Anatomical correctness of skeleton model

[LeeC]

I've never stumbled upon a parrot skeleton—until now. My hunch is that this is not anatomically correct. Could anyone comment on parts that specifically are or are not? The right foot does not look zygodactyl, for example. The rib cage looks human. :]

Source here:

12.5" Perched Skeleton Halloween Parrot Prop

Add a lively parrot skeleton to your collection this Halloween with this 12.5" Perched Parrot Prop! This hanging parrot skeleton is the perfect decoration for any skeleton or pirate-themed rooms.

www.halloweencostumes.com

 

[BirdyBee]

Doesn't look real to me either. I don't think it's intended to be realistic, as the description of the product says it's a Halloween decoration.

The first thing that grabs my attention is the wings. Birds don't have so many bones in the wings. When clipping my birds(I don't do it anymore, used to before learning about side effects), there were only a few bones at the top of the wings. Not like the parrot in the pic.

 

[SailBoat]

Very good interpretations (above)of a not even close example. In addition, it is just too heavy for it to be a flighted creature. Open one's Avian Medical book and the vast differences become quickly apparent.

 

[LeeC]

Open one's Avian Medical book and the vast differences become quickly apparent.

Funny you mention that. I loaned mine to my local-rescue owner. I feel bad asking to get back.

 

[SailBoat]

Funny you mention that. I loaned mine to my local-rescue owner. I feel bad asking to get back.

Remember that you loaned it to that person, they should expect you to ask for its return. I find I use mine at most a couple of times a year and unless I upgraded to a new version, it remains in its location until next time.

 

[LeeC]

Remember that you loaned it to that person, they should expect you to ask for its return.

I am sure she would happily return it if asked, but she helps a lot of people help a lot of parrots, and she found it useful. I think I just decided that I donated it to the rescue, and I need another. :]

 

[wrench13]

Total Halloween prop. I doubt that even 1 bone is correct.

 

[LeeC]

Total Halloween prop. I doubt that even 1 bone is correct.

Artistic liberty, I suppose. :]

 

[Rozalka]

Yeah, its wings and tail are SO incorrect....

 

[HeatherG]

Parrots have a fused keel for the massive flight muscles to attach, not all those individual ribs.

The wings are very off, too. The leading edge of the wing should be kind of one long “finger” and the flight feathers are attached into that bone.

The tail is a feathered extension of the back vertebrae and not multiple long bones extending out.

It’s amazing that avian skeleton has many of the same basic bones as mammal skeleton (if you compare bone by bone) but the skeleton is stretched and twisted for flight and perching as well as being hollow in most birds. There’s an almost architectural structure inside the bones of struts which fill and support those bones but let them remain very light weight.

 

[HeatherG]

In a STRANGE update to this story, the Onion has a slideshow of the changes in a McDonald’s burger over a year. Here is a quite anatomically correct parrot skeleton.

 

[SailBoat]

Clearing not an Amazon as the burger would have never stood a change!!