It is argued by some that they evolved from dinosaur. They even go as far as to suggest that some large dinosaus had feathers or at least a type of feather which I believe are a type of scale and so are basically the same. It seems of late that they are pushing the date of the first birds further and further back each find ruling out each time the branch of the dinosaus we assumed birds evolved on. It would appear that it has been reasonably well assessed that early birds and Dinasaus are sufficiently alike to assume that one evolved from the other. I have to ask what really came first the birds or the dinosaus. If in fact birds are in fact dinasaus then I suppose one didn't come before the other when in fact they are both dinosaus.Then again if we seem to be so set on deciding which came first because we are discussing evolution then why can't we consider birds having evolved first and one or more of them branching off to evolve into the dinosaus as distinct from birds.