Birds

Birds, warm-blooded vertebrates of the class Aves, are uniquely characterized by their feathers, beak without teeth, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, and a lightweight skeleton optimized for flight, making them the animal kingdom's most proficient fliers. They are the sole animal group endowed with feathers, found across every continent and ocean, from the flightless penguins of Antarctica to the majestic soaring eagles. The class comprises approximately 10,000 species, including vibrant hummingbirds known for their flight agility and nocturnally adept owls with sharp hearing, grouped into various orders and families. Birds play critical roles in ecosystems as pollinators, seed dispersers, and predators and have migratory behaviors that are deeply embedded in cultural symbolism and pivotal in conservation and behavioral studies.

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