Things With Wings are animals belonging to the class known as Aves.  Modern Aves are characterized as warm blooded, egg laying  vertebrates who have four chambered hearts, toothless beaks, feathers and forelimbs adapted for flying (wings). Although all modern birds have wings, not all birds can fly. Birds also have other unique characteristics that enable them to fly such as a lightweight skeletal system.

It is estimated that approximately ten thousand species of Aves  populate diverse geographic locations worldwide. About 1,000 of these species are typically sighted within the continental United States and Canada. Over one hundred species of birds are thought to have become extinct during the last two centuries due  to human activity and over 1,000 species are currently threatened with extinction.

This TrailHead Gallery may include all birds other than those fulfilling the characteristics of raptors. There is a separate Raptors TrailHead that you may visit to learn more about the birds of prey and view their images.