Imazooooo

Jamie Basinger
Professor Ellis
PowerPoint Presentation

Birds
I did my zoology presentation on Birds. Birds (class Aves) are winged, bipedal, endothermic (warm-blooded), egg-laying, vertebrate animals. There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most varied of tetrapod vertebrates. Modern birds are characterized by feathers, a beak with no teeth, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a lightweight but strong skeleton. All living species of birds have wings. Birds also have unique digestive and respiratory systems that are highly adapted for flight. Many species undertake long distance annual migrations, and many more perform shorter irregular movements. Birds are social; they communicate using visual signals and through calls and songs, and participate in social behaviors including cooperative breeding and hunting, flocking, and mobbing of predators.
In our presentation, we were supposed to choose an animal that fit into our category that was intriguing to us. I chose the Blue Footed Bubi. The Blue-footed Bubi is a bird in the Sulidae family which comprises ten species of long-winged seabirds. The natural breeding habitat of the Blue-footed Bubi is tropical and subtropical islands off the Pacific Ocean. It has long pointed wings and a wedge shaped tail. They have strong, thick necks. The bubi's eyes are placed on either side of their bill and oriented towards the front. They have excellent binocular vision. The Blue-footed Bubi has permanently closed nostrils specialized for diving. They breathe through the corners of their mouths. The Blue Footed Bubi was intriguing to me because of their extravagant blue feet. They range from a light turquoise color to a deep baby blue color. The feet are also used in the males breeding dance, where the males lift and pound their feet into the ground while throwing their head back. [continues]

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