 | Quick Facts |  |
|  | Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
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Class Aves
Birds of Prey (5)
Cranes, Rails & Bustards (1)
Doves & Pigeons (1)
Flamingos, Storks & Herons (6)
Game Birds (2)
Hornbills & Kingfishers (2)
Ostrich (1)
Owls (1)
Parrots, Lories & Cockatoos (5)
Passerines (1)
Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns & Auks (1)
Waterfowl (5)
Woodpeckers, Toucans & Barbets (1)
Compared to other classes, birds are fairly uniform. For example, the weight of the largest of the flying birds usually reaches only 33 pounds, just 6,600 times the weight of the smallest birds. Most birds have the ability to fly. This requires a lot of energy and lots of special physical characteristics. Almost all birds have feathers, which are made of keratin (the same substance that makes hair and fingernails). Hollow bones are another characteristic needed for flight. This makes the bird weigh less and more able to stay in the air. The laying of eggs is a feature that all birds have in common, but the size of the eggs and how often they are laid varies from species to species.
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