Please start this bird anatomy series with post #403, March 10. Most birds are designed for flight and flying demands a rigid airframe. The bird's rib cage and backbone are fused together . . . only the neck, tail, and wings are flexible. The spine of mammals - human and quadruped - is supple. A bird's spine is rigid . . . if it were supple, the bird would lose control and could not fly. The bird's bones are hollow, light, and remarkably strong. For instance, a pelican weighs twenty pounds...
