Birds are such a common, sometimes unappreciated, part of our lives. But how much do we really know about our feathered friends?

There are over 10,000 species of birds on the planet. Their diverse habitats range from the Arctic to the Antarctic. These amazing animals first appeared about 150-200 million years ago.

Certainly the trait most noted in birds is their ability to fly. Mankind has marveled at, and been inspired by, the flight of birds for centuries. Only very recently has man been able to fly himself. What man has learned, nature perfected long ago.Is this new to you? Catch up here

The aerodynamics involved in flight dictate that birds must weigh as little as possible, while still accomplishing their everyday tasks. Nature fulfills this requirement by making their bones extremely light. Incredibly, a bird’s feathers weigh more than its skeleton!

Birds which undertake migratory flights usually fly in V-shape formations. Ever wonder why they do that? Each bird in the formation flaps its wings in the upwash of its neighbor’s wings- this added amount of wind support increases their lift, conserving energy.

Temperature regulation is critical to a bird’s survival. The average body temperature for birds is about 7-8 warmer than a human’s. Interestingly, fully three-quarters of the air breathed by birds is required for cooling as they are unable to sweat.

Birds have helped humans in many capacities throughout history. Sometimes they even do so inadvertently. Human engineers are helped by the American turkey vulture in detecting cracked or broken fuel pipes located underground. It seems the smell emitted from the damaged pipes smells just like the vulture’s favorite food- carrion. Clusters of these birds around pipes tells engineers they need repairing.

No matter what the species, birds will no doubt continue to fascinate and inspire as long as we humans share their planet.