Bird Anatomy | ClipArt ETC

The Bird Anatomy ClipArt gallery offers 411 illustrations of skeleton diagrams, arteries, digestive system, eggs, feathers, and both internal and external diagrams.

"Fig. 44- Syndactyle foot of a kingfisher. Thus a kingfisher shows what is called a syndactyle or syngnesious foot (fig. 44), where the outer and middle toes cohere for most of their extent and have a broad sole in common. It is a degradation of the insessorial foot, and not a common one either; seen in those perching birds which scarcely use their feet for progression, but simply for sitting motionless." Elliot Coues, 1884

The foot of a Kingfisher

"Fig. 44- Syndactyle foot of a kingfisher. Thus a kingfisher shows what is called a syndactyle or syngnesious…

"Pelvis of Apteryx austrlis. Lateral view. a, Acetabulum; il, ilium; is, ischium; p, pectineal process of pubis; p, pubis." (From Wiedersheim.)" A. H. Evans, 1900

Diagram of the Pelvis of a Kiwi

"Pelvis of Apteryx austrlis. Lateral view. a, Acetabulum; il, ilium; is, ischium; p, pectineal process…

"Bony labyrinth at the bottom of the trachea of the male Clangula islandica, seen from behind." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Bony Labyrinth of a Sea Duck

"Bony labyrinth at the bottom of the trachea of the male Clangula islandica, seen from behind." Elliot…

"Young bearded griffin (Gypaetus barbatus). Showing the feather-tracts or pterylae, for instance those on the breast (PT.). E., ear; P., web or propatagium; TH., thumb; PR., bases of primary feathers; S., bases of secondary feathers; B.S., bare streak without pterylae; CL., cloaca; R., bases of rectrices or tail feathers." -Thomson, 1916

Lammergeier

"Young bearded griffin (Gypaetus barbatus). Showing the feather-tracts or pterylae, for instance those…

Lark

"Alauda agrestis." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Lark

"Alauda arvensis." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

"Alauda arborea." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Lark

"Alauda arborea." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

"Alauda certhilauda." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Lark

"Alauda certhilauda." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

"Melanocorypha calandra." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Lark

"Melanocorypha calandra." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

"Rhamphocorys clot-bey." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Lark

"Rhamphocorys clot-bey." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Lark

"Calandrella brachydactyla." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

"Scutelliplantar foot of horned lark: the tarsus scutellate before and behind, and the toes all scutellate on top." -Whitney, 1911

Lark Foot

"Scutelliplantar foot of horned lark: the tarsus scutellate before and behind, and the toes all scutellate…

The Laryngeal Muscles of a Rook

"a, b, c, d, inferior laryngeal or syringeal muscles, not well made out in this figure; But typical…

"Muscles of the larynx. - thyro-hyoids." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx Muscles of a Rook

"Muscles of the larynx. - thyro-hyoids." Elliot Coues, 1884

"Muscles of the larynx. thyro-arytenoids, or openers of the glottis" Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx Muscles of a Rook

"Muscles of the larynx. thyro-arytenoids, or openers of the glottis" Elliot Coues, 1884

"Muscles of the larynx. Oblique arytenoids" Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx Muscles of a Rook

"Muscles of the larynx. Oblique arytenoids" Elliot Coues, 1884

"Muscles of the larynx. Thyro-cricoids, posterior thyro-cricoids." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx Muscles of a Rook

"Muscles of the larynx. Thyro-cricoids, posterior thyro-cricoids." Elliot Coues, 1884

"Muscles of the larynx. Posterior thyro-cricoids." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx Muscles of a Rook

"Muscles of the larynx. Posterior thyro-cricoids." Elliot Coues, 1884

"Larynx viewed from before (below); a, thyroid bone or cartilage." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx of a Rook

"Larynx viewed from before (below); a, thyroid bone or cartilage." Elliot Coues, 1884

"Larynx viewed from behind (above); a, thyroid bone; b, b, its appendages; c, cricoid; d, d, arytenoids; e, e, anterior border of thyroid, to which d, d, are connected by two arytenoid ligaments." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx of a Rook

"Larynx viewed from behind (above); a, thyroid bone; b, b, its appendages; c, cricoid; d, d, arytenoids;…

"Larynx viewed from the right side; a, thyroid; b, appendage; c, cricoid; d, arytenoid; f, f, cartilage attached to arytenoid; g, a tracheal ring." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx of a Rook

"Larynx viewed from the right side; a, thyroid; b, appendage; c, cricoid; d, arytenoid; f, f, cartilage…

"Larynx viewed from behind; a, thyroid; b, b, its appendages; c, cricoid; d, d, arytenoid." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Larynx of a Rook

"Larynx viewed from behind; a, thyroid; b, b, its appendages; c, cricoid; d, d, arytenoid." Elliot Coues,…

The leg and foot of a hawk, shwering the method of attaching the Bells and Jesses. a, the end of the leash; b, the jesses; c, the bell; d the bewit; e, the varvels of silver, with owner's name and address engraved.

