Birds - Animal Questions.org

Are Woodpeckers Mammals or Birds?

Woodpeckers are not mammals. They are aves that belong to the Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordate Subphylum Vertebra Class Aves. Birds such as the woodpecker are bi-pedal, warm blooded, oviparous vertebrates that can be characterized primarily by their feathers, modified wings, and hollow bones. Some common characteristics of birds include a bony beak with no teeth, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, high metabolic rate, and a light but strong skeleton. These creatures can also be characterized by their flight, though there are a few species of birds that have lost this ability. Birds feed their young by regurgitating partially digested material.

On the other hand, mammals can be characterized by having hair or fur, giving birth to live young and nursing them with their mammary glands, and most mammals also usually have sweat glands. Mammals possess stronger and denser bones than birds, have specialized teeth, and have been known to carry their young in their womb or pouch. Mammal young are usually born one at a time whereas birds such as the woodpecker are often born in pairs, with the stronger either killing or pushing the other out of the nest.

Interestingly enough birds and mammals both evolved from reptiles, however each from a different type of reptile. Mammals first appeared about two hundred and twenty five million years ago and dramatically increased in number, diversity and size after the distinction of dinosaurs and larger reptiles about 65 million years ago.

The oldest bird fossil that we know of today is from a bird called Archaeopteryx. This bird lived about one hundred and fifty million years ago and also underwent many changes such as mammals, however they underwent these changes much earlier than mammals did.

One of the biggest differences between birds and mammals is the fact that birds have wings in place of the arms or forelegs that mammals have. Mammals usually walk upon all four limbs or have adapted to walk upright such as humans do. (take for instance, apes). The Woodpecker also possesses a large vertical keel on their sternum that mammals do not have. Attached to this sternum are the strong, robust breast muscles that the bird uses to pull its wings during flight.

Can Ostriches Swim?

Although ostriches are very large and unable to fly, (the largest flightless bird in existence) they are capable of swimming. Though not very quickly. They have been known to swim successfully across strong currents. One was even seen swimming across a flooded area when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

The way these birds are equipped most likely only works to their advantage when it comes to swimming. Their long, bare necks are flat and they have long, powerful bare legs and strong feet with two sharp claws on each foot. Their massive leg muscles enable them to deliver a powerful kick which can seriously injure or kill an attacker, and are very helpful when kicking to and fro to swim. Another interesting fact to know is that ostriches can only kick forward.

These powerful birds contain their main musculature in the hips and thighs so it comes as no surprise that they are able to swim quite well. Their long legs enable them to run at speeds of over 65 kilometers (40 miles per hour). These birds prefer savannah, grassland and semi desert habitats where water sources are also available. They enjoy water, swimming, and taking baths.

Do Chickens Have Tongues?

Contrary to what some may believe, it is true that chickens like most living creatures do have tongues. In fact a chicken’s tongue is oddly shaped like an elongated arrowhead, with the pointy bit located at the front, this is quite unique. A chicken’s tongue like many animals, and also including humans, is the same color as the rest of the inside of their mouth.

Despite what many used to believe before the 1950’s, chickens do have a sense of taste and even have been found to have thirty to seventy different taste buds. These taste buds are found on the base of their tongue and floor of the pharynx, however whether or not these taste buds are their only form of taste receptors is still up for debate. Little is known about a chicken’s taste buds and receptors even though we have been doing research about it and arguing about it for decades.

One thing that has been found is that chickens have been known to avoid saccharine and sweet flavors such as honey and strawberry, though nobody really knows why. They have also been found to only prefer sucrose and butter type flavors such as those found in popcorn. Since most research on the subject of a chicken’s tongue and their tastes have been conducted by adding flavoring to their drinking water, some have argued and considered the findings of these research experiments to be of little to no value. Humans have 9,000 taste receptors, and cows have 25,000. Due to this astounding fact, the chicken’s ability to taste would still be considered to be limited while others argue that some chickens lack the sense of taste at all and have often been referred to by people as being “chickens who are taste blind”.

Are Parrots Colorblind?

Contrary to what many people may believe, parrots are not color blind. Nor do they only see in certain colors such as dogs and cats do. It is true that parrots are able to see all of the same colors in the color spectrum that we humans are able to see. In fact, parrots even have better eyesight than we humans do.

This is because these marvelous birds not only have the different cones in their eyes that allow them to see all of the different colors in the color spectrum, but they also have a fourth cone that we humans do not possess. This fourth cone allows parrots to see ultraviolet light in addition to the other colors in the spectrum. Humans are unable to see this spectrum of light without using special technology. This fact presented by itself is fascinating enough and makes the parrot quite a unique and sophisticated creature.

One might begin to wonder however, why is it necessary for these birds to be able to see so many different colors? The answer lies in the fact that in order for them to see others of their species they must be able to differentiate colors. This survival mechanism is what allows the parrots to flock together and recognize each other more easily.

Although it is not entirely understood yet, research has suggested that these birds may possess such an ability in order to recognize birds of the opposite sex more easily when trying to search for a mate. To explain further, it is believed that the way ultraviolet light reflects off of the feathers of the parrots differs from a male bird to a female. It is truly fascinating how a parrot’s eyes function in order to help its species survive and procreate.

Do Owls Hibernate?

Many birds of prey have been known to hibernate during the winter season as it is simply too cold for them during this time. Owls are no exception to the hibernation process that takes place during winter season. In fact most species of owls hibernate in the same way other birds do. One exception to this rule however is the Snowy Owl. The Snowy Owl is the only owl that is known not to hibernate. Rather than hibernating during the winter it migrates to a warmer location and then migrates back after the winter season is over.

