A pheasant's foot is specially adapted for its habitat and food gathering needs.
Birds all over the world vary greatly in size, vocal ability and color. Their feet are no exception. Whether they are flightless, live mostly in water or hunt other animals, bird feet show a large amount of variation in toe structure, claws and webbing. The adaptations of the feet closely follow the needs of the bird's habitat and diet.
Types of Birds
Birds live in several types of habitats and have different food needs. Perching birds, also known as song birds, live primarily in trees and shrubs and eat seeds, small insects and fruit. Other birds, such as the woodpecker, hang on the sides of trees with their feet. Raptorial birds hunt for prey, such as small mammals, reptiles and other birds. Water birds hunt fish in large bodies of water and shallow pools. Some birds don't fly at all and rely on their feet for protection.
Toes
Song birds' toes have adapted to allow them to perch securely even in storms and strong winds. Perching birds have anisodactyl feet with flexible toes. Three toes face forward and one faces back. Their feet also have adapted so a tendon locks when a bird rests on a branch, allowing the bird to stay in place and not fall when asleep. Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet. Two toes face forward and two toes face backward. This lets the bird easily climb trees to find insects. Birds that wade, like herons, have long toes that create a large surface area to aid in walking on soft, muddy surfaces on the edge of ponds or streams.
Webbing
Many birds spend their lives in or near water. Their feet have developed webbing between the toes. The thin skin makes it easier to paddle through water. Some birds, such as the cormorant, have webbing between all four toes. This is known as totipalmate. Ducks are simple palmates because only their front three toes have webbing. Other birds are "half-webbed." These semipalmates have the anterior toes joined part of the way by small webbing.
Claws
Raptorial birds and some flightless birds have developed sharp claws. Owls, eagles and hawks have widely spaced, four grasping toes tipped with sharp talons. These feet are good for gripping struggling prey. The feet pads show adaptations to better hold struggling animals. The foot pads are rough, and ospreys even have spines on their soles to hold fish better. Flightless birds, such as the ostrich, use the claws on their toes for defense. The cassowary has been known to cause serious injuries to other animals and humans with its quick slashing attack.
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