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 …

Bird’s-eye Views - Humans tend to interact with animals as if they see the world in pretty much the same way that we do. However, the more scientists study animal vision, the more they tell us that’s just not the way that it is. Furthermore, what scientists know about animal vision goes way beyond the fact that our … Continue reading Bird’s-eye Views
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!
Nutty Nature News - I’ve been updating the “nature” related pages on this site, so I’ve spent an abnormal amount of time perusing nature related sites for the last few weeks. Along the way I came across more than my fair share of odd nature stories. Many of them were viral, so you may have seen some of them … Continue reading Nutty Nature News
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
Under the Ice - To paraphrase J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous words in The Lord of the Rings, “It’s a dangerous business, clicking on a link. You glance at a story, and if you don’t watch out, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” This week I innocently clicked on a link to this story from the American … Continue reading Under the Ice

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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.

Chimpanzees have been hurling rocks at the same...
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190-year-old DNA reveals a hidden pangolin species
on August 26, 2026 at 12:46 pm
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Bird flu is spreading. Your backyard feeder could...
on August 24, 2026 at 12:49 pm
Backyard bird feeders could become unexpected hotspots for H5N1 as Australia’s bird flu outbreak spreads, bringing species together in ways that rarely occur naturally. Experts say stopping feeding is safest, while smaller amounts of food, no hand-feeding, and careful cleaning can reduce the danger.
Queen bees have a disturbing way to survive...
on August 22, 2026 at 3:53 am
Honeybee queens exposed to pesticides can shift some of the contamination into their eggs, revealing a previously unknown survival strategy. The process may protect the queen while putting developing offspring, and potentially the entire colony, at risk.
Paleontology rocked by organic molecules found in...
on August 14, 2026 at 9:51 am
Researchers have found strong evidence that original collagen can survive inside dinosaur fossils for tens of millions of years, overturning a long-standing assumption about fossilization. The discovery could unlock hidden molecular clues about dinosaur biology, evolution, and how ancient proteins managed to survive for so long.

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.

How bird movements are helping researchers track...
on September 6, 2026 at 9:00 pm
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How much clearcutting can nature sustain? A study...
on September 5, 2026 at 8:30 pm
A study led by the University of Jyväskylä in Finland evaluated, for the first time, an ecological threshold for the amount of clearcutting in boreal forests. According to the results, maintaining populations of bird species specialized in old-growth forests requires either a forest rotation period of at least 90 years on average or that approximately one-fifth of the forest area be excluded from clearcut management. The study provides a concrete target for the ecologically sustainable use of […]
Lakes aren't just storing water—they're...
on September 5, 2026 at 12:20 pm
Lakes may look like picturesque stopping points along a river or stream, but they can have a big influence on what happens to carbon as it moves through a landscape. New research suggests that the more lake-rich a network of streams is, the more carbon is released into the atmosphere rather than carried downstream.
Ocean indicators NOAA scientists are tracking for...
on September 5, 2026 at 11:40 am
Has El Niño reached the West Coast? You might think it has. After all, the ocean off Southern and Central California is unusually warm. But that warmth is from a recent marine heat wave that predates the current El Niño. Much of the Pacific Coast is experiencing relatively normal conditions while still awaiting the impacts of what could be a very strong El Niño.
Periodical cicadas may be doomed to extinction
on September 4, 2026 at 8:40 pm
Every 13 or 17 years, swarms of cicadas emerge from the ground, their black bodies, orange-tinged wings and ruby-red eyes enveloping trees and forests. It is a biological marvel unique in the insect world, and when it happens, it is impossible not to notice.