It’s easy to see why bats and birds can be misidentified. If they’re silhouetted against the sky in ghostly flight, they can look pretty similar. But there are actually some very clear anatomical differences between the two, which we’ll dive into here.
What characteristics are shared between bats and birds?
The main feature bats and birds have in common is flight – both birds and bats can fly. But, it’s worth remembering here that not all birds fly. There are over 60 extant species of flightless bird, including ostriches, emus and penguins. All birds have wings, however, as do bats – and that’s probably where the similarities end.
Did you know? In a practice known as 'Batesian mimicry', bats have tried deceiving predators by mimicking birds.
Are bats birds?
No, they’re not. Bats are mammals, while birds are, well, birds. Birds are a taxonomic class of their own, Aves, while bats belong in another: Mammalia.
Bats are the only mammals capable of true, powered flight. Other mammals have evolved the ability to glide (flying squirrels, for example), but bats are the only ones that can practice active flight. Their wings are made from skin membranes, which connect their fingers and legs. Birds, comparatively, have feathered wings, with dense bones.
- How do birds, mammals and other animals navigate? Discover the incredible ways animals find their way around the world
- Which bird has the brightest feathers?
Bats vs birds: what’s the difference?
- Bats have five digits (a thumb and four fingers, just like humans), while birds have fewer digits, which are mainly used for flight and perching.
- Bats have fur, while birds have feathers.
- Bats have teeth, while birds have beaks.
- Bats give birth, producing milk to feed their young, while birds lay eggs, foraging food to feed their young. Have you noticed that bats have more in common with humans than with birds? That’s because, like us, they’re mammals.
- Bats have ears – with some of the most specialised and sensitive hearing (known as echolocation) in the animal kingdom, which they use to navigate – but birds don’t have external ears. Instead, they rely on internal ear canals and specialised feathers to hear.
- Birds are both diurnal and nocturnal, and can be seen throughout the day and night, whereas bats are nocturnal and generally stay away from people.
- Bats have jaw bones with sharp teeth, while birds have beaks and no teeth. Instead, birds use their beaks to break food into smaller pieces and use their gizzard to grind down food.
Top image: A colony of wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bats (Mops plicatus) in flight (credit: Henrik Karlsson/Getty)
