Bird DK Eyewitness Books

THE BIRD SKELETON The evolution of powered flight has left birds with skeletons that are quite unlike those of other animals. The most obvious feature in a flying bird like the crow is its huge keel - the projection from the breastbone which anchors the wing muscles. Birds do not have teeth, nor do they have true tails; the tail feathers are attached to a bony stump called the pygostyle. The forelimbs are completely adapted for use in flight, and the toothless jaws have evolved into a lightweight but very strong beak that can be used for preening feathers as well as for feeding.