Biology / Unit 10 Bio 2301 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Bird Flight Adaptations
Captions available
The idea
Birds combine traits supporting flight: hollow, lightweight bones, lift-giving feathers, a keeled sternum anchoring flight muscle, and efficient lungs.
In practice
A bird's keeled sternum anchors flight muscles unusually large relative to body size, generating the force flight demands.
Where people slip
Not every bird flies — a penguin retains feathers and a keeled sternum for swimming, but has dense, non-pneumatic bones instead of hollow ones.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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