Birds will keep their feathers in good condition by preening. Preening is the process whereby birds keep their feathers smooth by running their feathers through their beaks thus “zipping” the sections on the feather closed.

Bird grooming involves trimming of wings, claws and beaks, as well as bathing.

Trimming of your bird’s wings is an important part of bird grooming as it ensures the safety of your bird. Both wings should have their flight feathers trimmed. This results in a even, controlled descent to the floor. Trimming only one wing may result in “crash landings”. Trimming of the wings is not painful as the feathers do not contain nerves and are made of the same material as your fingernails. The appearance of your bird will not be altered. Before you begin trimming your bird’s wings visit your local veterinarian and he/she will demonstrate exactly how it should be done. It is important to remember that your scissors must always point away from the body of the bird. Also ensure that the person handling the bird does so carefully.

The next aspect to consider in bird grooming is that of beak and claw clipping. In the wild the beak and claws would naturally be worn down. Unfortunately birds in captivity are unable to do this. If clipping is not done the claws and beak will grow too long and the beak may become chipped or damaged. Avoid the use of sandpaper perch covers to shorten nails as these will damage the soles of the bird’s feet. The tools for clipping a small bird’s claws are nail clippers, an emery board and styptic powder (stops bleeding). Larger bird’s require a rotating grind stone. A Veterinarian should trim your bird’s beak. When trimming your bird’s nails have the styptic powder or some corn flour nearby in case of bleeding. Should any bleeding occur it is vital to take your bird to your Veterinarian.

Bathing is also important when grooming birds. This can be done by providing the bird with a suitable container of water in which to bathe. Alternatively you can spray the bird with a light mist of water. Commercial sprays for bathing are unneccessary. Bathing can take place daily or when convenient. Bird’s must be allowed to air dry, preferably in a warm room or sunlight. Whilst a hairdryer may be used, care must be taken not to burn your bird.

Grooming of birds is important to keep them in good health, and also brings you the pleasure of seeing your bird in beautiful condition.

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The 2008 Winter Wings Festival, sponsored by the Klamath Basin Audubon Society and the Klamath Wingwatchers, is set to take place from 15 to 17 February 2008 at Klamath Falls, Oregon. The purpose of the Winter Wings Festival is to increase awareness of wildlife resources in the community with the focus on birds and bird-watching.

More than 350 species of birds are found in the Klamath Basin of Northern California and South Central Oregon. This area is renowned for the diversity and number of waterfowl on the lakes and rivers, as well as in the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges. The Klamath Basin is also home to one of the largest groups of wintering Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states of the U.S.A.

The Winter Wings Festival, held on Presidents’ Day weekend, takes place at a time when waterfowl and eagles are wintering in the Klamath Basin. This gives visitors the opportunity to observe these magnificent birds on guided tours and learn more about them at the workshops that form part of the program. Other features of the Winter Wings Festival program include a keynote speaker, field trips, mini-sessions and special events. There will be many family-oriented activities and live bird displays. Expert tour leaders will take photography enthusiasts to areas where they will be best able to capture the abundant bird-life on film.

Raptor specialist, Trish Nixon, will be the keynote speaker at the Winter Wings Festival. Trish has been working at the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey for the past ten years, where she has been responsible for the feeding, daily care and training of the seventeen hawks, eagles, falcons and owls that are used in the center’s education program. She has dedicated over 20 years of her life to caring for birds and has a passion for sharing her knowledge on the Peregrine Fund’s conservation projects.

The family activities include a 45-minute slideshow aimed at visitors who are new to the area, or new to the joys of bird-watching. Visitors can also have an up-close and personal encounter with the Great Horned Owl and American Kestrel that have been rescued and rehabilitated by the Badger Run Wildlife Rehabilitation facility. The vendor area will be displaying and selling artwork and crafts related to the beauty of nature. Charlie and Deana Thurston will be displaying the talents of their tame hand-raised ducks. There will also be a paper-making activity station, a migration obstacle course and many other hands-on activities.

Nature-lovers are invited to enjoy the multitude of activities organized for the Winter Wings Festival weekend. Visitors are sure to have loads of fun while being educated about the magnificent birds of the Klamath Basin.

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There are two species of the ground-dwelling Australian Lyrebird: the Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) and the Albert’s Lyrebird (Menura alberti). The Superb Lyrebird is the larger of the two species and is found in the wet forest areas of New South Wales and Victoria, as well as in Tasmania where is was introduced by man in the 19th century. The Albert’s Lyrebird is found exclusively in a small area of rainforest in Southern Queensland. Albert’s Lyrebird was named in honor of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert.

Australia’s Lyrebirds are wary creatures which dodge and run through forest underbrush in an attempt not to be seen. Although they do not fly as such, their wings assist them in running and jumping up onto rocks and into low branches where they roost at night.

