Tamatha Barbeau, Ph.D.

Professor of Biology

Francis Marion University

Practice Bird Anatomy

This page is just for help in learning about birds.
Use your cursor to scroll over each image to learn the skeleton of the bird.

Axial Skeleton
Skull (Maxillae and Mandible)
Furcula (fused collarbones)
Veterbral column
- cervical vertebrae
- fused thoracic vertebrae
- vertebral ribs
- uncinate processes of ribs
- synsacrum, ilium, and ischium, and pubis (fused hip)
Sternum and Carina (sternal keel)

Upper Appendicular Skeleton
Pectoral girdle
Scapula
Coracoid
Upper limb (wing)
Humerus
Radius
Ulna
Carpometacarpus (fused carpals and metacarpals)
Digit 1, 2, 3
Lower Appendicular Skeleton
Pelvic girdle
Ilium and Ischium and synsacrum (fused bones)
Lower Limb (legs)
Femur
Tibiotarsus
Tarsometatarsus (fused tarsal bones and metatarsals except #1)
Digits 1, 2, 3, 4
MaxillaMandibleSkullFurculaCoracoidHumerusUlnaRadiusCarpometacarpusScapulaSynsacrumIliumIschiumPubisFemurTibiotarsusTarsometatarsusDigit 1Digit 1Digit 2Digit 3Digit 2Digit 3Digit 4Thoracic vertebrae (fused)Cervical vertebraeSternumSternumKeel of sternum (carina)Keel of sternum (carina)Sternal ribsVertebral ribsvertebral ribsUnicinate processUnicnate processUncinate processUncinate processvertebral ribvertebral ribvertebral ribUncinate processvertebral ribvertebral ribvertebral ribvertebral ribCaudal vertebraePygostyleMaxillamandible

Upper mandibleLower mandibleChinThroatLoresMalarAuricularsEye lineOrbital ring feathers around eye)SuperciliumCrown stripeMedian crown stripeForeheadNapeChinLoreseye lineSupercilum (has supercilary stripe)Median crown stripeCrownThroatMalarChestBellyRumpNapeUpper tail covertsTailPrimaries covertsforeheadbackauriculars


Median crown (stripe)crown (this bird has a crown stripe)supercilum (this bird has a supercilium stripe)loreseyelineauricularsnapechinthroatmalar (this bird has 2 malar strips)foreheadupper mandiblelower mandibleside of neckbellybreastthighsthighstailundertail covertsupper tail covertsrumpbackprimaries (flight feathers)coverts (this image doesn't delineate greater, lesser coverts)orbital eye ringscapularsflankside


primaries (attached to carpo-metacarpal bones)tertialshumerus (bone)ulna (bone)radius (bone)greater primary covertsmiddle covertsalula (attached to digit 1)marginal covertscarpometacarpusLesser coverts