Bird

Cosma / Communication / Knowledge / Realm / Terrestrial / Life / Animal / Vertebrate / Bird
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bird : any of a class (Aves) of warm-blooded vertebrates distinguished by having the body more or less completely covered with feathers and the forelimbs modified as wings — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

Encyclopedia

Birds, also known as Aves, are a group of endothermic vertebrates, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds live worldwide and range in size from the 5 cm (2 in) bee hummingbird to the 2.75 m (9 ft) ostrich. They rank as the world’s most numerically-successful class of tetrapods, with approximately ten thousand living species, more than half of these being passerines, sometimes known as perching birds. Birds have wings which are more or less developed depending on the species; the only known groups without wings are the extinct moa and elephant birds. Wings, which evolved from forelimbs, gave birds the ability to fly, although further evolution has led to the loss of flight in flightless birds, including ratites, penguins, and diverse endemic island species of birds. The digestive and respiratory systems of birds are also uniquely adapted for flight. Some bird species of aquatic environments, particularly seabirds and some waterbirds, have further evolved for swimming. — Wikipedia

Bird (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Bird Guide (All About Birds, The Cornell Lab)
Bird Finder (Ask a Biologist, Arizona State University)
Birds (SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment)

Birds (One Zoom)
Aves (Catalogue of Life)
Birds (WolframAlpha)

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Adventures

Explore related posts on Cosma …

Happy Week ‘o Nature! - This is a busy week for nature lovers! Wednesday, April 22nd is Earth Day, and Friday, April 24th is Arbor Day! Of course, the typical way to celebrate is to attend events and plant trees. My way of celebrating is to also update Cosma’s Nature pages. Done! Links to the updated pages are below. In … Continue reading Happy Week ‘o Nature!
Hummingbird Parties! - Sometimes a link to a story begs you to click on it. Here’s one that I couldn’t resist. Watch hummingbirds ‘dance’ through waterfalls (Lucy Hicks, Science Magazine) Sure enough, the story has an animation of a hummingbird ‘dancing’ in a waterfall. The research that the story described was a tad odd, but the clip was … Continue reading Hummingbird Parties!
Penguin Playtime - Brrr, baby, it’s cold outside! Let’s embrace it, even celebrate it, by watching some penguins play for a few minutes! Here’s a 360° video of magellanic penguins sledding, right up until and after they knock the camera over and have a good laugh. Wildlife Protection Solutions (YouTube Channel) Wildlife Protection Solutions (Facebook) Okay, truth be … Continue reading Penguin Playtime
Smart Crows - Note This content is not very elaborate as well as a bit dated, but it is important for historical purposes. It was the first adventure (a.k.a. Post) on this iteration of the Cosma website way back in September 15, 2016. Sometimes news just catches your eye. Here’s a video got me today — enjoy! Nature … Continue reading Smart Crows

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Inspiration

Note: This is a 360° video — press and hold to explore it!

Milwaukee County Zoo (YouTube Channel)
Milwaukee County Zoo (Official Website)

Aviary CAM (Monterey Bay Aquarium)

Birds Cams (Explore Live Nature Cams, YouTube Playlist)
Birds – Highlight Videos (Explore Live Nature Cams, YouTube Playlist)

Talks about Birds (TED: Ideas Worth Spreading)
Articles about Birds (Big Think)

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Innovation

Science

Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them. A wide range of tools and techniques are used in ornithology, both inside the laboratory and out in the field. Most biologists who consider themselves to be “Ornithologists” study specific categories, such as Anatomy, Taxonomy, or Ecology lifestyles and behaviors. — Wikipedia

Ornithology (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Introduction to Ornithology (Environmental Science)

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Preservation

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Participation

Education

Feed the Birds (OLogy, American Museum of Natural History)
Birdwatching with Theodore Roosevelt (OLogy, American Museum of Natural History)

Bird Migration (Science Trek)
Birds Above You (Biology4Kids)

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Community

Occupation

What is an Ornithologist? (Environmental Science)

Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)

Organization

Ornithological Council
American Ornithological Society
National Audubon Society

Event

World Migratory Bird Day, October 12

News

Ornithology (American Ornithological Society)
Audubon Magazine (National Audubon Society)

Birds (EurekaAlert, American Association for the Advancement of Science)
Birds (bioRxiv: Preprint Server for Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Birds (JSTOR)
Birds (Science Daily)
Birds (Science News)
Birds (Phys.org)

More News …

Birds News -- ScienceDaily Bird news and research. From chickens to birds of prey, wing design to migration, read all the latest news on birds.

