Shape of bird’s wing determines where it lives

Studies have proved that the shape of the bird’s wings determines where it lives. Bird’s wings generally become shorter and more rounded the close it lives to the equator. Birds with smaller wings are to a greater extent restricted to stay in the same area because their wings have not evolved for long distance travel. This research was made at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

Although it might seem obvious that birds fly because they have wings and their result from the study challenge this assumption. Birds are found in different parts of the world and have different kinds of wings, in many cases, birds will not fly longs-distances unless their wings have specifically evolved for it.


Their research provides new knowledge about how species spread across the world and improve the understanding of how life on Earth has evolved. Birds living in tropical rain forest of South America,  Africa, and New Guinea generally have smaller and more round wings compared to birds in temperate regions, like Europe or North America, whose wings tend to be longer and more pointed.

The reason is that the shape reflects the bird’s lifestyle. Some birds have longer wings to travel long distances. Some birds have short and round wings developed to maneuver quickly between trees and bushes in the dense rainforest in which they occur.


Researchers have created the first global map to show the distribution of bird’s across Earth as a result of their wing shape. This finally shown what scientists have long suspected. A bird’s wing plays a major role in determining where on Earth it is found.


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