Why Can Birds Fly?
Why Can Birds Fly? A bird’s body is specially built for flying. First of all, a bird has feathers and wings, and powerful muscles with which to flap them. Its body is perfectly streamlined to offer very little air resistance.
Its bones are extremely light in weight. In fact, many of the bird’s bones are hollow and filled with air.
When a bird beats its wings down ward, it produces most of the force that holds it in the air. As a bird’s wings flap, the long wingtip feathers push against the air, driving the bird forward.
The bird uses its tail feathers as a brake and as a rudder for steering. Birds developed the ability to fly in order to adapt to their environment.
Flying gave them the ability to escape their predators, as well as make them better hunters. Flying also allows them to escape nasty weather and migrate to warmer temperatures.
It’s important to note that not all birds can fly — the ostrich, for example, adapted to its environment by developing the ability to run very fast!