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