Class Aves Characteristic and Examples:
- Class Aves or birds are most diverse groups of animals in the animal kingdom.
- The study of birds is called ornithology.
- Birds have been successfully evolved to fill various ecological niches.
Characteristics of Class Aves
| Characteristics | Description |
| Feathers
|
· Feathers serve multiple functions in birds including camouflage, communication and flight. · Feathers help in preventing heat loss and reduce air friction by providing passage to the air. |
| Beaks (Bills)
|
· Birds have beaks or bills that come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. · These are adapted for various feeding strategies. · Beaks are used for grasping, pecking, probing, tearing, and even filtering food. |
| Spindle shape body | · Their spindle-shaped body minimizes resistance of the wind. |
| Hollow Bones |
· Bird bones are lightweight and often have large number of air sacs, making their skeletons more efficient for flight. · Hollow bones reduce overall body weight without compromising the strength. |
| Vocal organ | · The special vocal organ called syrinx is present at the base of trachea. |
| Cranial nerves | · Birds have 12 pairs of cranial nerves. |
| Endothermy (Warm-Blooded) | · Birds are warm-blooded animals, capable of maintaining a stable body temperature.
· This allows them to remain active in a wide range of climates. |
| Reproductive system | · They have a single ovary and oviduct on the left side. |
| High Metabolic Rate |
· Birds have a high metabolic rate so they require a constant intake of energy-rich foods to fuel their activities, especially flight. |
| Oviparous | · Birds lay eggs with hard shells, which provide protection and support for the developing embryo.
· The eggs have four embryonic membranes- amnion, chorion, allantois, and yolk sac. |
| Four-Chambered Heart | · Birds have a highly efficient four-chambered heart that separates oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, enhancing their oxygen-carrying capacity for sustained flight. |
| Air Sacs |
· Unique air sacs within bird bodies facilitate efficient, one-way airflow through the lungs. · Air sacs enable birds to extract more oxygen with each breath. |
| Alimentary canal | · The alimentary canal has a crop and a gizzard.
· The crops help in softening food, and the gizzard helps in crushing the food. |
| Flight Adaptations |
· Many birds are capable of flight, achieved through specialized adaptations in their wings, feathers, and musculature. |
| RBCs | · Birds have oval, nucleated and biconvex RBCs. |
| Highly Developed Vision |
· Birds have well-developed eyesight, often with excellent color vision and keen depth perception. |
| Auditory Communication | ·
· Birds exhibit a wide range of vocalization used in mating and territorial displays. |
| Migration |
· Bird exhibit migration of thousands of kilometers between breeding and wintering grounds to take advantage of seasonal food availability and climate. |
| Variety of Diets |
· Birds display a wide range of feeding behaviors, including carnivorous, herbivorous, omnivorous, and specialized diets. |
| Parental Care |
· Most bird species exhibit some form of parental care, ranging from building nests and incubating eggs to feeding and protecting their young. |
Examples of Aves
| Order | Examples | Characteristics |
| Passeriformes | · House Sparrow
· American Robin |
· They are songbirds
· They have perching feet |
| Accipitriformes | · Bald Eagle
· Red-tailed Hawk |
· These are known as Raptors,
· They have keen vision and hooked beaks. |
| Strigiformes | · Great Horned Owl
· Barn Owl |
· They are nocturnal in nature and have excellent night vision. |
| Columbiformes | · Rock Pigeon
· Mourning Dove |
· They have small heads and plump bodies. |
| Falconiformes | · Peregrine Falcon
· American Kestrel |
· They have swift flight and strong talons. |
| Anseriformes | · Mallard
· Canada Goose |
· They possess webbed feet.
· They are migratory and aquatic in nature. |
| Galliformes | · Wild Turkey
· Ring-necked Pheasant |
· They are basically game birds.
· They are ground-dwelling and have strong legs. |
| Sphenisciformes | · Emperor Penguin
· King Penguin |
· They have flipper-like wings which are adapted for swimming. |
| Struthioniformes | · Ostrich | · They are large flightless birds. |
| Procellariiformes | · Northern Fulmar
· Albatrosses |
· They have long wings, tubular nostrils and pelagic lifestyle. |
| Gruiformes | · Sandhill Crane
· American Coot |
· They are found in marshes and wetland habitats. |
| Ciconiiformes | · Great Blue Heron
· White Stork |
· They possess long legs and long necks. |
| Charadriiformes | · Piping Plover
· Black-legged Kittiwake |
· They are shorebirds and migratory nature. |
| Psittaciformes | · Budgerigar
· African Grey Parrot |
· They have strong beaks and vibrant plumage. |
| Strigiformes | · Great Horned Owl
· Barn Owl |
· They are nocturnal with excellent night vision. |
| Caprimulgiformes | · Common Nighthawk
· Chuck-will’s-widow |
· They are insectivorous in nature. |
| Coraciiformes | · Kingfishers
· Bee-eaters |
· They possess colorful plumage ,often with strong bills |
| Piciformes | · Woodpeckers
· Toucans |
· They have chisel-like bills and are tree-dwelling birds. |
| Apodiformes | · Swifts
· Hummingbirds |
· They are small agile birds with rapid flight and specialized feeding. |
| Trogoniformes | · Trogons | · They have colorful plumage and tropical habitats. |
| Passeriformes | · House Sparrow
· American Robin |
· They have perching feet and possess complex songs. |
Classification of class aves
| Taxonomic Level | Classification |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata |
| Class | Aves |
| Subclass | Neornithes (modern birds) |
| Infraclass | Neognathae (new jaw) |