Hawk Leg

The leg and foot of a hawk, shwering the method of attaching the Bells and Jesses. a, the end of the…

"Fig 34 - Bones of a bird's hind limb: from a duck, Clangula islandica. A, hip: B, knee: C, heel or ankle-joint; D, bases of toes. A to B, thigh or "second joint"; B to C, crus, leg proper, "drumstick," often wrongly called "thigh"; C to D, metatarsus, foot proper, corresponding to instep, or foot from ankle to bases of toes; in descriptive ornithology the tarsus; often called "shank" From D outward are the toes or digits. fm. femur; tb, tibia, principal (inner) bone of leg; fi, fibula, lesser (outer) bone of leg; mt, principal metatarsal bone, consisting chiefly of three fused metatarsal bones; am, accessory metatarsal, bearing 1t, first or hind toe, with two joints; 2t second toe, with three joints; 3t, third toe, with four joints; 4t, fourth toe, with five joints. At C there are in the embryo some small tarsal bones, not shown in the figure, uniting in part with the tibia, which is therefore a tibio-tarsus, in part with the metatarsus, which is therefore a tarso-metatarsus; the ankle-joint being therefore between two rows of tarsal bones, not, as it appears to be, directly between tibia and metatarsus." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bones of a Bird's Hind Limb

"Fig 34 - Bones of a bird's hind limb: from a duck, Clangula islandica. A, hip: B, knee: C, heel or…

In birds the lungs are confined to the back wall of the chest. They are not separated into lobes, but are oblong and flattened in shape, and connected with a series of air-receptacles scattered through various parts of the body. Shown is a section of a bird lung, magnified. Labels: 1, A bronchial tube that ends in a sac (caeca). 2, Division of the bronchial tubes that branch out among lobules. B, A plexus of capillary vessels.

Section of the Lung of a Bird

In birds the lungs are confined to the back wall of the chest. They are not separated into lobes, but…

In birds the lungs are confined to the back wall of the chest. They are not separated into lobes, but are oblong and flattened in shape, and connected with a series of air-receptacles scattered through various parts of the body. Shown is the right lung of a goose. Labels: 1, A bronchial tube which divides into two tubes that open into the abdominal air-receptacles (2).

The Right Lung of a Goose

In birds the lungs are confined to the back wall of the chest. They are not separated into lobes, but…

Macaw

Macaw claws.

Magpie Foot

"Diagram of plantar aspect of schizopelmous foot of a magpie (Pica caudata), showing the deep plantar…

The partial skeleton of a moa, an enormous flightless bird once native to New Zeland, now extinct.

Moa skeleton

The partial skeleton of a moa, an enormous flightless bird once native to New Zeland, now extinct.

The claw of a moorfowl.

Moorfowl Claw

The claw of a moorfowl.

"Frontal Shield of (1) European Gallinule (Gallinula chloropus), (2) American Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)." -Whitney, 1911

Moorhen Frontal Shields

"Frontal Shield of (1) European Gallinule (Gallinula chloropus), (2) American Gallinule (Gallinula galeata)."…

The serratirostral bill of the motmot (Momotus nattereri).

Motmot Beak

The serratirostral bill of the motmot (Momotus nattereri).

"Synthliborhamphus antiquus. Nipper-nosed Murrelet. Bill somewhat as in Brachyrhamphus, but stouter and deeper for its length; greatly compressed throughout, its depth at base about half as much as length of culmen; culmen moderately convex, gonys ascending. Nostrils sub-basal, broadly oval or nearly circular; nasal fossae small and shallow, feathered to nostrils." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black-throated Murrelet

"Synthliborhamphus antiquus. Nipper-nosed Murrelet. Bill somewhat as in Brachyrhamphus, but stouter…

"Synthliborhamphus umizusume. Japanese Murrelet. Temminck's Auk. Bill more elongate and acute than in the type of the genus, less compressed, not so deep for its length. Bill yellow, with black ridge; feet livid-bluish, with dusky webs. A large crest, of a dozen (more or fewer) feathers springing from extreme forehead, not recurved, but drooping backward over the occiput." Elliot Coues, 1884

Japanese Murrelet Bill

"Synthliborhamphus umizusume. Japanese Murrelet. Temminck's Auk. Bill more elongate and acute than in…