The male lyrebird’s tail, when it is displayed, resembles a lyre (harp-like musical instrument) with the two outer large brown and white feathers forming the frame and the thinner inner feathers resembling the strings, resulting in the name of Lyrebird. Apart from the male’s unusual tail feathers, the lyrebird is a rather unremarkable looking bird, about the size of a chicken and brown in color. In mating season, however, this feathered suitor puts on a display that his prospective mate finds irresistible. In order to be seen clearly, he piles up a small heap of soil, which he stands on. Then he spreads his tail up and over his head in the distinctive lyre shape at the beginning of his courtship dance. As he is dancing about he sings his own song, as well as mimicking other birds and various surrounding noises.

This ability to mimic just about anything, from the call of any other bird to artificial sounds, is what really sets the lyrebird apart from the other birds in their area. It is not uncommon for people to be fooled into thinking that they are enjoying the singing of many species of birds, only to find that it is the lyrebird going through its very impressive repertoire. The lyrebird’s vocal chords (syrinx) are the most complex of all songbirds, facilitating its vast vocal range. Lyrebirds have been heard to mimic all the bird species in their surroundings, including flocks of birds. It has been reported to successfully mimic chain saws, car alarms, car engines, fire alarms, dogs barking, camera shutters, rifle shots, crying babies and songs played on various musical instruments. The male lyrebird is the more vocal of the sexes, although the female does have the same ability to mimic.

Clearly, this elusive bird is a marvel and should you be fortunate enough to hear one, you will surely remember it forever.

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The Owl is a fascinating nocturnal bird and one of the quietest flying bird species in the world. The Owl’s ability to keep completely silent while in action is based on the Owl’s unique feather design, which is unlike any other bird species.

The Owl has five different types of specially designed feathers that result in the bird’s silent flight. The first type is Contour feathers, which cover the entire body including the tail and wings. The second type is Down feathers, which are soft and velvety. These feathers trap air and create an insulation layer, which provides the Owl with warmth. The third type of feathers is called Semi-plumes and their role is to fill in any space that is left open between the contour and down feathers.

Bristles are the fourth type of feathers and these are found around the eyes and around the base of the bill. Bristles are small, stiff feathers that have barbs near the base of the feather. The last type of feathers that the Owl has is called Filoplumes, which are fine and almost hair like in appearance with barbs at the end. The other feathers cover the short Filoplumes, which act as vibration and pressure receptors. The Owl also has Filoplumes on its bill and feet, which helps the Owl to react when it touches prey or other objects.

These five feather types assist the Owl in many ways, including flight. But there is one more adaptation that the Owl has, which assists in producing silent flight. The primary wing feathers have “fimbriae” or “flutings” – edges which are serrated and look similar to a comb. Other bird species don’t have this adaptation, so when they fly air moves over the wing surface, creating turbulence and a swishing sound heard by most prey. The Owl, on the other hand, lessens the amount of turbulence experienced with its comb-like feathers. The turbulence is broken down into groups of micro-turbulence, which muffles the sound and gives the Owl its silent flight.

The ability of the Owl to fly silently is imperative to its survival and its ability to catch prey during the quiet nights. Its silent flight reduces the noise that the Owl and the prey can hear and allows the Owl to hear and locate its prey and capture it with stealth.

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Hummingbirds are a bird species well known for their amazing aerobatic skills. You may see a hummingbird hovering at a flower having a drink of nectar. Its wings are a misty blur either side of it. In an instant, it might dart forward, sideways, backwards or even upside down, wings beating furiously at 50 to 80, or even more, beats per second. The number of beats per second varies according to the size and species of the bird. It has been reported that a hummingbird can travel at speeds of 30 to 60 miles per hour (50 to 100 km/h) and then abruptly stop and hover in one position. How do they accomplish these amazing aerobatic feats?

The hummingbird is designed in a marvelous and unique way. It has well-developed muscles which are fastened to its rather prominent breastbone and this makes up 25 to 30 percent of its body weight. It has rigid wings from shoulder to wingtip. This allows for power in both the upward and downward beats of the hummingbird’s wings. Other birds have power only in the downward stroke of their wings. The result of this is that the hummingbird has both lift and propulsion. In addition to this, the shoulder joint allows a rotation of 180 degrees. This enables their wings to pivot both forward and backward, something like oars on a rowing boat. They are truly well-equipped to carry out these awesome aerobatics. Other birds do have the ability to hover, however, there is no disputing the fact that hummingbirds are the experts at this. Also, no other bird can rise vertically and fly in reverse. The hummingbird does all this, frequently changing direction in a split second.

