Birds Flashcards
What are common characteristics of Birds?
Feathers – unique to birds, essential for flight and insulation
Wings – modified forelimbs
Lightweight rigid skeleton of thin hollow bones
Endothermic metabolism – high body temp
Unique respiratory system – most efficient
Beak with no teeth where shape determines diet.
Ovoviviparous – amniotic egg with hard shell which requires incubation
What are the 3 types of feathers and what do they provide?
Down feathers – insulation
Contour feathers – streamline shape, coloration, insulation
Flight feathers – specialized contour feathers
What does preening and molting mean in birds?
Preening – to put feathers back together again.
Molting – losing or shedding feathers
What is the order of digestion for birds (in order)?
no teeth, crop (stores food), gizzard (grinds food), stomach, intestines, anus
Describe circulatory system in birds?
Two-loop circulatory system w/ 4-chambered heart.
What is unique about the brain?
It’s Large for body size, has keen vision due to large optic lobes.
How do birds migrate?
Birds migrate by a sense of magnetism to help navigate.
How do birds hatch out of eggs?
Birds use an egg tooth to hatch out of their egg
What are the 3 flightless birds?
penguin, ostrich & emu
How many orders of birds are there?
29
What order of birds are the largest?
Passeriformes (song birds)
