The Scientific Wonder of Birds

The key connections between birds and dinosaurs; evidence that birds evolve directly from dinosaurs; they are themselves dinosaurs; bipedal reptiles gain the ability to fly, become birds; the cursorial and arboreal theories of the origin of flight.

The aerodynamics of bird flight; grasping how a bird's wings operate as an airfoil; exploring the properties of bird feathers, as they control speed, altitude and direction; the structure, the types and the many roles of feathers in bird behavior.

The physiological features of birds that undergird flight; why feathers evolve; birds must burn energy at a fast rate; adapted for flight by many weight-reducing factors; their respiratory, circulatory and excretory systems keep them airborne.

The miraculous feats of navigation performed by birds; how birds use visual landmarks, magnetic fields, sun position and the position of constellations in their migratory travels; their migration patterns and habits; the perils of these journeys.

Humans undervalue the intelligence of birds; examining the structure of the avian brain and the extraordinary forms of intelligence birds show; the role of instinct in bird behavior; their use of tools; bird behavior is correlated with the seasons.

The behavior of birds when they form flocks; group foraging; birds form mixed-species foraging flocks; group roosting and breeding behavior; fossil evidence that suggests some dinosaurs nest like modern wading birds; knowing why birds form colonies.