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Birds (Latin: Aves, comes from avis, meaning bird) are a class of chordates (Chordata) with 10,507 scientifically described living species, in 2284 genera, 232 families and 40 orders, all of which have two very distinctive characteristics: they have wings and feathers. Birds have very different habitats: from oceans to deserts and from tropical rain forests to the polar region. Birds are also very different in shape and size. The ostrich is large and can not fly; the hummingbird is small and is a very agile kite. Many birds make animal music, which is often called "singing". Birds do not make a sound with the larynx like humans, but with the help of vibrating lips and membranes in the syrinx, the vocal organ that is unique to birds. Especially the songbirds, for example the nightingale, have developed the vocals into a true art form and an important means of communication. With other orders the 'singing' is often a monotonous call like the cuckoo. The order Passeriformes (songbirds) is the youngest order of the birds that originated in the middle of the Tertiary. Today it is by far the largest order with the most species, varying from small active birds that live in tree tops, such as the singers, to the scratching raven.
Dimensions | 220x110mm |
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