The First Eden

The First Eden Project

Birds are some of the most beautiful and entrancing creatures to study. The Mediterranean is a rich laboratory where it is easy to study the relationships between birds and weather, soil, water, insects, mammals and humans. Birds are a class of vertebrates called Aves, which are believed to have evolved from small dinosaur like reptiles.

The characteristic that separates birds from all other animals is feathers. Both our fingernails and birds’ feathers are made of keratin. This hard, lightweight material forms two kinds of feathers: the down feathers, which insulate the animal, and the stiff but flexible contour feathers, which are necessary for flight. Many birds, like the bee eater, grow a magnificent display of colorful feathers.

To fly efficiently a bird should have bones that are strong yet light. Most bird bones are hollow or partially hollow, with braces of thin bone for support and strength. A sturdy, lightweight frame is strong enough to support large flight muscles and yet is light enough for the bird to get off the ground.
Birds’ large eyes help give them the best vision in the animal world (in some instances up to ten times better than human eyes). Some can see color and focus on objects near and far; others concentrate low levels of light for night vision. Since their eyes are almost fixed in their sockets, birds must turn or twist

their heads to see in different directions.To judge the distance of a fleeing mouse,

some birds - owls and hawks, for example- have eyes in the front of their heads,

giving them stereoscopic vision.

Birds have special balloon-like structures called air sacs attached to their lungs. These store additional air to help burn food for energy. Birds require lots of energy for flight and, being warm-blooded, for keeping their body temperature constant. Air sacs aid their thermoregulation (body temperature control) and, in swimming birds, help the bird float.

But it is the bird’s beak, wings and feet that tell us the most about its environment. In their varied shapes and sizes, beaks tell us what a bird eats and how it gets its food. Thick, heavy beaks are adapted to crunching seeds, while thin, narrow beaks are designed to snap up insects or puncture fruit. Eagles’ hooked beaks are designed to tear the flesh of small animals, while flamingos’ beaks are curved and contain filter plates through which they strain mud for food.

A bird’s wings indicate the typed of flight to which it is adapted. The bee eater has short wings to make the quick turns needed to capture bees, while the stork has long, broad wings for soaring long distances. Fast flyers have long or narrow wings.

Even birds’ toes are specially shaped and arranged to do different tasks. Eagles have strong, grasping toes for catching and holding small animals. A warbler’s toes help it grip a perch. Birds can be classified into climbers, graspers, runners, scratchers, and swimmers by their toes.