The Build A Bird app aims to inspire users to be curious about the world. Specifically, the app will help users gain an appreciation for how birds have adapted their beaks, wing shapes and sizes, flapping frequencies, body size and feet to survive and thrive in specific environments.

For instance, the albatross has a very efficient wing shape and size (long, narrow, pointed wing tips) that is particularly suited to the wide open ocean expanses that it flies in. The turkey vulture on the other hand, lands and takes off in crowded plant environments and cannot afford to have long, narrow wings that would get entangled in the brush. So it adapts by having a large lifting surface (rectangular wings) with wing tip feathers to maximize efficiency.

Owls are adapted for night flying with soft primary feathers that are very loosely woven together (most other flying birds have tightly woven feathers that create hard lifting surfaces). This adaptation allows the owl to fly stealthily through the night!

The “Build” part of the app provides an opportunity for the user to test their learning by creating a bird that is adapted to a specific environment.

Note: The issue of an inaccurate bird sound for the Barn Owl has been addressed in the 1.0.2 release. See "What's New in this Version" for details.