Canopy tree preference by insectivorous birds in shade‐coffee farms: Implications for migratory bird conservation

Land converted to coffee agriculture occupies >5 million hectares of what was once prime overwintering natural habitat in the American Neotropics for migrating birds. When tree canopy is retained or restored (i.e., shade‐grown), coffee farms can serve as habitat refuge for wildlife. Yet few studies have examined whether canopy tree identity impacts habitat quality for biodiversity. Specifically, whether or not certain tree species are disproportionately important for foraging insectivorous birds remains unclear. In this study, we quantified bird foraging activity on 22 tree species in two Latin American Bird Friendly© coffee farms. Specifically, we conducted timed observations on focal trees to determine 1) tree preferences, 2) foraging bird abundance, 3) foraging time, and 4) species richness of birds using each canopy tree species. We found that birds did not forage randomly, and instead exhibited preferences for particular native tree species. Nitrogen‐fixing Fabaceae were consistently used more frequently, supported more resident and migratory birds for longer periods of time, and supported more bird species than trees in other families. We posit that the potential mechanism contributing to tree preferences is the increase in insect abundance and diversity that provide high‐quality food for insectivores but do not present pest problems for coffee. Thus, tree species that support insects may provide multiple benefits for farmers in the form of bottom‐up soil fertilization and top‐down pest control. This study provides evidence that agroforestry land can be improved for birds of conservation concern by prioritizing canopy tree species that help birds and farm productivity.     

Patches of bare ground as a staple commodity for declining ground-foraging insectivorous farmland birds

Conceived to combat widescale biodiversity erosion in farmland, agri-environment schemes have largely failed to deliver their promises despite massive financial support. While several common species have shown to react positively to existing measures, rare species have continued to decline in most European countries. Of particular concern is the status of insectivorous farmland birds that forage on the ground. We modelled the foraging habitat preferences of four declining insectivorous bird species (hoopoe, wryneck, woodlark, common redstart) inhabiting fruit tree plantations, orchards and vineyards. All species preferred foraging in habitat mosaics consisting of patches of grass and bare ground, with an optimal, species-specific bare ground coverage of 30-70% at the foraging patch scale. In the study areas, birds thrived in intensively cultivated farmland where such ground vegetation mosaics existed. Not promoted by conventional agri-environment schemes until now, patches of bare ground should be implemented throughout grassland in order to prevent further decline of insectivorous farmland birds.     

南京中山植物园鸟类对香樟 果实（种子）的取食

香樟(Cinnamomum camphora)是亚热带地区广泛分布的常绿阔叶树种,其果实数量多、果期长,可为鸟类提供大量食物资源。2018年11月至2019年2月,借助Safari 10×26变焦双筒望远镜,采用焦点扫描法对南京中山植物园内访问香樟果实(种子)的鸟类行为进行观察,详细记录鸟类的种类、取食基质、取食次数、取食时间、取食数量和取食方式等信息。研究期间有效记录达48d,累计记录到27种鸟类1021次取食香樟果实(种子)行为,存在2种取食基质(地面和树上)和3种取食方式(整吞果实、啄食果肉和取食种子)。T检验显示,不同鸟类对香樟果实(种子)的取食次数存在显著差异(t=3.096,df=26,P 0.01);不同月份间鸟类对香樟香樟果实(种子)的平均访问只数、平均取食次数、平均取食时间和取食数量均存在极显著差异(P0.001)。白头鹎(Pycnonotussinensis)、乌鸫(Turdusmendarinus)和灰喜鹊(Cyanopicacyanus)是访问次数及取食量最多的3种鸟类。单因素方差分析(One-way ANOVA)表明,上述这3种鸟类的取食数量存在极显著差异(F3, 598=25.219,P 0.001)。按照时间统计,11月份访问的鸟类种类和数量最多,1月份鸟类的取食次数、时间和数量最多。鸟类的形态特征(体重、体长和嘴峰长)与取食数量呈显著正相关,其中,体重和体长对取食数量的影响比嘴峰长的影响更显著,但嘴峰长影响鸟类对果实的取食方式。在鸟类常活动和停歇的树木下方地面往往散落着较多表面洁净、无果肉包裹的香樟种子,且园内人工林和自然更新林地可见许多香樟幼苗,表明鸟类对香樟具有潜在传播作用。     

