Claws on Birds
Sorry no picture at the moment, been busy. Will get one up ASAP but ASAP might be in a months time.
Little known fact but there are actually quite a few birds in modern times with claws on their wings. Or some semblance of fingers on their wings left over from when they were raptors. All birds have the remains of fingers and hands, but the below feature several cases where the claws/fingers etc are more prevalent. Its actually quite common to have something left over and visible from the time that wings were hands. The coolest and most functional of these fingers belong to the South American Hoatzin. Their chicks have claws on their wings which they can actually use to climb. As they grow older these claws disappear. But the Hoatzin are not the only birds with claws. A lot of ratites have wing claws hidden on their flightless wings, as well as gamebirds, owls, waterfowl, vultures, storks, and secretary birds have them hidden on their functional wings. The claws on these birds are often on the first digit(see illustration when I get it up) but there are some with two claws on their first and second digits. Some ratites(cassowary's in particular), flamingos and juvenile waterfowl have this. Speaking of waterfowl many have spikes,spurs and clubs on their wings which are weird bony structures formed off of fingers on wings. These structures can be used to fight.












