If you are a keen observer, you can easily tell the difference between a mammal and a bird. Mammals have hair or fur on their body whereas birds have feathers, birds can fly but mammals except for bats, cannot fly. So, there are many more such differences between a mammal and a bird.
Let’s check them out –
Key Differences Between Mammal and Bird
There are many differences between mammals and birds such as –
Outer Coat
The first difference that you would notice between a mammal and a bird is the outer appearance. Birds have feathers that help them to keep their body light, ventilated, and insulated during difficult weather conditions. On the other hand, mammals have fur or hair on their body which keeps them warm or body’s temperature stable.
Bone Structure
Birds have lighter or hollow bones which help them to fly effortlessly, also because of their bone structure they are soft and their weight is also very low. On the other hand, mammals have dense bones. These differences cannot be noticed by observation, but after weighing the facts can be proven easily
Feeding Style
Mammals have a unique specialized mammary gland which they use to feed their young ones. Birds, however, do not have any such mammary glands, rather they go out and bring easy-to-digest food for their young ones. They do not feed milk to the chicks, like the mammals, but any external food that they can get. The mammals show extended parental care with nursing, whereas in birds the parental care varies and there is no nursing involved.
Respiratory System
The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide occurs inside the microscopic sacs present in the lungs of mammals, but in the case of birds, the exchange occurs in the air capillaries which are similar to the microscopic tubes of the lungs. In mammals, the exchange process of air occurs in a single cycle but in birds, it occurs in two different cycles. Thus, in birds, the oxygen is kept in the body for two complete inhalation and exhalation cycles, which also helps the bird maintain their energy demand.
Mouth Anatomy
You will also find that the mouths of the birds and mammals show significant differences. The mammals have teeth that help in the mechanical digestion of food. There is a difference in teeth, based on the diet, herbivores have flat molars whereas carnivores have sharp molars.
However, birds do not have teeth, they use their beaks to look for or pick up food. Their mechanical digestion takes place through gastroliths, which are small stones swallowed into the stomach which help to grind the food particles. Also, there is a variation in beaks among the bird species, a flesh-eating bird has a hooked beak, but a seed-eating bird has a short stout beak.
Metabolism
The mammals have a lower metabolism when compared with birds, as they need more energy to fly, which needs a constant energy supply when compared to walking or running. Mammals generally use their limbs for diverse purposes, such as walking, running, swimming, hopping, and climbing, but still, they cannot match up with the energy expenditure in the primary locomotion of the bird, i,e, flying and perching. (but there are exceptions, too).
Reproductive System
Mammals give birth to live young ones whereas birds lay eggs. These eggs are protected and incubator, until and unless the young ones are born or hatch from them. The birds are also seen to share the feeding duty with their male counterparts, whereas female mammals have complete responsibility until their young become capable enough to eat independently.
Sound Processing Capability
Due to their specialized auditory capacity, birds have a high resonant frequency per cm square of their body surface. However, mammals cannot produce sound at higher resonant frequencies compared with birds.
Sensory Ability
Mammals generally have a strong sense of smell and hearing, and their vision is limited to black and white. However, birds have excellent eyesight and they can also see ultraviolet light, but their sense of smell and hearing might not be developed.
Auditory Structure
The auditory systems of mammals and birds are quite different. Mammals have a larynx which is located in the upper area of the neck and it is responsible for breathing, also it helps in producing sound. It has vocal folds which help to produce sound at different pitch and volume.
Birds, however, do not have a larynx, but they have a syrinx which is the auditory organ or vocal organ at the base of the trachea. The sound is produced through variation in the membrane tension which helps to modulate the sound. Thus, mammals and birds have completely different sound-producing mechanisms. Moreover, the variation involved in the modulation technique also involves other body parts, such as scent marking or body language.
In many cases, birds can also mimic the sound of their surroundings which also includes human voice, but mammalian species cannot do it with such accuracy.
Social Structure
Mammals prefer to stay solitary and only come together to mate, however, there are exceptions who live in complex social groups with hierarchical structures and defined roles. However, birds have diverse social structures and prefer to stay in flocks, but some form monogamous pairs during mating, some are also seen to build communal nests where their entire colony lives.
Key Similarities Between Birds and Mammals
Here are characteristics that make birds and mammals similar:
- Both have vertebrae, are warm-blooded, and can survive cold temperatures due to homeostasis.
- The hearts of both these groups are four-chambered and blood is composed of red blood cells and white blood cells which helps them to maintain their Immunity.
- Red blood cells have red hemoglobin pigment which transports oxygen throughout the body.
- They take care of the children and have well-developed communication skills.
- They also have good hearing and vision senses.
What is the Conservation Status of Birds and Mammals?
Both birds and mammals are facing significant threats due to climate changes, habitat loss, pollution, and random hunting, and conversation has become a challenge. However, efforts are being taken in the form of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and conservation breeding programs to ensure that these animals survive on earth, as both groups play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance.
Who has Earned the Title of Honorary Mammal?
The Kiwi Bird of New Zealand has earned the title of Honorary mammal which is an unusual flightless bird that forages forest after dark, has elongated feathers that look like fur, and also has long whiskers.
Why are Birds Called Avian Dinosaurs?
Birds are known to be direct descendants of dinosaurs and they are also related to reptiles like crocodiles. Both these groups are known to be descendants of archosaurs who thrived on the planet during the Mesozoic Era.