云南哀牢山徐家坝常绿阔叶林的鸟类取食集团

2006年3-4月,采用无距离估计样线法对云南哀牢山徐家坝中山湿性常绿阔叶林中的鸟类群落做了直接观察,观察到鸟类取食行为14 345次只.运片j聚类分析,依据鸟类的栖息取食行为格局将62种鸟划分为11个取食集团:(G1)地面拾取集团、(G2)地面扒取集团、(G3)树冠层飞取/拾取集团、(G4)树冠层飞取集团、(G5)树干层探取集团、(G6)灌层竹秆探取集团、(G7)树干粗枝搜寻集团、(G8)树冠层粗枝搜寻集团、(G9)树冠层拾取集团、(G10)灌丛下层叶层/树干/地面拾取集团、(G11)灌层拾取集团.结果表明,由于各个集团在栖息基层、取食基层及取食方式上的分离,使各集团分割了该地区的取食空间和食物资源;而集团内部的各个种间主要通过对取食高度的划分,使得集团内部的取食空『白j和食物资源得到了更深层次的利用,使种间竞争减至最小.其结果还表明,鸟类取食集团的数量和结构因不同的植被类型而异,顶级群落中包含的鸟类种类更多,各个种间的生态位分化也更为细致.     

Resource Partitioning by Mangrove Bird Communities in North Australia

Mangrove bird communities in north Australia comprise relatively few passerine species compared with other arboreal habitats in the region. Mangroves are dominated by a few tree species and there are potentially few resource axes available for partitioning by terrestrial birds. Competition for limited resources is predicted to cause strong niche differentiation and a highly structured, but low diversity, bird assemblage. Using multivariate and bipartite network analyses based on 1771 foraging observations (33% of 5320 behavioral observations), we examined resource partitioning by 20 terrestrial bird species in mangroves of north Australia. The mangrove bird community largely comprised generalist insectivores that partitioned insects by size with moderate‐to‐high interspecific overlap in diet. Gleaning for insects was the most common foraging mode. Few species specialized on nectar. Flowers of one or more mangrove species were available in every month of the year and insect abundance was correlated with flowering peaks. Niche differentiation by birds was determined by food type and foraging mode more than by broad spatial (mangrove zones) or temporal (seasonal) segregation of the use of resources. There was little evidence of bird species saturation or species sorting, suggesting loose species packing and a lesser role than expected for species interactions and interference competition in structuring the bird assemblage in mangroves.     

Relationships between bird community and habitat structure in shelterbelts of Hokkaido,Japan

Summary The relationship between the bird community and habitat structure in wind shelterbelts of Ishikari district was examined.Breeding birds were classified into nesting guilds (hole, canopy, and bush) and also into foraging guilds (outside, canopy, and bush) Both density and species richness in the outside-foraging guild were positively related to forest age variables. On the other hand, bird density in all three nesting guilds and the other two foraging guilds (canopy and bush) was correlated with the vegetation cover of their nesting or foraging sites, and species richness was positively correlated with tree species complexity variables.Bird species diversity (BSD) was closely related to tree species complexity, but not to foliage height diversity (FHD) within woods. However, if woods were re-classified into two groups such as natural and artificial and these were separately analysed, the correlation between BSD and FHD was significant.From these results, it is concluded that both FHD and tree species complexity should be considered together in order to predict BSD within forests. A new index is proposed for this purpose, and its usefulness discussed.     

A Relationship Between Avian Foraging Behavior and Infestation by Trombiculid Larvae (Acari) in Chiapas, Mexico

Birds face varying risk from parasites as they select and utilize habitat. Unfortunately, behavioral and habitat correlates of parasitism in birds are not well documented. This study combines data from a foraging behavior study with results from a banding study to test whether behavior and habitat affect an ectoparasite infestation by trombiculid mite (chigger) larvae on the bird community found in two different coffee agroecosystems in Chiapas, Mexico. Individuals from bird species with regular prevalence ( i.e. , infestation) foraged more frequently in lower vegetative layers and had significantly lower foraging height than those from species with little or no prevalence, suggesting that foraging near the ground increases exposure risk to chigger larvae. Using linear regression, across species, parasite prevalence decreased with increasing average foraging height. Lower infestation rates were found in coffee agroecosystems with higher management intensity ( i.e. , less shade and drier conditions), suggesting that management activities influence infestation rates. Consequently, drier tropical habitats may pose less risk to birds from ectoparasites, though seasonal prevalence was highest during the winter dry season. Although no direct link was found between host condition and infestation by chigger larvae on the wintering grounds, birds were sampled during the middle of the over-wintering period, not the end when infestation could affect birds fattening for migration.     