Are Ostriches Carnivores, Herbivores, or Omnivores?

Strictly speaking, ostriches are not carnivores because they do not only eat meat, nor are they herbivores because they do not stick to a plant based diet only. Ostriches are considered omnivorous creatures and basically eat anything they come across as well as the things that many other animals are unable to digest. They mainly feed on plant based materials such as grass, seeds, fruits, and leaves from trees and bushes. However every now and then they do enjoy eating small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs and birds and invertebrates such as insects including locusts, grasshoppers and worms.

Interestingly enough, ostriches do not have teeth and often swallow pebbles or sand to help with food digestion in the gizzard. Food collects in the crop and then slides down the neck in a bolus. The ostrich has intestines that are 14 meters long which helps it get the most out of the tough plant based food sources it eats. These interesting creatures are able to go without water for several days due to the fact that they can survive on the moisture from plants instead. They also are capable of making their own water internally.

Can Chickens Swim?

Although they do not particularly like water, chickens are able to swim. They can float and paddle just like a duck and swim their way to safety. No need for the webbed feet, they are capable swimming creatures all the same. Many try to argue that there is no way that this is possible, but it has been proven time and again, that these animals can swim if necessary. They are buoyant and do not need to be taught to swim as we humans do, when placed in water they have that natural instinct to swim ashore.

Can Owls Move Their Eyes?

Owls have many interesting features, however probably the most interesting of these features are their eyes. An owl’s eyes are unlike the eyes of other birds which usually are located on the side of the head. In fact an owl’s eyes may account for one to five percent of their body weight depending on the species and are large, round, and facing forward. This forward facing position gives the bird a binocular vision, able to see an object with both eyes at the same time. Furthermore what this means is that the owl is able to see objects in three dimensions. (height, width, and depth) this also gives them the ability to judge distances in a similar way that humans can. An owl’s field of vision is about 110 degrees, with about 70% of that accounting for binocular vision.

An owl’s eyes are so well developed that they are able to see quite efficiently in low lighting conditions. However interestingly enough, their eyes are not really “eyeballs” rather than they are elongated tubes that are held in place by bony structures in the skull known as Sclerotic rings. It is for this reason that owls are unable to roll or move their eyes, instead it can only look straight ahead.

However, to the owl’s advantage is its flexible head which is able to turn around and almost upside down as well. This is more than enough to help compensate for not being able to move its eyes. An owl’s neck is very long, flexible and hidden by feathers. Their necks consist of fourteen vertebrae, which is twice as many as humans have. This allows for these amazing creatures to turn their heads through a range of 270 degrees measured from a facing forward position.

Since owls are nocturnal animals that hunt their prey during the night, their eyes are well equipped at collecting and processing light. This all starts with the large cornea (the transparent outer coating of the eye) and the pupil (the opening at the center of the eye). The pupil’s size is controlled by the iris (the colored membrane that is suspended between the cornea and the lens) When the owl’s pupil becomes larger it allows more light to pass through the lens and onto the large retina (the light sensitive tissue on which an image is formed). An owl’s retina has an abundance of rod cells (light sensitive rod shaped cells) that are very sensitive to light and movement but do not react well to color. Cells that do not react well to color are known as cone cells. Owls possess a few of these cones. These cone shaped cells are what cause most owls to see in limited color, or in monochrome. However, to say that owls have trouble seeing well in strong lighting is not true.

Owl’s have a wide range of adjustment in their pupils which allow the right amount of light to strike the retina thus allowing some species of owls to see even better than humans do in bright light. To help protect their eyes, owl’s eyes are equipped with not one, but three eyelids each. They have a normal upper and lower eyelid like most animals with the upper eyelid closing when the creature blinks, and the lower lid closing up when the owl sleeps. However the third eyelid is referred to as the nictitating membrane and it is a thin layer of tissue that closes diagonally across the eye, from the inside to the outside, helping to protect the surface of the owl’s eye.

Do Parrots Migrate?

Parrots do not migrate the way many birds do in the sense of flying vast distances across the ocean to a warmer climate. Rather, parrots engage in semi-migratory behavior, moving to new areas within their continent when the monsoonal rains replenish water sources, or to where the best food source is often located.

The swift parrot and the orange bellied parrot in Tasmania make their way across the treacherous waters of Bass Straight after breeding in order to spend the winter season on the mainland. Although migrating away from the cold Tasmanian winter winds may seem like a good strategy, these birds are often faced with many dangers on the way to the mainland. Just a few of the many obstacles these parrots face include the potential bad weather blowing them off course, or arriving at their destination to find poor conditions and scarce supplies of food.

It comes as no surprise then that these species are both counted amongst our most threatened birds. Migratory birds such as these require good conditions not just in their place of origin, but also in their migratory destinations as well as all of the stops they make along the way.

Are Chickens Mammals or Birds?

Chickens are birds, which are a different group of vertebrates from mammals. Birds lay eggs, while most mammals give birth to live young and nurse them with their mammary glands. The only exceptions to this are the platypus and echidna, which are monotremes, or egg-laying mammals.

In order for an animal to be classified as a mammal it must have hair, as well as fat glands and sweat glands. Female mammals have mammary glands. Mammals give birth to live young and nurse their young. All mammals are vertebrates, and also have several types of teeth.