Bird Muscles - Adaptations for Flight

Birds only have about 175 muscles, compared to humans' 600 muscles. But some of those those bird muscles are HUGE. The flight muscles (the pectoralis major and supracoracoideus muscles) are a significant fraction of the bird's body weight! In Mallard Ducks, it's about 7% of body mass. In Mourning Doves it's 16%! And in hummingbirds these two muscles can be up to 30% of the whole bird's weight!

We talk about the connection issues that these huge muscles have, requiring extra support from the bones and using a unique living pulley system to move the wings.

And we also talk about the incredibly complex muscle system that controls the feathers.

Do you think that you are strong enough to fly?


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Thanks for watching! You're awesome!

[marlenekoslowsky]

I discovered your videos a few days ago. I am helping a little girl learn about birds (she's almost 9). Your videos are short enough to keep her attention, simple enough but complex enough for her to learn new things, and definitely just right for me. Thanks for these - we well watch many, I am sure.

[secluse]

One of the amazing things about bird brains is by losing mass they didn't lose capacity, rather their brain matter is extremely dense and works very differently than ours. Why despite much smaller brains some bird species, particularly much of the parrot family, are some of the most intelligent animals outside of us.

When you think about it, that totally makes sense since you need a lot of brain power to be able to fly as well. My cockatiel is extremely intelligent, has his own rudimentary language with us, including some human words used in context, and he is just endlessly opinionated and curious. Right now he's hopping all over the screen and keyboard. He's just on another level from our cats and our friends' dogs. His social and mental intelligence is really closer to a human toddler.

Also, yes he's fully flighted, given his entire body is adapted for flight, it would be awful to take that away from him. Particularly cockatiels, they have longer flight feathers that most other parrots and a much stronger flight instinct.

[maryrosekent]

I imagine that having control over individual feathers also helps with preening, which is so essential to a bird’s life.

[Cleeon]

I'm watching documentaries for years about animals wildlife, but your channel give me more new knowledge, thank you

[QUIRK]

Benjamin Burger explains on his channel that pterosaurs had their supracoracoideus attached directly to the back of the wing, instead of over a pulley. They were therefore strong enough to flap even larger wings and lift even heavier bodies into the air

[bird]

Hello! This was quite an informative video, well done!
You've explored what needs to change in the human body if the arms were replaced with wings, but what modifications should the human body have to accomodate a new pair of wings emerging from the back?
Doin' this for a fantasy character design :>

[thomasgaertig]

That pulley tendon is remarkable, great video

[Anonymo]

Apart from incredible muscles, birds have amazing capacity to morph their wings through astonishing range of shapes and therefore they have no problem flying even in worst turbulent environments! The best example is of Pigeons flying even inbetween city skyscrapers where even most sophisticated drones have problem to navigate!

[elizabethguy]

Birds are so fascinating. I've always wanted to fly like them, but I guess I have to settle for flying machines to do it for me. 😒 Very informative video!

[queenslandbackyardbugsandb]

Hi Steve, That's why chicken breasts are so meaty. As always a very interesting and informative video, If a bird where to tear a shoulder tendon, that would end their flying days. Keep up the great work.
Kevin.