L’origine et l’évolution des oiseaux : 35 années de progrès

The origin and evolution of birds: 35 years of progress. Birds are dinosaurs – specifically, small feathered and flighted theropod dinosaurs that probably originated in Laurasia during the Late Jurassic over 140 million years ago. They are most closely related to other small theropods such as dromaeosaurs and troodontids, terrestrial predators that were fleet-footed hunters. The origin of birds is a classic example of two kinds of macroevolution: the phylogenetic origin of the group, and the sequential assembly of adaptations such as flight that are indelibly associated with birds. These adaptations were not assembled all at once. Rather, a great many characteristics associated with birds and flight first appeared in non-avian dinosaurs, where they were used for many purposes other than flight. These included insulation, brooding, and probably display and species recognition. Birds diversified steadily but gradually after their origin, which is identified with the origin of flight (Archaeopteryx); forelimb and other flight-associated features evolved more rapidly than features associated with the posterior skeleton. The first birds grew more slowly than extant birds do, and more like other small Mesozoic dinosaurs; like them, they probably matured sexually well before they completed their active skeletal growth. The origin of flight is not a problem of “trees down” or “ground up,” but rather an examination of the order in which diagnostic flight characters evolved, and what each stage can reveal about the functions and habits of bird outgroups at those evolutionary junctures.     

城市公园植被特征对陆生鸟类集团的影响

城市公共绿地是城市生态系统中重要的鸟类栖息地,其植被特征对鸟类集团存在显著影响。在通过分析植被特征对陆生鸟类集团的作用,从而为公园合理配置植被来提高其作为野生动物栖息地的生态服务功能提供理论基础。2009年10月至2011年10月,采用样线法对上海滨江森林公园进行鸟类调查,利用主成分分析划分鸟类集团,用高度定义植被层次,用卡方检验分析鸟类行为在植被层次上的差异。结果表明,滨江森林公园陆生鸟类群落在乔木层的栖息行为和运动行为频次显著多于其在灌木层和地被层的行为频次,在地被层的取食行为频次显著多于其在乔木层和灌木层的行为频次。陆生鸟类可划分为8个鸟类集团,鸟类集团之间存在栖息、运动和取食空间生态位的重叠。食虫拾取集团、杂食拾取集团、食肉飞取集团和植食拾取集团在栖息、运动和取食空间生态位上均存在较高的重叠度,其通过食性分离各自空间生态位。食虫探取集团和食虫飞取集团互为栖息空间生态位重叠度最高集团,其通过取食方式的不同来实现生态位的分离。根据公园植被特征对鸟类集团的影响结果对上海市公园绿地植被配置提出了建议。     

Food resource matching by foraging tits Parus spp. during spring-summer in a Mediterranean mixed forest; evidence for an ideal free distribution

We analysed whether patterns of microhabitat use by Blue Tits Parus caeruleus , Great Tits Parus major and Crested Tits Parus cristatus inhabiting a mixed forest consistently matched the patterns of food availability experienced by foraging birds during spring-summer. The use of five microhabitats by each bird species (the foliage of three tree species, shrubs and ground) and the availability of food in trees during the prebreeding, breeding and post-breeding periods of the birds' annual cycle were measured. All three tit species foraged mainly in the outer part of tree canopies (small branches and leaves or needles). Tit distributions between tree species matched food resource distributions irrespective of overall food resource levels, which varied four-fold between the study periods, and tit species. Tits also exploited secondary microhabitats (shrubs and ground) in periods of low food availability; Blue Tits tended to use shrubs, whereas Great and Crested Tits foraged on the ground. Between-trees distributions fitted that expected from an ideal free distribution, suggesting that food availability and intraspecific exploitative competition were the main factors governing tree use by tits. In contrast, patterns of use of secondary microhabitats (shrubs and ground) seemed to indicate a role for the species-specific morphological configurations of each tit species since Blue Tits are better adapted to hang and tended to forage in shubs, whereas Great and Crested Tits are better adapted to feed on horizontal surfaces and tended to forage on the ground. No evidence of interspecific interactions was observed. Overall, the results pointed to an independent exploitation of Mediterranean mixed forest by each bird species, food availability and food accessibility being the main factors affecting microhabitat use by foraging tits.     

