bird feet!

[John Chardine]

Ornithologists have a foot-fetish. The way the toes are arranged on the feet is a character called "dactyly" and each major group of birds has a similar arrangement. You can imagine that this character figures importantly in the classification of birds.

Here's a good resource on the subject in general:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dactyly

Woodpeckers move up and down tree trunks and evolution has determined that they need "zygodacytlous" feet- that is, feet where two toes point forward and two point backwards, as illustrated by this Downy Woodpecker. "Zygo" has ancient Indo-European roots and means "a pair", and "dactyl" refers to fingers and toes. If you think about it, these type of feet give woodpeckers incredible stability to sideways and up and down movement on a tree truck.

[Norm Dulak]

John.

There is so much to learn about birds, and you are a most valued resource for all of us. Thanks for this informative discussion of another interesting aspect of some birds, about which I previously knew little.

Norm

[Jeff Cashdollar]

John, you are so right about feet.

Blue Jay has an Anisodactyl arrangement. This is the most common bird foot. Four toes with one (hallux) directed backwards.

The Gray-headed woodpecker has a Zygodactyl arrangement.

Belted Kingfisher a Syndactyl.

Chimney Swift a Pamprodactly.

All different toe configurations, nice piece thanks.

[William Malacarne]

Most if not all Parrots are Zygodactyl.

Bill

[Norm Dulak]

Most if not all Parrots are Zygodactyl.

Bill

We have a Sun Conure, a Congo African Grey and a Red-headed Mexican Amazon parrot, and all are indeed zygodactyl. But based upon my observation of them and of wild parrots in Costa Rica, it seems that parrots only use their feet for firm perching and for the grasping of food while eating.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Norm,

I have a Sun too named Peaches and a Green Cheek named Charlie.