Bird diversity, flight, communication - Week 23

Question 1

What is Ornithology?

What is the size diversity of birds?

What habitats do they live in?

Answer 1

What is Ornithology?
- study of birds

What is the size diversity of birds?
-1.5g to 154kg

What habitats do they live in?
- every habitat in the world

Question 2

What makes Aves unique?

Answer 2

Feathers!

Question 3

What is the Arhaeoptery and why is this significant?

Answer 3

Late Jurassic 150-155 mya
Modification of outer skin, first feathers
Toothed beak, winged claws, long tail w vertebrae
Not long sustained flight, glider

Question 4

Where did feathers evolve from?

Answer 4

Reptilian scales

Question 5

Feathers general characteristics?

Answer 5

Made from beta keratin
lightweight, strong, waterproff
Number of feathers roughly constant within a species

Question 6

Types of feathers?

Answer 6

Contour, down, semiplume, filoplume, bristle

Question 7

What are contour feathers?

Answer 7

Cover all body but beak/ scaled legs
Give bird smooth round shape
Flight feathers = remiges
Tail feathers = retries
The first level of defence

Question 8

Feather colouration pigments:

Melanins are?

Carotenoids are?

Answer 8

Melanins are?
- made by bird, black, grey, tan

Carotenoids are?
- in diet, red, yellow, orange

Question 9

What are feathers functions?

Answer 9

Crypsis, avoid detection, sneak up on prey, escape preditor, behaviour type to match

Attraction,

Insulation, primary evolutionary force

flight

Question 10

How are feathers cared for?

Answer 10

Preening (basic care), apply oils from uropygial gland, allopreening, bathing, moulting

Question 11

What are some other avian features?

Answer 11

Forelimbs modified as wings, feathered tail, toothless beak
Endothermic
Flight

Question 12

Flight:
Where has gliding evolved?
Where has activating flapping flight evolved?

Answer 12

• Evolved many times, usually in rainforests

- Only in birds, pterosaurs, insects

Question 13

What are some adaptations for flight?

Answer 13

Feathers, light, strong, steamlined, flexible

Lightening of skeleton, loss of lower jaw

Beak is toothless, gizzard instead

Reproductions organs enlarge seasonally, oviparous

Strengthening of skeleton, fusion of bone

Muscles, pectoralis 35% of total body weight

Question 14

Brain and sensory organ adaptations?

Answer 14

Eyes main sight, large eyes, proportional large brains, ample processing centres

Question 15

How have wings adapted?

Answer 15

Elaborate joints, fused hand bone, powerful tendons, compact tiny muscles, airfoil shape

Question 16

What are the flight mechanics and how do they interact?

Answer 16

Weight n lift, drag n propulsion/ thrust

Further to travel, air speeds up, pressure reduced, wing sucked upwards

More curved the airfoil, greater the lift

Question 17

What are the different types of flight?

Answer 17

Gliding, weight used to overcome air resistance

Soaring types: maintains or increasing altitude without flapping
- Slope, dynamic and thermal

Flapping, adds thrust

Hovering, maintain a stationary position in the air
- true hovering, wind airfoil shape in up n down stroak

Question 18

What are the different types of flight?

Answer 18

Gliding, weight used to overcome air resistance

Soaring types: maintains or increasing altitude without flapping
- Slope, dynamic and thermal

Flapping, adds thrust

Hovering, maintain a stationary position in the air
- true hovering, wind airfoil shape in up n down stroak

Question 19

What are these wing shapes?

Elliptical?

High lift shape?

High speed?

Soaring?

Answer 19

Elliptical?
low aspect ratio, good manoeuvrability, fast take off, generate lots of drag, slotting displacement of drag

High lift shape?
Moderate aspect ratio, heavily cambered, carry a heavy load, minimise energy, terrestrial soaring species

High speed?
High aspect ratio, almost flat profile, aerial feeding, long migration

Soaring? Very high aspect ratio, narrow pointed shape reduces drag, sea birds, windswept environments

Question 20

What are flight functions?

Answer 20

Feeding, courtship, migration, underwater flight

Underwater flight, increased flight, reduced buoyancy, smaller wings

Loss of flight, secondary loss, expensive, no need if reduced preditor risk

Question 21

How is vocal communication produces?

Answer 21

Sounds produced by the respiratory system (no vocal cords) syrinx produce sound, almost all birds have this

Syrinx located where trachea branches into 2 primary branchi

Canaries sing with 1 side and breath with the other, continuous circular breathing

Question 22

What are songs, daw chorus and cords?

Answer 22

Song: limited to the Passeriformes, often complex, primary under influence of sex hormone, important in reproduction

Daw chorus: Biggest sing session, sound stiller, sound travels further, less predators, less easy to see insects, birds lay eggs early

Calls: Given by most species, acoustically simple, not primarily sexual, maintenance activities

Question 23

What are some functions of songs?

Answer 23

Chicks use calls inside eggs to provide temp, synchronise hatching and indicate hunger

Attract mates

Alarm calls

Calls to recruit others

Songs used to defend territories

Duetting and chorusing