New species of Primozygodactylus from Messel and the ecomorphology and evolutionary significance of early Eocene zygodactylid birds (Aves,Zygodactylidae)

Zygodactylids (Zygodactylidae) are the extinct sister taxon of passerines (Passeriformes) and among the more abundant small arboreal birds in the early Eocene German fossil site Messel. Four species of the taxon Primozygodactylus have previously been identified and here two new species are described. In addition, new fossils of the poorly known P. eunjooae are reported. The fossils corroborate the presence of two very long central tail feathers for Primozygodactylus, and the feathering of the taxon corresponds with that of extant birds foraging in scrub and undergrowth. Species diversity of zygodactylids falls short of that of passerines, the most species-rich extant avian clade, and in bill shapes they also do not reach the diversity seen in extant Passeriformes. Because zygodactylids closely resemble passerines in skeletal morphology, the evolutionary success of passerines is unlikely to be due to particular skeletal features. Passerines and zygodactylids coexisted in Europe from the early Oligocene to the middle Miocene, and both groups probably differed in ecological characteristics. The zygodactyl foot of zygodactylids may have represented an adaptation for clinging to tree trunks, and if nesting in tree cavities, zygodactylids may have succumbed to competition for safe nesting places with avian or mammalian competitors.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7F142141-7E1F-4568-89BF-E2363D128C36     

Effects of small-scale habitat disturbance on the ecology of breeding birds in a Vermont (USA) hardwood forest

We studied territory placement and foraging behavior of breeding birds in relation to juxtaposition of forest vegetation and logged patches in southern Vermont, USA Different bird species used disturbed vegetation at differing spatial scales, depending on temtory size Four species Dendroica pensylvamca. Geothlypis trichas, Zonotrichia albicollis, Oporornis Philadelphia showed strong clumping of their small (< 0 5 ha) territories in logged patches and were absent or rare in undisturbed forest Eleven species (e g Seiurus aurocapillus, Vireo ohvaceus) tended to avoid logged areas, especially the centers of cut patches An additional 17 species fell between these two extremes, using a mixture of disturbed and undisturbed forest and showing no tendency to prefer one or the other These 17 species tended to have larger (1 to > 3 ha) territories than disturbance specialists We used ordination and quantitative matrix comparisons to describe and test relationships among 14 of the most common bird species according to their similarities in territory habitat structure, tree species composition, and foraging behavior These analyses did not reveal any strong associations between foraging behavior and use of cut versus uncut forest Habitat use by birds occupying this forest mosaic, with its strong local gradient of vegetation structure, was thus not associated with concurrent variation in foraging behavior The sizes of cut patches of forest (0 7-1 6 ha) in our study area may be close to the minimum required to attract distinct breeding assemblages of non-forest birds to otherwise undisturbed forest ecosystems Bird species that use patches of early-successional vegetation embedded m a forested landscape may adopt a fugitive strategy as they seek nesting habitats in the spring Careful use of forest management techniques may permit both forest-interior and early-successional bird species to coexist m the landscape     

Avian Foraging Behavior in Two Different Types of Coffee Agroecosystem in Chiapas, Mexico

This study describes the foraging ecology of birds during summer and winter in two different types of coffee agroecosystems in Chiapas, Mexico. Avian foraging behavior is documented in two agroecosystems of differing management intensity, structurally similar but with different levels of floristic diversity, during summer and winter seasons. The distribution of tree species used by birds was more even, and birds used a greater diversity of tree species, in the more diverse coffee shade system. Much of the variation in resource use derived from shifts in the use of flowers and fruit, highlighting the importance in resource phenology for birds. Insectivory was more frequent in winter than summer for the coffee layer, and in summer for the shade layer. Given the vegetative structural similarity of the two coffee agroecosystems included in this study, floristic differences probably accounted for much of the difference in the bird communities between the management systems, especially given the strong seasonal response to flowering and fruiting. This work suggests that plentiful and diverse food resources associated with the high diversity of plant species may facilitate coexistence of the high number of bird species found in shade-grown coffee agroecosystems.     

Superb Lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae mycophagy,truffles and soil disturbance

We observed foraging behaviour and collected 18 faecal samples of Superb Lyrebirds Menura novaehollandiae at two National Park locations in high‐elevation Nothofagus forests in the New England Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Based on microscopic examination of faecal samples, we provide the first report of mycophagy by this bird species. We hypothesize that this association is representative of a much more widespread relation between ground‐foraging birds and fungi. We apply methods not typically used by ornithologists to demonstrate the potential prevalence of mycophagy among ground‐foraging birds and its possible nutritional value. We additionally show the ecological significance that this and associated bird–fungus interactions have in the dispersal of symbiotic fungi.     

