What is the tarsus?

• A. Upper leg bone
• B. Wing bone
• C. Lower leg section
• D. Beak tip

Answer: (C)

Think of a bird’s leg in three parts: the thigh (upper leg), the lower leg, and the foot. The tarsus is the ankle region—the segment just above the foot where the bones form the joint that leads to the toes. So the tarsus is the lower leg section. It isn’t the upper leg bone, nor a wing bone, nor the beak tip.