CK12 Life Science

have been featured in art since prehistoric times, as in early cave paintings. Perhaps their
beauty and diversity will always capture the imagination of humans.

Lesson Summary

• Most of birds’ traits are related to their being warm-blooded or their adaptations for
  flight.


• Adaptations for flight involve features that are lightweight, flexible, strong and that
  take advantage of air currents.


• The components of reproduction usually involve a courtship display, nest production,
  egg-laying, incubation and parental care. There is much diversity demonstrated in
  adaptations for predator avoidance.


• With 10,000 bird species there is a lot of diversity. Specialized structures are adapted
  for specific habitats or living requirements.


• Birds are important economically, ecologically and in human culture.

Review Questions

1. List five traits which are important for flight.


2. Describe how a bird’s breeding system can be adapted to avoid predation.


3. Explain how the absence of land predators on islands would result in flightlessness in
   birds.


4. You detect the presence of antibodies to the West Nile Virus in young chickens. How
   did the chickens get the virus? When would the first human cases of the virus most
   likely occur?

Further Reading / Supplemental Links

• Department of Health, Florida. Available on the web at: http://www.doh.state.fl.us.


• Oliver L. Austin, Birds of the World. Western Publishing Company, Inc., New York,
  1961.


• Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition. Random House, New York, 1998.


• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Nile_virus


• http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/studying


• http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals


• http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/birds/birdintro.html


• http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/h/j/hjs130/aves.html


• http://www.fs.fed.us/global/wings/birds.htm