城市公园生境类型对鸟类群落的影响

2011年12月—2012年11月,在上海世纪公园和滨江森林公园对鸟类群落和植物群落进行调查,通过对12个植被变量进行主成分分析,将两个公园分为8种不同的生境类型。结果表明:2个公园生境构成存在显著差异,滨江森林公园灌木层植物发达的生境(Habitat with developed shrub layer,S型)以及灌木层和地被层植物都发达的生境(Habitat with developed tree layer and shrub layer,T+S型)数量显著多于世纪公园,世纪公园地被层发达的生境(Habitat with developed ground cover layer,G型)以及乔木层和地被层植物都发达的生境(Habitat with developed tree layer and ground cover layer,T+G型)数量显著多于滨江森林公园。世纪公园不同生境中鸟种数差异显著,而滨江森林公园中差异不显著。2个公园有24种共有鸟种,对共有鸟种生境利用率的配对t检验结果表明,滨江森林公园鸟类生境利用率显著高于世纪公园。对2个公园共有生境类型中鸟种数进行分析,发现滨江森林公园鹟科(Muscicapidae)鸟类种数显著大于世纪公园。根据以上结果,上海城市公园不同生境类型对鸟类群落结构存在显著影响。因此,建议在规划和建设大型城市公园时,应构建植被分层结构复杂的生境,多样化种植各类乔木,林下多样化搭配灌木。在保留供游客休憩草坪区域的同时种植各类草本植物,以此提高鸟类生境利用率,增加城市公园的鸟类多样性。     

Spatio-temporal organization of the bird communities in two Mediterranean montane forests

Seasonal changes of bird communities and use of foraging substrates by the birds were studied in two forests with contrasting vegetation structure in montane and subalpine levels of central Spanish mountains throughout complete annual cycles. Common factors contributing most to foraging segregation among species were found to be the foraging on the ground vs that on vegetation and use of proximal vs distal tree parts. A complete dissimilarity exists between the composition of the respective foliage-gleaning guilds, the converse being true for the trunk-searchers.
Temporal distribution of bird species is to a great extent determined by their use of space, thus existing a gradient of seasonality with maxima for ground-searchers, minima for trunk-gleaners and intermediate positions for foliage-gleaners. A close relationship among temporal variability, mean annual density and niche breadth is found for the subalpine pinewood community, but not for that from the montane oakwood, this being related with their contrasting migratory patterns and the structural stability of vegetation in each wood. The pattern of covariation in community parameters mirrors the summed response of individual bird species to the changing environmental conditions. Increases in community richness, density and diversity are related to temporal invasion by ground and foliage-gleaners of these highly seasonal Mediterranean habitats.     

The Effects of Cropping Systems on Avian Communities in Cacao and Banana Agro‐Forestry Systems of Talamanca,Costa Rica

Multispecies agro‐forestry is generally lauded for providing ecosystem services, especially in tropical environments. Avian communities contribute to services such as biodiversity and pest management. Characterizing and evaluating avian community composition in similar cropping systems will help optimize management for ecosystem services. We examined the relationship between cropping system vegetation and avian communities in four shaded agro‐forestry systems common to the Limón province of Costa Rica: abandoned and managed systems of cacao, cacao with banana, and banana. During two field seasons, we detected 2605 birds from 106 species and identified 2791 trees and shrubs from 62 morphospecies. We compared vegetation and avian species richness across systems with mixed‐effects linear models. Canopy, understory, and groundcover vegetation differed among agro‐forestry systems. More ground‐ and understory‐foraging forest species were detected in agro‐forestry systems lacking banana, whereas richness of agricultural generalist species was highest in systems with banana. Richness of understory‐ and ground‐foraging species correlated with understory tree species richness and leaf litter. Our results indicate that shaded cacao and banana systems can have similar canopy‐foraging species richness that includes both agricultural and woodland generalist species, but that interspersing banana with cacao can adversely influence understory forest bird community composition. Agro‐forests with diverse understory vegetation support more understory‐foraging bird species that have proven valuable in pest management. Abstract in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell‐synergy.com/loi/btp .     