"Brachyrhamphus craverii. Craveri's Murrelet. Entire upper parts unvararied cinereous, slightly darker on head; this color extending on head to include eyelids, and a little farther down on the nape; thence in a straight line along middle of side of neck to shoulders, thence along sides of body in a strip nearly an inch broad, the elongated flank-feathers being also of this color; other under parts pure white, under surface of wing dark. Primaries black, the greater part of their shafts and inner webs whitish. Bill black, the base of lower mandible pale; feet whitish-blue, black below." Elliot Coues, 1884

Craveri's Murrelet

"Brachyrhamphus craverii. Craveri's Murrelet. Entire upper parts unvararied cinereous, slightly darker…

Nightengale Trachea

"Trachea of the nightengale." Elliot Coues

"In ornithology, having the beak broad and deeply cleft, as a swallow, swift, or goatsucker" or nightjar. -Whitney, 1911

Fissirostral Bill of Nightjar

"In ornithology, having the beak broad and deeply cleft, as a swallow, swift, or goatsucker" or nightjar.…

Nightjar Profile and Tubular Nostrils

Siphonorhis americana. "A genus of American Caprimulgidae or goatsuckers, having tubular nostrils. The…

Longitudinal section of the primary optic vesicle in the chick. Labels: A, from an embryo of 65 hours; B, a few hours later; C, of the fourth day; c, the corneous layer or epidermis, presenting in A the open depression from the lends , which is closed in B and C; l, the lens follicle and lens; pr, the primary optic vesicle; in A and B, the pedicle is shown; in C, the section being to the side of the pedicle, the latter is not shown; v, the secondary ocular vesicle and vitreous humour.

Development of the Primary Optic Vesicle in a Chick

Longitudinal section of the primary optic vesicle in the chick. Labels: A, from an embryo of 65 hours;…

"Uro-genital organs of female embryo bird; from Owen, after Muller. a, kidneys: b, wolffian bodies; c, genital glands, to become overies; d, adrenals; e, ureters f, wolffian ducts, to disappear; g, mullerian ducts, to become oviducts." Elliot Coues, 1884

Female Uro-genital Organ

"Uro-genital organs of female embryo bird; from Owen, after Muller. a, kidneys: b, wolffian bodies;…

"Uro-genital organs of male embryo bird; from Owen, after Muller. a, kidneys: b, ureters; c, wolffian bodies; d, their ducts, to be sperm-ducts; e, genital glands, to become testicles; f, adrenals." Elliot Coues, 1884

Male Uro-genital Organ

"Uro-genital organs of male embryo bird; from Owen, after Muller. a, kidneys: b, ureters; c, wolffian…

Female Uro-genital Organ

"Uro-genital organs of female embryo bird; from Owen, after Muller. a, testis; b, epididymis; c, sperm-duct…

"Female organs of domestic fowl, in activity; from Owen, after Carus. a, b, c, d, mass of ovarian ova, in all stages of development; b, a ripe one; c, its stigma, where the ovisac or calyx ruptures; d, a ruptured empty calyx, to be absorbed; e, infundibulum, or funnel-shaped orifice of the oviduct; f, next portion of oviduct; g, follicular art of oviduct; m, mesometry, membrane steadying the oviduct; the reference line, m, crosses the constricted part or isthmus of the oviduct; these parts secrete the white of the egg; k, shell-forming or uterine part of oviduct, in which is a completed egg, i; l, lowest or vaginal part of oviduct, opening into uro-genital sinus of the cloaca; n, anus." Elliot Coues, 1884

Female Fowl Organs

"Female organs of domestic fowl, in activity; from Owen, after Carus. a, b, c, d, mass of ovarian ova,…

The Respiratory and Vocal Organs of a Rook

"Resipratory and vocal organs of the Rook, Corvus frugilegusm an Oscine Passerine bird; 1 a, tongue;…

Oshyiodes of Adult Fowl

Oshyiodes of an adult fowl.

The foot of an osprey. "The talon on the outer toe is much larger than the inner one, and capable of being turned backwards. The undersurfaces of all the toes are very rough and covered with protuberances, which enable to get a good grip on fish." &mdash Goodrich, 1859

Foot of an Osprey

The foot of an osprey. "The talon on the outer toe is much larger than the inner one, and capable of…

Ostrich Claw

An ostrich claw.

