Bird anatomy

thumb|right|Two different planforms are shown with a swept wing [[KC-10 Extender (top) refueling a diamond-like delta wing F-22 Raptor]]

thumb|Cloaca of a red-tailed hawk

thin-walled expanded portion of the alimentary tract used for the storage of food prior to digestion

weapon of some animals, hornlike growths excluding antlers and ossicones

thumb|250x250px|Gizzard of a chicken

crest on the top of the head of some gallinaceous birds

gland

paired forelimb in birds

anatomy of birds

thumb|Patagia on a flying squirrel The patagium (: patagia) is a membranous body part that assists an animal in obtaining lift when gliding or flying. The structure is found in extant and extinct groups of flying and gliding animals including bats, theropod dinosaurs (including birds and some dromaeosaurs), pterosaurs, gliding mammals, some flying lizards, and flying frogs. The patagium that stretches between an animal's hind limbs is called the uropatagium (especially in bats) or the interfemoral membrane.

thumb|This stylised bird skeleton highlights the furcula thumb|right|Wishbone of a chicken The ' (Latin for "little fork"; : furculae) or wishbone' is a forked bone found in most birds and some species of non-avian dinosaurs, and is either an interclavicle or formed by the fusion of the two clavicles. In birds, its primary function is in strengthening the thoracic skeleton to withstand the rigors of flight.

vocal organ of birds at the base of a bird's trachea

secretion used by some birds to feed their young

thumb|300px|Close-up view of the plumage on a house sparrow

thumb|280px|alt=Drawing of the various parts of a bird's wing|Location of the alula on a bird's wing The alula , or bastard wing, (plural alulae) is a small projection on the anterior edge of the wing of modern birds and a few non-avian dinosaurs. The word is Latin and means "winglet"; it is the diminutive of ala, meaning "wing". The alula is the freely moving first digit, a bird's "thumb", and typically bears three to five small flight feathers, with the exact number depending on the species. There also are minor covert feathers overlying the flight feathers. Like the larger flight feathers f

epithelial outgrowth of the cloaca in birds

bird anatomy

senses for birds

patch of featherless skin

the portion of the posterior dorsum of an animal – that is, posterior to the loins and anterior to the tail

thumb|right|Pigeon skeleton with "plowshare"-type pygostyle (number 17) thumb|right|Confuciusornis sanctus with "rod"-type pygostyle and the two central tail feathers Pygostyle (; from Ancient Greek [] 'tail, rump' and [] 'pillar, column') is a skeletal condition in which the final few caudal vertebrae are fused into a single ossification, supporting the tail feathers and musculature. In modern birds, the rectrices attach to these. The pygostyle is the main component of the uropygium, a structure colloquially known as the '''bishop's nose, parson's nose, pope's nose, or sultan's nose'''. This

thumb|Pigeon skeleton. Number 8 indicates both left and right tarsometatarsus The tarsometatarsus (tarsus singular, tarsi plural) is a bone that is only found in the lower leg of birds and some non-avian dinosaurs. It is formed from the fusion of several bird bones found in other types of animals, and homologous to the mammalian tarsus (ankle bones) and metatarsal bones (foot). Despite this, the tarsometatarsus of flying types is often referred to as just the shank, tarsus or metatarsus.

REDIRECT Beak#Cere Category:Bird anatomy Category:Parts of a bird beak

area of skin in vertebrates connecting the lower jaw and throat

thumb|right|207px|Zosterops|White-eyes are named for the conspicuous white eye-rings found in the majority of species. Their genus name Zosterops likewise means "eye-girdle". The eye-ring of a bird is a ring of tiny feathers that surrounds the orbital ring, a ring of bare skin immediately surrounding a bird's eye. The eye-ring is often decorative, and its colour may contrast with adjoining plumage. The ring of feathers is sometimes incomplete, forming an eye arc. In the absence of a conspicuous eye-ring, the orbital ring of a bird is often referred to as the eye-ring. The bare orbital ring ma

alt=Human hand anatomy|thumb|Human hand anatomy (pentadactyl) In biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits (fingers and toes) on the hands, feet, or sometimes wings of a tetrapod animal. The term is derived from the Ancient Greek word δάκτυλος (dáktulos), meaning "finger."

thumb|right|250px|Pigeon skeleton; numbers 10 and 11 indicates the tibiotarsus The tibiotarsus is the large bone between the femur and the tarsometatarsus in the leg of a bird. It is the fusion of the proximal part of the tarsus with the tibia.

The proventriculus is part of the digestive system of birds. An analogous organ exists in insects and many other invertebrates.

concave collection of feathers on the face of some birds

thumb|This stylised bird skeleton highlights the synsacrum thumb|left|Pelvis of a Gull; formed by the Synsacrum (fused vertebrae placed centrally) and the two innominate bones either side The synsacrum is a skeletal structure of birds and other dinosaurs, pterosaurs, as well as xenarthran mammals, in which the sacrum is extended by incorporation of additional fused or partially fused caudal or lumbar vertebrae. Some posterior thoracic vertebrae, the lumbar, sacral and a few anterior caudal vertebrae are fused to form a complex bone called synsacrum. In birds, inate bones are fused with the syn

skull bone

fleshy caruncle hanging from various parts of the head or neck in several groups of birds and mammals

top of the head

thumb|right|upright|The whinchat has a prominent white supercilium.

region between eyes and nostrils of birds, reptiles, and amphibians

thumb|Skeleton of a mounted Pteranodon, showing the notarium between the shoulder blades Notarium or os dorsale is a bone consisting of the fused vertebra of the shoulder in birds and some pterosaurs. The structure helps brace the chest against the forces generated by the wings. In birds, the vertebrae are only in contact with adjacent vertebrae and ribs, while in some pterosaurs the notarium articulates with the scapula. This joint is unique among tetrapods, as in no other taxa is there a direct connection between the pectoral girdle and vertebral column (though in species with clavicles, th

thumb|150px|right|Left carpometacarpus from the hand of an extinct swan (Olor paloregonus = Cygnus paloregonus) from Oregon. Date: 1892–1893, Source: Popular Science Monthly Volume 42 The carpometacarpus is a bone found in the hands of birds. It results from the fusion of the carpal and metacarpal bone, and is essentially a single fused bone between the wrist and the knuckles. It is a smallish bone in most birds, generally flattened and with a large hole in the middle. In flightless birds, however, its shape may be slightly different, or it might be absent entirely.

small, fleshy excrescence that is a normal part of an animal's anatomy

diverse anatomy encompassing many accommodations to perform a wide variety of functions

anatomical feature found in some species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians

structure in the bird retina which contains most of the vasculature

desalination gland in marine birds

anatomical measurement of a bird's wing

ear ossicle

oval structure in spinal cord of birds containing glycogen

sensory organ in some aquatic birds

developing bird feather that has bloodflow

Colour genetics of budgerigars

Type of bird anatomy