Adaptations
That Help Eagles Survive
Background
An
ornithologist seeing an eagle for the first time could instantly guess
that this bird is a predator, it probably catches fish by plucking them
from the water with its feet, it flies long distances without a lot of
flapping, nests in trees, and mates for life. How? Fascinating secrets
are revealed when we study how an organism's body — and its behavior — are
adapted to its environment.
An "adaptation" is a physical or behavioral feature that evolved in response to an organism's environment, due to pressures for survival. How a species looks (its anatomy), as well as how it behaves (how it moves, obtains food, reproduces, responds to danger, etc.) are all based in the species' evolutionary history.
In this lesson, we'll look closely at eagles, from head to toe. Remember: There's always a WHY behind WHAT you see. So whenever you see an unusual behavior or body part, ask yourself WHY...
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Beak and Head |
Eyes |
Tail |
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Feet and Legs |
Body |
Wings |
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