"Dromaeognathous skull of ostrich, nat. size specimen no. 16,629, U.S. Nat Museum, by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, U.S.A. RR, rostrum, beyond which the ossified nasal septum continues in the axis of the skull to the letters "Pmx." V, the short vomer, borne upon R, uniting laterally with Mxp, the broad maxillo-palatines; Pl, palatines, remote from rostrum, underrunning beyond Mxp, but not to Pmx. Pt, expanded scroll-like pterygoids, atriculating behind with Btp, the strong basipterygoid processes on the body (not rostum) of the sphenoid; they underlap R, but do not articulate there. Pmx, premaxillaries; Mx, maxillaries, whose ends run forward to opposite the letters "Pmx"; jugal; qj, quadrato-jugal; Qu, quadrate. (N.B. This is the most exceptional case of dromaeognathism. Each of the Ratite families - Struthionidae, Rheidae, Casuariidae, Dinornithidae, and Apterygidae, - as well as the Carinate family Tinamidae, offers a special case of such formation, as explained in the text.)." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Skull Structure of an Ostrich

"Dromaeognathous skull of ostrich, nat. size specimen no. 16,629, U.S. Nat Museum, by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt,…

"Shows the powerful legs, small feet, and rudimentary wings of the bird; the obliquity at which the bones of the legs and wings are placed, and the comparatively small angles which two bones make at their point of junction."—Pettigrew, 1857

Skeleton of Ostrich

"Shows the powerful legs, small feet, and rudimentary wings of the bird; the obliquity at which the…

"Meroblastic ovum (yelk) of domestic fowl, bat. size, in section; after haeckel. a, the thin yelk-skin, enclosing the yellowfood-yelk, which is deposited in concentric layers, c, d; b, the cicatricle or tread with its nuclues, whence passes a cord of white yelk (here represented in black) to the central cavity, d'" Elliot Coues, 1884

Fowl Ovum

"Meroblastic ovum (yelk) of domestic fowl, bat. size, in section; after haeckel. a, the thin yelk-skin,…

"Fig. 47. - Raptorial foot of an owl, The raptorial is another modification of the insessorial foot. It is advantageous to a bird of pray to be able to spread the toes as widely as possible, that the talons may seize pray like a set of grappling irons; and accordingly the toes are widely divergent from each other, the outer one in the owls and a few hawks being quite versatile. In a raptorial character, the toes are cleft profoundly, or, if united at base, it is by movable webbing; the claws are immensely developed and the under-surfaces of the toes are scabrous or bulbous for greater security of the object grasped." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Raptorial Foot of an Owl

"Fig. 47. - Raptorial foot of an owl, The raptorial is another modification of the insessorial foot.…

Foot of the eagle owl, with sharp talons for grasping prey.

Foot of the Eagle Owl

Foot of the eagle owl, with sharp talons for grasping prey.

Oyster-catcher Bill

"Haematopus. Oyster-catcher. Bill peculiar - longer than tarsus, twice as long as head, constricted…

The foot of a parrot.

Parrot Foot

The foot of a parrot.

The pectoral arch of a bird. Labels: sc, scapula; co, coracoid bone; f, clavicle, terminating below in the hypocleideum; gl, glenoid cavity.

Pectoral Arch of a Bird

The pectoral arch of a bird. Labels: sc, scapula; co, coracoid bone; f, clavicle, terminating below…

"Right pectoral arch of a bird. s, scapula; c, coracoid; gl, glenoid, the cavity for head of humerus; cl, clavicle; hc, hypecleidium. In situ, the right end of the figure should tilt up a little.The pectoral arch is that bony structure by which the wings are borne upon the axial skeleton. It is to the fore limb what the pelvic arch is to the hind limb; but is disconnected from the back-bone and united with the breastbone, whereas the reverse arrangement obtains in the pelvic, which is fused with the sacral region of the spine. Each pectoral arch of birds consists (chiefly) of three bones: the scapula and coracoid, forming the shoulder-girdle proper, or scapular arch; and the accessory clavicles, or right and left half of the clavicular arch." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Right Pectoral Arch of a Bird

"Right pectoral arch of a bird. s, scapula; c, coracoid; gl, glenoid, the cavity for head of humerus;…

"North American White Pelican. Bill several times as long as the head, comparatively slender, but strong, straight, broad, flattened, grooved throughout, ending with a distinct claw-like hook. Mandibular rami joining only at their apex; the long broad interramal space, and the throat, occupied by an enormous membranous sac. Nostrils abortive." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Bill of a North American White Pelican

"North American White Pelican. Bill several times as long as the head, comparatively slender, but strong,…

The pelvis of a bird. Labels: a, superior; b, lateral aspect; sm, sacrum; Il, ilium; Is, ischium; Am, acetabulum.

Pelvis of a Bird

The pelvis of a bird. Labels: a, superior; b, lateral aspect; sm, sacrum; Il, ilium; Is, ischium; Am,…

Wing of a Penguin

"Besides flight, birds possess other means of locomotion, being formed for walking, swimming or flying,…

An illustration of the skeleton of a pezophaps solitarius, part of the dodo family.

Pezophaps Solitarius (Skeleton)

An illustration of the skeleton of a pezophaps solitarius, part of the dodo family.