How Birds Are Built:
A Look At What Makes Our Feathered Friends Special In many ways, birds are unique among pets. After all, how many other animals can defy gravity and soar through the air in flight? Our feathered friends’ incredible flying ability is the result of some special anatomical features that birds have developed over the course of their long history on earth. The difference between birds and other pets goes right "to the bone." Unlike the bones of people, dogs or cats, many of a bird’s bones have hollow air pockets inside. This makes it easier for a bird to fly by lowering its overall body weight. The air pockets also provide the bird with storage space for the massive quantity of oxygen that is needed during flight. Instead of simply drawing air into their lungs as we do, birds can store air in a series of air sacs before passing it into their lungs. A complex series of tubes in the bird’s respiratory system allows inhaled air to pass through its blood vessels twice, so oxygen can be absorbed more efficiently, which is critical for flying at high altitudes. Still, birds have to work very hard to meet the oxygen demands of flying. Unlike people, who inhale and exhale in a two-step process when they breathe, birds must make two inspirations (inhaling movements) and two expirations (exhaling movements) with every breath. Even with this double duty, birds still breathe more quickly than we do. It’s been estimated that large birds like cockatoos and macaws draw about 30 to 40 breaths per minute, while small birds take about 100 breaths per minute. By contrast, people breathe 15 to 25 times per minute. Is it any wonder, then, that busy birds have a high body temperature --- 104 degrees to 112 degrees, depending on species. By comparison, dogs check in with a relatively cool 101.5 degree body temperature. Not surprisingly, birds are also quick at processing their food. Most birds will digest seeds or nuts within three hours. One reason why birds make such quick work of their meals is that they have two stomachs. The first stomach, the proventriculus, secretes enzymes to break down food. The second, the ventriculus or gizzard, uses its thick walls, along with any stones or grit that the bird has ingested, to grind down the mix of food and enzymes. Birds have few taste buds in their mouths and, unlike most mammals, they do not have a very developed sense of smell. What they lack in their sense of smell, birds more than make up for with their keen eyesight. Birds possess a very large field of vision, up to 300 degrees in some species. A dog’s field of vision ranges from 200 to 270 degrees, and a human’s is about 100 degrees. DESPITE THEIR MANY UNIQUE PHYSICAL TRAITS, BIRDS SHARE AT LEAST ONE THING IN COMMON WITH ALL OTHER PETS -- THEY CAN FIND EVERYTHING THEY NEED AT PET SUPPLIES "PLUS."   |