You probably don't know what all your organs and bones are called and you may even not know where certain ones are located (don't worry, neither do I), but that doesn't mean you can't have a basic understanding of the anatomical structure of your pet bird. The next time your exotics vet refers to your bird's humerus you won't think he's talking about your parrot's sense of humor.

Bones

Birds aren't put together like any other creature on earth (but bi-pedal dinosaurs have a lot of skeletal similarites to birds of today).


Birds walk on their hind legs and have two wings. Our pet birds also fly therefore the first bone in their wing (called the humerus) is hollow and filled with air to aid in flight (this is called a pneumatic bone). Birds have other pneumatic bones such as the keel (breast bone), skull, clavicle, pelvic girdle, and some of their vertebrae. There are also far more vertebrae in the neck of a bird then there are in mammals. Mammals have seven cervical (neck) vertebrae while birds can have between 11 and 25, depending on the species. These extra vertebra allow our pet birds to seemingly turn their heads all the way around to preen themselves.

Birds have the same kind of bones in their wings and feet as we do our hands and feet but they are definitely shaped differently (and are far fewer in number) than ours. The metacarpus, phalanges, and metatarsus are all found in birds and humans.

The common joints that we are familiar with such as our shoulders, knees, and ankles are also all there in our pet birds but they are just a little harder to distinguish.

The shoulder is located where the wing meets the body, the knee is often tucked up into the body of your bird but sticks out in the same direction as the foot, and the ankle is the part of the leg that sticks out back towards the tail of your bird.

Organs

Birds have a four chambered heart, lungs, stomach, digestive tract, and brain. They lack a bladder and their kidneys are not the same as mammals. Their digestive tract starts with an exaggerated esophageal pouch called the crop, goes to the stomach which has two parts - the proventriculus and the ventriculus (or gizzard). Birds also have a cloaca which is the opening in which their feces, urine, and the white urates all pass through.

Respiratory System

Birds have a unique respiratory system. Not only do they possess lungs that allow them to breathe but they also have air sacs (most species have eight air sacs) that fill with air from the lungs and trachea (windpipe). They also lack a diaphragm, the structure that separates the chest and the abdomen and do not sweat therefore they rely on their respiratory tract to cool them when they are too warm. The choanal slit is an opening in the roof of the mouth that is connected to the nares (nostrils) and sinuses. This slit is often swabbed to check for bacteria or fungal hyphae in the respiratory tract while at your exotics vet (find one near you).

Feathers

While it is true that some pet birds pluck these beautiful things out, all birds should have feathers. The shaft is the central, straw-like portion of the feather that holds it in the body. This is the part that also bleeds (blood feather) if it is a new feather and just coming out of the body. Birds have various kinds of feathers but of most importance to pet bird owners are the feathers on the wings. The primary feathers are the longest feathers on the wings that help birds fly. These are the feathers that get cut if you have your bird's wings clipped.

By understanding some common avian anatomy terms you'll be able to discuss the health of your bird more easily with your exotics vet.