Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates (vertebrates have backbones) and are the only animals with feathers. Although all birds have wings, a few species can't fly.

A new exhibit in New York challenges the popular view of dinos as green, scaly beasts and showcases their links to today's birds.

They’re flat with a quill down the center, just like modern birds. Because this creature has features of both reptilian dinos and birds, scientists learned that modern birds are actually the living …

These birds are gray and brown with white patches on both the bottoms and tops of their wings. Males, which weigh about as much as four tablespoons of sugar and sport a 14-inch-long …

HOW THEY BEHAVE Brown thrashers are aggressive birds that are fiercely protective of their nests and territories. But they’re also superstar singers. The male brown thrasher can sing …

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2025 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

These birds are about the length of a stick of butter and have cone-shaped beaks. Their wings are black and white, and some sport a black patch on top of their heads.

Also known as Fiordland crested penguins or tawakis, these birds live in the rainforests of New Zealand. With their distinctive plumage, unusual squawks, and hard-to-find cave nests, …

These birds chirp to each other during their search; it sounds like they’re saying, “chi-ca-go, chi-ca-go.” The animals will continue foraging for food throughout the day—meaning this lively …

Named for facial markings that resemble helmet chinstraps, these flightless, two-foot-tall birds live in and around Antarctica and nest in crowded communities called colonies.