discover the biological sciences

Discover the Biological Sciences

The introductory information for this site has been contributed as a joint assignment by students in Bio. Sci. 10.

Zoology - Ornithology

By: Tammy Buchanan

Ornithology

I choose "ornithology" as my sub-topic, which is under the field of zoology. I realized this is studying about birds. I love all types of animals and this seems like something I could learn more about.

"Ornithology" is part of zoology and is the study of birds. Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates, which have feathers, wings, a beak, and a skeleton. There are about 9000 species of birds throughout the world in variety of habitats including forests, deserts, plains, and arctic regions. Unique characteristics of birds are different from other animals are feathers on their exoskeleton. Birds are homeothermic saying birds have a constant temperature in their bodies so they need to have a livable environment for their survival. Birds have two legs and two wings.

Birds are a fascinating intriguing part of humans’ interests for a very long time. The earliest time mankind and birds co-existed are known, were in the Stone Age era. Man drew drawings of birds. Birds are attractive and captivating creatures of the public to the sense of their seeing. The study of birds, ornithology, indicates environmental change on this planet. Agriculture and environmental change is evident from the bird’s behavior and activity. The study of birds is also important not only because of agriculture change, but because of population and community change of civilization. Bird’s survival has a determinate of mankind’s existence. Information gained from the study of birds helps with the structure and study of aerodynamics. Studying the anatomy and physiology of bird’s help to determine the composition of flight structures man makes to create to fly. The anatomy of birds – feathers – does hold promises for medicine for the health of humans. There are much to learn and explore in the study of birds and their behavior.

By studying birds and their characteristics and mobility and weight and density of their bones and the way they control their feathers in flight, man has learned various things to design and assemble aircraft/ airplanes so man will be able to fly like birds. The lift and drag of bird’s flight helps determine formation of aircraft. Aerodynamics is positive aspect ornithology by helping man in the concept of soaring throughout the air. Creation of perfect flight in the air only belongs to how birds soar freely in the air.

Bird’s feathers allow some birds to attain lift, which helps them fly. The feathers of birds are really modified scales. Bird knowledge brings inspiration to my life. Conservation of the variety of bird species becomes essential to the survival of man on Earth. The side of biology and the ecology of birds need specific attention. Ornithology has a part of man’s essential lifestyle. Learning how to fly and the components of flying brings knowledge how to create and manipulate items to fly and even transport other items. Bird’s skeletal system is light, strong, and the muscular system is a powerful tool for the bird’s evolution. The bird’s circulatory and respiratory system has a very high oxygen source in the birds body, which leads to a very high metabolic rates that permits birds to fly. Not all birds fly and not all-flying animals are birds. Some birds do not soar in the air and some insects do fly, but are not in the fields of birds. Birds have developed beaks, which led birds to have an anatomic specialization class of vertebrate phylum. The dynamics of bird anatomy shows concepts of how air is used in flying. Birds have air sacs in their structure. The air sacs store air for the bird’s lungs. These air containers allow the lungs to have a stable amount of fresh air flowing throughout the bird’s body. This is very essential to compile an item in the air to fly. Knowing how the air circulates and maneuvers shows how to create things to stay in the air and how to get thing down from the air.

References used: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/

http://www.hoover.k12.al.us/hhs/Science/jclopton/HWAssist/Bird%20Study%20Guide.htm <http://www.hoover.k12.al.us/hhs/Science/jclopton/HWAssist/Bird%20Study%20Guide.htm>

http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13265.html <http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13265.html>

http://www.hoover.k12.al.us/hhs/Science/jclopton/HWAssist/Bird%20Study%20Guide.htm <http://www.hoover.k12.al.us/hhs/Science/jclopton/HWAssist/Bird%20Study%20Guide.htm>

Msgt. retired USAF Dennis Story

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerodynamics <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerodynamics>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithology <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithology>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_skeleton <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_skeleton>

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