on eggs vary depending on the need for camouflage. The shape of the egg depends on where the bird nests. Most eggs are oval. Birds that lay their eggs on ledges need eggs with a pointed end so they will not roll off the ledge.

HOLLOW BONES: Simply having feathers does not permit birds to be creatures of the sky. Extremely lightweight bones are also necessary for flight. Bird bones are strong and hollow with inside supports.