birds Flashcards
describe the characteristics of their bones 7
reduced number
bones are fused
reduced density
thinner bones
hollow with air sacs
no teeth
no jaw
what’s unique about their skull
fused to form rigid but lightweight box
there are pockets of air that are prominent in flighted birds
describe characteristics about the vertebral column 9 marks
ball and socket joint - atlas
greater number of C vertebrae and flexibility, some are fused together
uncinate processes add to the strength of the rib cage
synsacrum is a shock absorber for flight and landing
first few ribs are short and incomplete
pygostyle is used to support tail feathers and rudder
keel provides muscle attachment of flight muscles
rigid T vertebrae
describe characteristics about the pelvic girdle 3
it rotated backwards and forwards for perching and locomotion
there is an extensive fusion of bones of the pelvic region this provides support for the legs in order to deal with the stress of taking and landing
its incomplete in most species to allow passage of eggs
describe characteristics about the pelvic limbs 4
pelvic limbs fused distally to absorb sock of take off and landing
used for swimming catching pray and wading
covered by feathers and skin to level of inter tarsal joint
scaled below intertarsal joint
describe characteristics about the phalanges 4
most birds have 4 digits
main action of digits is flexion and extension- helps to perch and hold on
birds walk on their toes not their feet
feet used to perch, grasp pray, or they are webbed for swimming
describe characteristics about the wings
consists of humerus, radius, ulna, carpal bones, carometacarpus and 3 digits
describe characteristics about the humerus
short bone
lies against body wall when wing if folded
pneumatic bone- the clavicular airsacs extends into the medullary cavity
describe characteristics about the radius and ulna 4
long bones
lie parallel to eachother
don’t twist
ulna is bigger and lies caudally
describe characteristics about the digits 2
there are 3
feathers are attached to the 1st digits are raised during flight to prevent stalling at slow speeds
what is the difference between medullary and pneumatic bones
medullary are long bones which act as a store of calcium for egg production
pneumatic bones are hollow bones which can be fused together to create a lighter body weight for flight and allow gas exchange using air sacs
describe characteristics about the skin 4
skin has epidermis and dermis
epidermis is outer layer and thin
keratin - scales, feathers and outer layer of beak
birds don’t have sweat glands but they have preen glands on the upper surface of tail which is an oily fatty substance which spreads through feathers and cleans and waterproofs them
what is the beak and mouth used for in digestion
initiates mastication process and have salivary glands to help lubricate food, also used for tearing meat, cracking seeds, straining feed particles and spearing and probing
describe the characteristics of the oesophagus 3
starts at the mouth and ends at the proventriculus
lies to the right side of the neck
lined with stratified epithelium containing mucous glands
describe the characteristics of the crop 5
also known as a diverticulum
this serves as a storage device for food to be carried away,
it can also lubricate feedstuffs
further enables digestion.
this allows the bird to reduce its eating time to a few meals a day rather than continually feeding and risking predation
describe the characteristics of the stomach
made of 2 parts
the glandular proventriculus - initiation of chemical digestion. indigestible material is regurgitated into pellets in raptors
muscular ventriculus/ gizzard- made up of striated muscle allowing the grinding of food, varies on bird size and species, seed and insect eating birds have stronger muscles here, carnivores don’t have this
describe the characteristics of the pancreas and liver 2
the pancreas is more developed in birds
it produces enzymes for digesting carbs fats and proteins. the liver has 2 lobes each with its own duct leading into the Si
describe the characteristics of the small intestine 3
short and highly convoluted
thin walled and narrow
the intestinal epithelium has folds and villi
describe the characteristics of the large intestine
can contain 2 large caece enabling micro fermentation of a high fibre diet
they serve to enable bacterial digestion of complex carbs
describe the characteristics of the cloaca
coprodeum - collects faeces
urodeum - collects urine
proctodeum - urine and faeces are combined and excreted
what happens during excretion 3
urine and faeces are combined and passed as urate
the white outer ring being urine and the inner brown ring being faeces.
