Birds 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is the kingdom, phylum and class of birds?

A

Animalia
Chordata
Aves

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2
Q

What are the smallest and largest birds?

A

Bee humming bird

Ostrich

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3
Q

Give 5 examples of the categories of birds

A

Passerines (songbirds)
Psittacines (parrots)
Raptors (birds of prey)
Poultry and waterfowl

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4
Q

How many toes do passerines have? What are these birds also known as?

A

4 - one fancying backwards

Song birds

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5
Q

What are the 2 groups of poultry and waterfowl? Give examples

A

Anseriformes - ducks/geese/swans

Gulliformes - chickens/turkeys

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6
Q

Describe the skin on birds

A

Thin, inelastic

Modified on limbs

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7
Q

Describe which glands are present and absent in birds

A

No sweat or sebaceous

Uropygial gland, auditory canal and sometimes cloacal gland present

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8
Q

What is the uropygial gland? What does it do? Which birds lack it?

A

Preen gland at base of tail
Produces lipid secretion to waterproof and maintain feathers
Ostrich, emu, some parrots and pigeons

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9
Q

What are pterylae? What are the areas of bare skin (lacking pterylae) called?

A

Areas where feather follicles grow

Apteria

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10
Q

What are the 5 areas of a feather?

A
Vane (curve)
Rachis (middle part)
Barb (edges)
Afterfeather
Calamus (hollow shaft)
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11
Q

What are the two types of feather? (Birds can have one or the other, or both)

A

Plumulaceous

Pennaceous

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12
Q

Describe plumalaceous and pennaceous feathers

A

Plumalceous - soft, downy

Pennaceous - stiff, closely knit

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13
Q

What are the 4 main types of feather?

A

Contour feathers
Semi plumes
Down feathers
Powder down feathers

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14
Q

What are contour feathers? What are the 3 types of contour feathers?

A

Outermost feathers - colour, contour and protection

3 types: coverts (small contour), remiges (large contour, flight) retrices (tail)

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15
Q

What are the semiplume feathers?

A

Under contour feathers

Loose, provide insulation

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16
Q

What are down feathers? What part of a normal feather do they lack?

A

Very loose, provide insulation

Lack barb

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17
Q

What are powder down feathers? What is different between them and normal down feathers? Which birds commonly have these?

A

Specialised down feathers
Tips of barbules disintegrate during preening
Birds lacking uropygial gland

18
Q

What are blood feathers?

A

Growing feathers

Have nerve and (large!) blood supply

19
Q

When are damaged feathers replaced?

A

Next malt

20
Q

How often does malting tend to be? What difference in energy does this require? What affects malting? When do plucked feathers grow back?

A

Yearly
Requires increased energy
Temperature, season/photoperiod, nutrition
Immediately

21
Q

What is wing clipping?

A

Clipping contour feathers (remiges) to reduce ability for vertical lift when flying

22
Q

Describe how the skeletal system in a bird is adapted for flight

A

Lightweight - fused bones, small skull, no teeth.

Pneumatic bones - hollow air sacs

23
Q

How are pneumatic bones strengthened?

A

Internal struts

24
Q

The skeletal system provides attachment for flight muscles. What is the keel? Is it present in all birds?

A

Extension of sternum/breastbone

Not present in flightless birds

25
Q

What is the coracoid in birds? What is its function?

A

Paired bone, part of shoulder

Supports wing and counteracts flight muscles to prevent chest compression

26
Q

How is the skeletal system of a bird adapted to aid egg production?

A

Medullary bones

Provide calcium source during peak egg production

27
Q

What supports the eye of a bird?

A

Sclerotic rings

28
Q

What are the 2 types of specialised bones in birds?

A

Medullary bones

Pneumatic bones

29
Q

How many cervical vertebrae can be present in birds?

A

11-25

30
Q

The thoracic vertebrae in birds are fused. What is this fused system called?

A

Notarium

31
Q

The lumbar, sacral and caudal vertebrae are fused in birds. What is this called?

A

Synsacrum

32
Q

The last few vertebrae in a bird provide what? What is this unit called?

A

Attachment for muscles and feathers

Pygostyle

33
Q

Describe the differences in the major bones of the forelimb of a bird

A

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

34
Q

What is the carpometacarpus of a bird?

A

3rd part of the wing

Supports the 2 digits

35
Q

What is the name of the 1st digit/thumb? Where is it attached to?

A

Alula

Carpometacarpal joint

36
Q

The hindlimb of a bird is similar to most mammals. Which bones are fused in the bird?

A

Tibiotarsus

Tarsometatarsus

37
Q

What makes up the pectoral girdle? What is its function?

A

Scapula, fused clavicles, coracoid and sternum

Supports large flight muscles

38
Q

What makes up the pelvic girdle?

A

Fused ilium, ischium and pubis and synsacrum

39
Q

What are the main flight muscles in a bird? Which muscles are wing depressors and elevators?

A
Large pectorals
Pectoralis major (wing depressor) and supracoideus (wing elevator) - use pulley system
40
Q

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?

A
Pectoral muscle
Except ratites (emu, ostrich) and nestlings (babies)
41
Q

Why can’t birds receive IM injections in the thigh/leg?

A

They have the renal portal system - could be nephrotoxic and would be excreted