Bird wings are a fascinating work of nature. Here’s everything you need to know about bird wings.
The function behind bird wings
Each animal, and each bird, was constructed in a way to maximize its survival potential. Lions got teeth, claws and speed and birds got wings. Bird wings help birds, which are smaller than most other animals, escape from predators and search for food.
If birds could not use their bird wings to help them exit the premise as the predator makes its entrance, the bird would be easy prey. Bird wings help the little guys defend their small bodies. Bird wings also help them fly to food sources, which are frequently at the tops of trees, and fly to the south, where they go in the winter to find food.
Do all birds use their wings for flying?
No, not all birds use their bird wings for flying. There are about 40 or so species of birds that have wings, but do not use them for flying. If you really take a minute and look at these birds, you can tell that their wings are not made for flying.
Take the ostrich for example. The ostrich is a very large bird that has a plump torso and long neck. The bird wings on this bird are very small in comparison to its lanky body. By looking at the physical shape of this bird, it’s hard to imagine it getting off the ground with its tiny little wings.
So how does the poor thing get around? It uses its incredibly long legs to run or walk from spot to spot. The ostrich is actually really fast because it has very powerful legs. Watch out though, because an ostrich doesn’t use its bird wings as a way to remove itself from potentially harmless situations but, it will use its legs. The ostrich defends itself by kicking predators with its heavy, powerful clawed feet. Ouch!
Why don’t all birds use their bird wings for flying?
Not all birds use their bird wings for flying because they have other ways of obtaining food and escaping from predators. As noted above, the ostrich is a prime example; however, there are other birds that don’t fly that are still alive.
The kiwi bird, which lives in New Zealand, doesn’t use its bird wings to fly. The kiwi bird didn’t know a predator for quite some time. When a predator did make it to the area in New Zealand where the kiwi lives, the kiwi had already built up other defense mechanisms, like living in protective colonies, to protect itself. Not all birds use their bird wings for flying, but those that don’t, know how to survive without them.
