Origins of Birds

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Videos

Archaeopteryx: The holy grail of fossils

Silhouette of a bird with outstretched wings holding a "Hello, my name is ?" badge, next to a set of four large, weathered bones on a dark background.

Origins of birds

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Prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus) in mid-flight.

11 Questions About Birds Answered

Portrait of a mountain gorilla at a short distance. gorilla close up portrait.The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)

Falling Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Endangered Species

Hungry Pelican waiting to be fed, beak open, Australia

Why Don’t Birds Have Teeth?

Shoebill. A Shoebill Stork (Balaeniceps rex), aka 'Whalehead' standing in shallow marsh. Resides in tropical East Africa. A very large bird related to the storks. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill.

Funky Feathers: 10 Bizarre Birds

Malayan Leaf Frog - Megophrys nasuta

9 Animals That Look Like Leaves

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Black widow spider

9 of the World’s Deadliest Spiders

Close-up of tobacco plants in Ontario, Canada. Tobacco, Nicotiana, cured leaves used after processing in various ways for smoking, snuffing, chewing, and extracting of nicotine.

7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

Close-up of ostriches (Struthio camelus) necks and heads; location unknown.

6 of the World's Most Dangerous Birds

Lusitania sinking, illustration from The War of the Nations (New York), December 31, 1919. World War I, WWI. This image is one of three on the page. (See source file for the other two.)

7 of the World’s Deadliest Shipwrecks

Emperor penguins in Antarctica (arctic animal; arctic bird; penguin)

How Do Penguins Tell Each Other Apart?

Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept

Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?

Origins of Birds: Media

Videos

Archaeopteryx: The holy grail of fossils

Archaeopteryx: The holy grail of fossils

Archaeopteryx is the earliest known dinosaur that's also a bird.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Silhouette of a bird with outstretched wings holding a "Hello, my name is ?" badge, next to a set of four large, weathered bones on a dark background.

How to identify new species with just one bone

Hell Creek was home to T. rex, Triceratops, and now…these...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Interactives

Origins of birds

Origins of birds

This interactive showcases seven groups of animals that have contributed to the modern...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. / John Rafferty text, Miranda Chabot and Patrick Riley art

VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: