Birds 1 Flashcards
What is the kingdom, phylum and class of birds?
Animalia
Chordata
Aves
What are the smallest and largest birds?
Bee humming bird
Ostrich
Give 5 examples of the categories of birds
Passerines (songbirds)
Psittacines (parrots)
Raptors (birds of prey)
Poultry and waterfowl
How many toes do passerines have? What are these birds also known as?
4 - one fancying backwards
Song birds
What are the 2 groups of poultry and waterfowl? Give examples
Anseriformes - ducks/geese/swans
Gulliformes - chickens/turkeys
Describe the skin on birds
Thin, inelastic
Modified on limbs
Describe which glands are present and absent in birds
No sweat or sebaceous
Uropygial gland, auditory canal and sometimes cloacal gland present
What is the uropygial gland? What does it do? Which birds lack it?
Preen gland at base of tail
Produces lipid secretion to waterproof and maintain feathers
Ostrich, emu, some parrots and pigeons
What are pterylae? What are the areas of bare skin (lacking pterylae) called?
Areas where feather follicles grow
Apteria
What are the 5 areas of a feather?
Vane (curve) Rachis (middle part) Barb (edges) Afterfeather Calamus (hollow shaft)
What are the two types of feather? (Birds can have one or the other, or both)
Plumulaceous
Pennaceous
Describe plumalaceous and pennaceous feathers
Plumalceous - soft, downy
Pennaceous - stiff, closely knit
What are the 4 main types of feather?
Contour feathers
Semi plumes
Down feathers
Powder down feathers
What are contour feathers? What are the 3 types of contour feathers?
Outermost feathers - colour, contour and protection
3 types: coverts (small contour), remiges (large contour, flight) retrices (tail)
What are the semiplume feathers?
Under contour feathers
Loose, provide insulation
What are down feathers? What part of a normal feather do they lack?
Very loose, provide insulation
Lack barb
What are powder down feathers? What is different between them and normal down feathers? Which birds commonly have these?
Specialised down feathers
Tips of barbules disintegrate during preening
Birds lacking uropygial gland
What are blood feathers?
Growing feathers
Have nerve and (large!) blood supply
When are damaged feathers replaced?
Next malt
How often does malting tend to be? What difference in energy does this require? What affects malting? When do plucked feathers grow back?
Yearly
Requires increased energy
Temperature, season/photoperiod, nutrition
Immediately
What is wing clipping?
Clipping contour feathers (remiges) to reduce ability for vertical lift when flying
Describe how the skeletal system in a bird is adapted for flight
Lightweight - fused bones, small skull, no teeth.
Pneumatic bones - hollow air sacs
How are pneumatic bones strengthened?
Internal struts
The skeletal system provides attachment for flight muscles. What is the keel? Is it present in all birds?
Extension of sternum/breastbone
Not present in flightless birds
What is the coracoid in birds? What is its function?
Paired bone, part of shoulder
Supports wing and counteracts flight muscles to prevent chest compression
How is the skeletal system of a bird adapted to aid egg production?
Medullary bones
Provide calcium source during peak egg production
What supports the eye of a bird?
Sclerotic rings
What are the 2 types of specialised bones in birds?
Medullary bones
Pneumatic bones
How many cervical vertebrae can be present in birds?
11-25
The thoracic vertebrae in birds are fused. What is this fused system called?
Notarium
The lumbar, sacral and caudal vertebrae are fused in birds. What is this called?
Synsacrum
The last few vertebrae in a bird provide what? What is this unit called?
Attachment for muscles and feathers
Pygostyle
Describe the differences in the major bones of the forelimb of a bird
Ulna larger than radius
Ulna supports secondary flight feathers
Radial and ulnar carpals support primary flight feathers
Humerus is a pneumatic bone - if broken can lead to subcutaneous emphysema
What is the carpometacarpus of a bird?
3rd part of the wing
Supports the 2 digits
What is the name of the 1st digit/thumb? Where is it attached to?
Alula
Carpometacarpal joint
The hindlimb of a bird is similar to most mammals. Which bones are fused in the bird?
Tibiotarsus
Tarsometatarsus
What makes up the pectoral girdle? What is its function?
Scapula, fused clavicles, coracoid and sternum
Supports large flight muscles
What makes up the pelvic girdle?
Fused ilium, ischium and pubis and synsacrum
What are the main flight muscles in a bird? Which muscles are wing depressors and elevators?
Large pectorals Pectoralis major (wing depressor) and supracoideus (wing elevator) - use pulley system
Birds who fly less have more powerful leg muscles. When giving IM injections, which muscles should be used? Which birds are the exceptions to this?
Pectoral muscle Except ratites (emu, ostrich) and nestlings (babies)
Why can’t birds receive IM injections in the thigh/leg?
They have the renal portal system - could be nephrotoxic and would be excreted
