Birds: Which Bone Is Connected To What Bone?

The Skull

The skull is made up of 5 major bones:

• Frontal = top of head
• Parietal = back of head
• Premaxillary and Nasal = top beak
• Mandible = bottom beak

The Neck, Back, and Tail

The neck, back, and tail are made up of vertebrae, the vertebral column, and is divided into 3 sections:

• Cervical (13-16) = neck
• Synsacrum = fused vertebrae of the back, also fused to the hips (pelvis)
• Pygostyle= tail

The Chest

The chest is made up of the furcula (wishbone), coracoid (collar bone) and ribs, which meet at the sternum (center of the chest).

Wings

The shoulder is made up of the scapula (shoulder blade), coracoid (see The Chest), and humerus (upper arm). The humerus joins the radius and ulna (forearm) to form the elbow. The carpometacarpus forms the equivalent of the hand on the wing with digits (fingers) extending into the wing.

Hips

The hips are made up of the pelvis which includes 3 major bones

• Illium = top of the hip
• Ischium = sides of hip
• Pubis = front of the hip

Legs

The upper leg consists of one bone called the femur. At the knee joint, the femur connects to the tibiotarsus (shin) and fibula (side of lower leg). The tarsometatarsus forms the upper part of the foot, digits make up the toes.