Humpback whale breaks migration record with...
on May 20, 2026 at 3:15 am
Scientists have uncovered an astonishing new chapter in humpback whale migration: two whales were found to have traveled between breeding grounds in Australia and Brazil, crossing more than 14,000 kilometers of open ocean. One whale shattered records by covering at least 15,100 kilometers between sightings, marking the longest confirmed journey ever documented for an individual humpback whale.
Paleontology rocked by discovery of organic...
on May 14, 2026 at 1:02 pm
Scientists have uncovered compelling evidence that dinosaur fossils may still contain traces of their original proteins, overturning a long-standing belief that fossilization destroys all organic material. In a remarkably well-preserved Edmontosaurus fossil from South Dakota, researchers detected remnants of collagen — the main protein found in bone — using advanced techniques including mass spectrometry and protein sequencing.
Mammal ancestors laid eggs, and this...
on April 14, 2026 at 2:20 pm
In the aftermath of Earth’s most catastrophic extinction event, one unlikely survivor rose to dominate a shattered world: Lystrosaurus. Now, a stunning fossil discovery—an ancient egg containing a curled-up embryo—has finally answered a decades-old mystery about whether mammal ancestors laid eggs. Using advanced imaging technology, scientists confirmed that these resilient creatures did reproduce this way, likely producing large, soft-shelled eggs packed with nutrients.
The people you live with could be changing your...
on April 14, 2026 at 3:40 am
Spending time with close companions might do more than strengthen bonds—it could also reshape your gut bacteria. In a study of island birds, those with stronger social ties shared more gut microbes, especially types that require direct contact to spread. This suggests that social interaction itself—not just shared space—drives microbial exchange. The same process may be happening in human households through everyday closeness.
Gray whales are entering San Francisco Bay and...
on April 13, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Gray whales are beginning to break their long-established migration patterns, venturing into risky new territory like San Francisco Bay as climate change disrupts their Arctic food supply. But this unexpected detour is proving deadly: nearly one in five whales that enter the Bay don’t survive, with many struck by ships in the crowded, foggy waters.

Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.

De‑extinction company says it's made an...
on May 23, 2026 at 1:30 pm
Today's announcement by Texas-based de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences about a successful hatching of chicks from an artificial egg would represent a major innovation, if the claims can be verified.
Understanding the mechanisms of collective cell...
on May 22, 2026 at 10:20 pm
Like schools of fish and flocks of birds, our cells can also migrate collectively in coordination with their neighbors. This harmonious movement of cells occurs during embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. However, since individual cells can only sense limited local information, how they are able to coordinate as a larger collective has remained poorly understood.
Asexual lizards, virgin births and clones—the...
on May 22, 2026 at 1:40 pm
It may sound too bizarre to be true, but the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa), a fish that inhabits rivers, lakes, and swamps in Mexico and Texas, exists over much of its range in populations that are 100% female. In 1932, the Amazon molly became the first known vertebrate to reproduce by cloning itself, producing all-female populations. A new genetic study published in Nature has given scientists insights into the longstanding mystery about how and why this happens.
Midwest flamingos and 'hurricane toads':...
on May 22, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Hurricanes can be a devastating force—leveling trees, erasing beaches and damaging homes. But what do they do to wildlife? The answer ranges from the good to the bad to the ugly. Hurricanes sometimes help native species, but other times, they introduce and spread invasive species. Sometimes, they cause animals to evolve to survive these storms more easily, and sometimes they lead to mass migration or extinction.
New tool helps accurately assemble notoriously...
on May 22, 2026 at 12:40 pm
A new computational program, MicroFinder, enables faster and more accurate assembly of bird genomes. Improved genome assemblies will help researchers better understand bird biology, evolution, and help inform conservation efforts.