abdnormal urate will appear yellow or green
respiratory system components 9
external nares
nasal cavity
oral cavity
glottis - opening into trachea
trachea - larynx at the start (doesn’t produce sound)
syrinx - muscles and air sacs (voice box) some birds have 7 pairs of muscles
bronchi in lungs
trachea divides into two bronchi which have complete rings unlike dogs
mesobrinchi- where further division takes place
characteristics of the nasal cavity 3
birds can breathe through nose and mouth
the nares lie at the base of the beak and can be surrounded by a thick cere
air then passes through the nares and into the conchae of the nasal cavity
characteristics of the choana 4
located at the roof of the mouth
choana connects the oropharynx inside the mouth with the nasal cavity.
projections or papillae are found at the edge of the choana
birds have a glottis will fit snugly into the choanal slit when the bird closes its mouth and the bird will then have a closed connection from the nostrils to the windpipe
characteristics of the lungs 7
small compared to mammal
compact and more rigid than mammal
primary and secondary and tertiary bronchi- (parabronchi)
the parabronchi make up the bulk of lung tissues and this is where GA takes place
no diaphragm to assist with breathing
lungs are attached to V and ribs, bright red and very vascular and inelastic
characteristics of the air sacs 9
birds have air sacs as well as lungs
3 pairs of air sacs and 2 single ones in most birds
some species contain 2 cervical air sacs making 9 in total
the function-
they create and unidirectional flow of air through the lungs, maximising oxygen extraction
- reservoirs of air
- warmth and moisture
- thermoregulation
- buoyancy for water birds
- extend into bones
characteristics of the respiration cycle
1st inspiration
- air taken in through nasal cavity
- travels to larynx then trachea
- trachea to syrinx
- divided into 2 streams
- travel to posterior caudal air sacs and a small amount to the lungs
1st expiration
- air is moved from posterior air sacs to the bronchi in lungs and then onto blood capillaries where CO2 and O2 is exchanged
2nd inspiration
- the air moved to the cranial air sacs
2nd expiration
- air moved out of the cranial air sac via the syrinx to the trachea, larynx and out the nasal cavity
which factors affect the respiratory rates in birds
stress
exercise
heat and pain all increase rr
sedation
anaesthesia
illness all decrease respiratory rates
how do water requirements effect different species of birds
water consumption varies between species dependent on diet type
hardbills for example eat fruit and veg which contain water reducing their daily intake
soft bill consume more due to their dry diet
what are the water considerations for birds6
birds dunk their food in water
if the water feeder is too low they will defecate in the water bowl - which results in bacterial contamination which results in gastroenteritis, sour crop
considerations for the water source inclue
levels of minerals in the water
lead can cause lead poisoning even at low levels
common problem in older buildings
lead toxicity is life threatening
supplements-
water administered supplements can cause dangers if water isn’t changed at least every 24hrs. the enriched water allows for rapid growing bacteria which leads to similar problems. owners shouldn’t supplement water unless they are rigorous with cleaning and replenishing
what to feed seed eaters
dry seeds form the majority of the diet
requirements for a balanced diet include minerals and vitamins, vegetables and fresh clean water. by feeding just seeds this will leads to hypovit a
what to properly feed birds
80-90% of disease in avian species is related to inadequate nutrition
seeds should a never be the sole diet of any captive birds as they are deficient in essential vitamins
pelleted avian diets are available to prevent nutritional imbalances which makes nutrition easier for owners, preventing unnecessary disease. pellets should make up 50% of the diet along side fruit and veg which are fed regularly as part of their diet. seeds are used as treats. some types of seeds for small birds are rape, millet, canary and hemp, larger species need safflower, sunflower and pumpkin but they can get addicted to sunflower seeds. larger species can have nuts such as almond, walnut, brazil, hazel, peanuts, addiction to peanuts causes toxin poisoning- nuts are very high in calories
why do birds get obese
over feeding
minimal exercise
not enough space
unbalanced diet
overfed high fat oil seeds
why is hypovitaminosis A a problem in birds
caused an unbalanced diet
Vit a is essential for vision, immune function, differentiation of epithelial cells in respiratory tract and small intestine, growth, keratinisation
what veg have a good course of vit a and calcium and what veg should you not feed
brocoli, watercress, wild rocket
avacados as they cause severe liver problems
what fruits can be given to birds and what can’t
apple
pear
melon
mango
papaya
grapes and kiwi- high sugar content, cause diarrhoea
oranges- causes gastric upset so feed in small quantities