All this skill comes in very handy when it comes to mating season. The male hummingbird will put on an absolutely dazzling display in an effort to gain the approval of his chosen mate. For example, the North American ruby-throated hummingbird will rise quite high up into the air and then launch himself into a power dive, down in front of his prospective mate. As he reaches her, he rises up again in a U-shaped formation. All the while he ensures that she gets the full benefit of the light reflecting off his iridescent feathers. How could she resist?

All things considered, the fascinating hummingbird, although the smallest in the world, is certainly worth seeing in its natural habitat – so try and spot one in your garden.

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Although airplane wings may be somewhat modeled after the wings of birds, the mechanics of bird flight are far more complex. A number of forces act on the flexible wings of a bird and are very different from those on the fixed wings of an airplane. Birds are highly specialized creatures and adapted for flight. They dominate the skies and occupy a unique niche in the environment.

One factor which has a great effect on flight is the power to mass ratio. In general a bird’s skeleton has a lower mass than that of the feathers. The bones are light and feature an inner honeycomb type structure.

The wings of each bird are aerodynamically designed for effective flight. Well streamlined, the wings are able to move smoothly through the air. The curve of the wing provides the necessary lift to keep the bird floating through the air. Lift is created when air passing over the front edge of the wing and over the convex top moves faster resulting in a lower pressure than that under the concave lower side of the wing. The wing must be held at the correct angle of attack to prevent turbulence, however, this turbulence is sometimes counteracted by a bastard wing on some birds. Wing size and shape varies according the different roles filled by bird species. Some are ideal for short, quick bursts of flight whilst others are well suited for soaring.

Thrust is also important for bird flight. Power is generated on the downward stroke of the wings. As the wings push down, the tips of the primary feathers (those on the wing tip) are pushed up and pull at an angle, acting almost like a propeller. When the wing moves up again, the primary feathers separate to prevent resistance.

Strong flight muscles are needed to operate the bird’s wings in this fashion. The breast bone is deeply keeled to provide necessary surface area for muscle attachment. White muscle is prevalent in ground birds as it is useful for quick bursts of activity. Red muscle is more common in active fliers and migratory bird species. These muscles are filled with blood vessels to keep them well supplied with nutrients and oxygen.

In addition to the lungs, most bird species have air sacs located in chambers in the body. These provide the muscle tissue with extra oxygen. Interestingly, flight generates much heat in the body of the bird which could lead to death if not regulated. This danger is balanced and offset through a unique respiratory system that keeps birds from overheating.

Indeed, flight is a marvelous ability, carrying these remarkable feathered creatures to wherever they please, even on journeys covering hundreds or thousands of miles. So next time you see a bird in flight, consider the amazing design behind its magnificent maneuvering.

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Hummingbirds need a significant amount of calories to fuel their busy bodies. One source of energy comes from their appetite of constantly sipping sugar-rich nectar from flowers, and catching insects for extra food. Few other creatures have to consume so much fuel compared to their body weight as does the hummingbird specie. When a hummingbird is busily flying, it would take only a few hours without food before they would starve to death!

So how can they possibly survive through a long winter night without starving?

The trick is that the bird goes into torpor. Each night, hummingbirds slow their heartbeat, and let their body temperature drop. Once their body cools (they sometimes cool their body temperature as low as 68 degrees F, or 20 degrees C,) the hummingbird becomes lethargic or even unaware of its surroundings. But when the bird is in such as state, they need fewer calories to keep warm and to fuel their metabolism.

The next morning, it takes a while (up to 60 minutes) for this super-cooled hummingbird to warm back up. But they have survived another night without starving, and are ready to seek out a breakfast of flower nectar.

Several other groups of bird species occasionally rely upon torpor as an energy saving strategy. For instance, tiny titmice and chickadees may let their bodies cool by 8-12 degrees Fahrenheit, if the night is particularly cold. But only the hummingbird needs such a drastic drop in its temperature each night to rest and conserve its energy.

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Albatross soar gracefully over the ocean, without having to flap their wings. They ride the sea’s winds for months at a time, searching for their primary food: squid. They fly incredible distances: one albatross was recorded circling the entire globe in just 80 days.

Albatross are not so graceful on land. When they return to the islands where they nest, a landing may involve tumbling and somersaults. They can only take off by running into the wind – on calm days, the birds are grounded. Their ungraceful land antics earned them the nickname “Gooney-birds“.

Albatross nest colonially, on oceanic islands like the Galapagos, Midway Island, the Falklands, and small Hawaiian islands. The chicks grow slowly – it may take 6 months before it’s ready to fly. Their long stay on the islands made albatross easy prey for human hunters: many millions of albatross were killed in the 1900′s, for their eggs, meat, or feathers.

To feed the hungry chick, parent albatross sometimes travel far, leaving the nest for a week at a time. The Laysan Albatross sometimes commutes from Hawaii to Alaska, each week, searching for food to bring back to the nest.

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