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One suggested origin of the term is that before modern navigational methods were introduced, cages of crows were kept upon ships and a bird would be released from the crow's nest when required to assist navigation, in the hope that it would fly directly towards land. [1] However, the earliest recorded uses of the term are not nautical in nature ...
Bird flight. A flock of domestic pigeons each in a different phase of its flap. Bird flight is the primary mode of locomotion used by most bird species in which birds take off and fly. Flight assists birds with feeding, breeding, avoiding predators, and migrating . Bird flight includes multiple types of motion, including hovering, taking off ...
A modern day racing pigeon wearing an electronic timing ring. The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon ( Columba livia domestica ), selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. Because of this skill, homing pigeons were used to carry messages, a practice referred to as "pigeon post".
Pair of crows chasing away a red-tailed hawk from their nest. The American crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchos) is a large passerine bird species of the family Corvidae. It is a common bird found throughout much of North America. American crows are the New World counterpart to the carrion crow and the hooded crow of Eurasia; they all occupy the same ...
Birds with eyes on the sides of their heads have a wide field of view, useful for detecting predators, while those with eyes on the front of their heads, such as owls, have binocular vision and can estimate distances when hunting. [9] [10] The American woodcock probably has the largest field of view of any bird, 360° in the horizontal plane ...
The ravens of the Tower of London are a group [ a] of at least six captive ravens (currently nine) [ 3] resident at the Tower of London. [ 4] Their presence is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower; a superstition holds that "if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it." [ 4]
Wing clipping. Wing clipping is the process of trimming a bird's primary wing feathers or remiges so that it is not fully flight-capable, until it moults, sheds the cut feathers and grows new ones. This procedure is usually carried out by avian veterinarians, breeders, or the bird's owners, and primarily on pet birds like parrots.
Bird anatomy, or the physiological structure of birds' bodies, shows many unique adaptations, mostly aiding flight.Birds have a light skeletal system and light but powerful musculature which, along with circulatory and respiratory systems capable of very high metabolic rates and oxygen supply, permit the bird to fly.