toucans and mynah birds can’t have oranges due to high vitamin c and iron absorption
what supplements can be given to birds
calcium- cuttlefish bone
greens- dandelion and chickweed
mineral or iodine block- essential for budgies
grit- essential is eat whole seed, finches and quail
how to give water
open bowl, plastic, coop cup, tube drinkers,
water delivery should not be made from metal alloys as most are galvanised with zinc, also some has soldered edges containing lead which are both highly toxic
where can subcut injections be put into
over pectoral muscles, little chance of damage to vital structures but needle needs to be inserted quite far and only a small amount to be administered
inside of thigh - best site as high volume administration and movement of leg disperses the drug, needle can’t go too far due to damaging the nerves and blood vessels
dorsal base of the neck - skin should be held away from the underlying vertebra and muscles and to make administer the injection mid line
where can intramuscular injections be inserted into
pectoral and bicep femoris
site should be towards the caudal end of the muscle as veins are more developed at cranial. if using biceps in leg, the ischiadic nerve runs down back of femur also injection may pass through renal system so it’s partially excreted before it works
where can intravenous injections be put into
basilic
tarsal vein on right surface of the medial surface of the leg
right jugular vein
where do people inject to euthanise a bird
intravenous injection via ulnar vein
intramuscular into pectoral muscle of directly into liver
what are the considerations for housing birds 13
- big enough to stretch wings fully in all directions as minimum
- should be able to fly between perches, climb and play
- length and width more important than height
- birds that climb need horizontal bars
- birds that fly need vertical bars
- cages should be easy to clean
- door locked at front, should fit well and be made of strong materials
- cage bars close enough together to prevent bird from escaping or getting head stuck
- strong enough to resist bending or dismantling
- non toxic material
- safe
- cage bars designed to prevent injury
- door should be wide enough to get bird in and out
what considerations are there for perches 10
clean, comfortable place to stand
must be right diameter for birds foot
foot should not curl all the way around the perch - would lead to foot damage.
need a variety of widths for weight distribution
natural perches best- fruit branches
wash branches, don’t spray with chemicals
do not use yew, laburnum or rhododendron as toxic
place opposite sides of cage at same height so birds can fly in between them
some water bottles or food dishes with built in perch
don’t put perches above food or water containers
what toys can birds have
wooden blocks - good for parrots and cockatiels - can gnaw, maintains beak health
bells entertaining for parrots
mirrors for solitary birds - remove during breeding season
swings for budgies and cockatiels - don’t position in flight path
ladders - need to lead to something
pine cones, natural rope fibre, egg cartons- promote natural beak activity
bird bath considerations
natural activity
stims bird to preen- keeps plumage in good condition and clean
needles chance to preen 2/3 times a week
broad shallow bowl of water
cockatiels and large parrots unlikely to bathe, should be sprayed with water
fine mister with slightly warm water, spray above head so water falls on them like rain
don’t spray at night
cage location considerations
avoid kitchen- unhygienic- fumes or smoke- overheated non stick fry pans
temp changes in kitchen
if escape in kitchen could get scalded
ideally in living room
corner makes birds feel secure
height- just below eye level- security and allows interaction
make sure cage is supported securely on stand/ piece of furniture
mess around cage
what cage substrate should be used
paper, safe and convenient, easy to monitor droppings
pine shavings- difficult to assess droppings
needs to be changed often
cage position in hospital 4
prey species- need to be away from predators
susceptible to noise- need somewhere quiet
hypothermia risk- ensure environmental temp
need to admit in safe place- be careful about potential escape
what are warming aids for birds 4
infra red lamps
hot water bottles wrapped in a towel
hospital cages for birds that’s thermostatically controlled
incubator
list the 4 types of feathers
flight
contour
down
filiplume
characteristics of the flight feathers
long rigid feathers attached to wing and tail
the primary feathers are attached to digit 3 and fused to the metacarpals
the secondary feathers are attached to the ulna
characteristics of the contour feathers
cover the wing
create a smooth cover over body
short and flexible
characteristics of the down feathers
lie close to the body
lie underneath the contour feathers
form an insulating layer
barbless
characteristics of the filoplume feathers
lie close to body
designed to break up and form feather dust which absorbs dirt and moisture to keep bird clean
barbless
