How Are Bats Different From Birds?
Other than the fact that bats and birds both fly, they don’t share many other common features. Many bat and bird species eat similar types of food, and both serve important roles as pollinators. Some birds are nocturnal, as are almost every species of bat. Other than that, bats have features that make them distinct from birds.Bats Don’t Have Feathers
Bats have fur on their bodies, not feathers. Bird bones are hollow, while bat bones are not. Their wings are different too. The bones in the bat’s wing are the same as the bones in our hands, and a thin, skin-like membrane stretches across the bones and connects to the body. Where birds have beaks and no teeth, bats have jaws and a mouth full of teeth (though they won’t bite your neck and turn you into a vampire).Bats Don’t Have Lift-Off Power
The structural differences between the bat’s body and the bird’s body lead to differences in flight as well. We’ve all seen birds take off in flight from wherever they are perched. Bats do not have this ability. Instead, they must drop from an elevated surface and then flap their wings to begin flying. Though this may seem inefficient, bats are actually more efficient in flight than birds. Their dexterous fingers and the thin membrane of their wings provide them excellent maneuverability in flight. However, bats are unable to fly into openings in your attic. They must first land on a surface and then crawl through the hole, but they can fit through some tight spaces!