Codex on the Flight of Birds of a kite as seeking a wind current. When the winds are high, one will see the bird very high in the sky, but when the winds are low, the bird stays closer to the ground. Leonardo describes how a bird rests in the air, after flapping its wings to gain altitude, by gliding downward to the ground. Folio 6 contains multiple diagrams of birds flying and their bone structure, and all of the commentary is on flight and how birds fly the way that they do. Leonardo starts off by describing how a bird ascends or descends in different
Beak gape flanges remain somewhat swollen and can thus be used to recognize that a particular bird is young. By the time it reaches adulthood, the gape flanges will no longer be visible. Most species of birds have external nares (nostrils) located somewhere on their beak. The nares are two holes—circular, oval or slit-like in shape—which lead to the nasal cavities within the bird's skull, and thus to the rest of the respiratory system. In most bird species, the nares are located in the basal third of the upper mandible. Kiwis are a notable exception; their nares are located at the