Interordinal relationships of birds and other reptiles based on whole mitochondrial genomes

Several different groups of birds have been proposed as being the oldest or earliest diverging extant lineage within the avian phylogenetic tree, particularly ratites (Struthioniformes), waterfowl (Anseriformes), and shorebirds (Charadriiformes). Difficulty in resolving this issue stems from several factors, including the relatively rapid radiation of primary (ordinal) bird lineages and the lack of characters from an extant outgroup for birds that is closely related to them by measure of time. To help resolve this question, we have sequenced entire mitochondrial genomes for five birds (a rhea, a duck, a falcon, and two perching birds), one crocodilian, and one turtle. Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of these new sequences together with published sequences (18 taxa total) yield the same optimal tree topology, in which a perching bird (Passeriformes) is sister to all the other bird taxa. A basal position for waterfowl among the bird study taxa is rejected by maximum likelihood analyses. However, neither the conventional view, in which ratites (including rhea) are basal to other birds, nor tree topologies with falcon or chicken basal among birds could be rejected in the same manner. In likelihood analyses of a subset of seven birds, alligator, and turtle (9 taxa total), we find that increasing the number of parameters in the model shifts the optimal topology from one with a perching bird basal among birds to the conventional view with ratites diverging basally; moreover, likelihood scores for the two trees are not significantly different. Thus, although our largest set of taxa and characters supports a tree with perching birds diverging basally among birds, the position of this earliest divergence among birds appears unstable. Our analyses indicate a sister relationship between a waterfowl/chicken clade and ratites, relative to perching birds and falcon. We find support for a sister relationship between turtles and a bird/crocodilian clade, and for rejecting both the Haemothermia hypothesis (birds and mammals as sister taxa) and the placement of turtles as basal within the phylogenetic tree for amniote animals.     

Settling down of seasonal migrants promotes bird diversification

How seasonal migration originated and impacted diversification in birds remains largely unknown. Although migratory behaviour is likely to affect bird diversification, previous studies have not detected any effect. Here, we infer ancestral migratory behaviour and the effect of seasonal migration on speciation and extinction dynamics using a complete bird tree of life. Our analyses infer that sedentary behaviour is ancestral, and that migratory behaviour evolved independently multiple times during the evolutionary history of birds. Speciation of a sedentary species into two sedentary daughter species is more frequent than speciation of a migratory species into two migratory daughter species. However, migratory species often diversify by generating a sedentary daughter species in addition to the ancestral migratory one. This leads to an overall higher migratory speciation rate. Migratory species also experience lower extinction rates. Hence, although migratory species represent a minority (18.5%) of all extant birds, they have a higher net diversification rate than sedentary species. These results suggest that the evolution of seasonal migration in birds has facilitated diversification through the divergence of migratory subpopulations that become sedentary, and illustrate asymmetrical diversification as a mechanism by which diversification rates are decoupled from species richness.     

Quantifying shape and ecology in avian pedal claws: The relationship between the bony core and keratinous sheath

Terrestrial tetrapods use their claws to interact with their environments in a plethora of ways. Birds in particular have developed a diversity of claw shapes since they are often not bound to terrestrial locomotion and have heterogeneous body masses ranging several orders of magnitude. Numerous previous studies have hypothesized a connection between pedal claw shape and ecological mode in birds, yet have generated conflicting results, spanning from clear ecological groupings based on claw shape to a complete overlap of ecological modes. The majority of these studies have relied on traditional morphometric arc measurements of keratinous sheaths and have variably accounted for likely confounding factors such as body mass and phylogenetic relatedness. To better address the hypothesized relationship between ecology and claw shape in birds, we collected 580 radiographs allowing visualization of the bony core and keratinous sheath shape in 21 avian orders. Geometric morphometrics was used to quantify bony core and keratinous sheath shape and was compared to results using traditional arc measurements. Neither approach significantly separates bird claws into coarse ecological categories after integrating body size and phylogenetic relatedness; however, some separation between ecological groups is evident and we find a gradual shift from the claw shape of ground‐dwelling birds to those of predatory birds. Further, the bony claw core and keratinous sheath are significantly correlated, and the degree of functional integration does not differ across ecological groups. Therefore, it is likely possible to compare fossil bony cores with extant keratinous sheaths after applying corrections. Finally, traditional metrics and geometric morphometric shape are significantly, yet loosely correlated. Based on these results, future workers are encouraged to use geometric morphometric approaches to study claw geometry and account for confounding factors such as body size, phylogeny, and individual variation prior to predicting ecology in fossil taxa.