We live in a surrounding filled with different organisms. These are living and non-living things. Living things are categorized into multiple species based on their habitat, nature, and feed. Two such categories are mammals and birds.
Both these are living beings that are present in our environment and contribute to the working of the environment.
Key Takeaways
- Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrate animals with hair or fur, produce milk for their young, and have four-chambered hearts.
- Birds are warm-blooded vertebrate animals that have feathers, lay eggs, and have a beak and wings for flight.
- Mammals and birds are both animals with unique survival adaptations, but their physical characteristics, reproductive strategies, and habitats differ.
Mammals vs Birds
A mammal is a living being presented in our surrounding which gives birth by reproduction in them and then produced a baby, and on the other hand, a bird is a living being present in our surrounding which produces by laying one or more than one egg at a time.
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A mammal is a living being that belongs to the kingdom Animalia phylum. They belong to the vertebrate class.
When an animal or any living being has glands in their body that produce milk, they are considered in the category of a mammal which is used for feeding their babies. A mammal is always a warm-blooded animal.
A bird is a living being that belongs to the Kingdom Animalia phylum too. The main feature of a bird is that they have feathers for flying. When a living being is capable of laying eggs, which produce a younger one, they are known as birds.
They are warm-blooded. They can make holes on trees with their claws and hollow bones.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Mammals | Birds |
|---|---|---|
| Reproduction | They reproduce by getting pregnant. | They reproduce by laying eggs. |
| Texture Upon the skin | They have fur or hair on top of their skin. | They have feathers on top of their skin. |
| Features | They have paws and hands. | They have wings to fly. |
| Sound | There is an organ called the larynx, which helps them to produce sound. | There is an organ called a syrinx, which helps birds produce sound. |
| Bone structure | They have bones that are dense and strong. | They have hollow bones. |
What are Mammals?
A mammal is a living being that belongs to the kingdom Animalia phylum. They belong to the vertebrate class.
When an animal or any living being has glands in their body that produce milk, they are considered in the category of a mammal which is used for feeding their babies. A mammal is always a warm-blooded animal.
Humans, dogs, cats are all mammals. Almost all mammals are observed to have teeth. A mammal can live in any type of surrounding or environment. A bat is an exception in mammals that can even fly.
Mammals are divided into three parts. They are live young mammals, Marsupial mammals, and egg-laying mammals.
The blue whale is known to be to date the largest mammal which can grow up to a height of 80 feet, and the largest mammal living on land is the elephant.
The Kitty’s hog-nosed bat is said to be the smallest mammal present which grows up to just 1.3 inches maximum. The bumblebee bat is the other name for this bat.
Mammals are said to be the only living beings that are intelligent. Among all the mammals, a pig is said to be one of the smartest mammals. Mammals that feed on other animals are called Carnivorous animals.
Mammals that feed only on plants are called herbivorous animals, and mammals that feed on both plants and animals are called omnivores.
What are Birds?
A bird is a living being that belongs to the Kingdom Animalia phylum too. The main feature of a bird is that they have feathers for flying. When a living being is capable of laying eggs, which produce a younger one, they are known as birds.
They are warm-blooded. They can make holes on trees with their claws and hollow bones.
The feathers of a bird are made of keratin, including their fingernails. The center of a father is called rachis in a bird. There are a lot of connected branches to the rachis.
These are known as barbs. A bird flies by flapping its wings from up to down. Even though all birds have wings, not all can fly. The peregrine falcon is said to be the fastest flying bird.
An ostrich is a bird that cannot fly but is termed as the fastest running animal. The feathers of a bird tend to help in keeping them warm. It is said that sometimes an ostrich can run faster than a horse.
Birds are seen in all sizes, and among them is the hummingbird which is known as the smallest bird. Birds are said to have amazing migrating and hunting skills.
Main Differences Between Mammals and Birds
- A Mammal produces its younger one, and on the other hand, a bird lays eggs.
- A mammal always has fur or hair on top of its skin, and on the other hand, a bird has feathers on top of its skin.
- A mammal has paws and hands, and on the other hand, a bird has wings to fly.
- There is an organ called the larynx, which helps mammals produce sound, and on the other hand, there is an organ called the syrinx, which helps birds produce sound.
- A mammal has bones that are dense and strong, and on the other hand, a bird has hollow bones.
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/23734160
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000632071530166X
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
