Birds Flashcards
Birds are classified by
All birds belong to the kingdom animalia, phylum chordata and class aves
There are 29 different orders within this class
Make up the different ‘types’ of birds with different traits
Ex. waterfowl vs parrots vs falcons
Further subdivided into different families, genus and species
Galliformes are and look like
Landfowl
Heavy bodied, ground feeding birds
Chickens, turkeys, grouse
Males are typically more colourful
Typically 4 toes- 3 large in front, 1 small in back
Anseriformes are and look like
Waterfowl
Over 170 species in 3 families
Include ducks, geese, swans, etc
Adapted for aquatic life at the water surface
Webbed feet
Ratites are and look like
A ratite is any of a diverse group (includes several different orders) of large, flightless birds, most of them now extinct
Unlike flighted birds, they have no keel on their sternum (which is flat) so they lack a strong anchor for wing muscles (some other flightless birds still have a keel, however it is underdeveloped)
Poorly developed wings, will develop legs
Have 2,3, or 4 toes all point forward
Include the ostrich, emu, kiwi, rhea, and cassowary
raptors are
s
Diurnal (active during the day) or nocturnal (active during the night)
Multiple families in 3 orders
A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts for food primarily using its talons
Carnivores
They display a characteristic curved tip to their beak and have superb vision
What are the 3 families of raptors and are they nocternal
Falconiformes (diurnal)
Falcons
Accipitriformes (diurnal)
Eagles and hawks and some vultures
Strigiformes (nocturnal)
Typical owls
Psittaciformes (psittacines) are and look like
aka parrots
Most pet birds belong to the parrot order psittaciformes (psittacines)
Almost 400 different species in over 90 different genera
Overhanging, strong, curved upper beak
Both upper and lower beaks are mobile and sensitive
Opposing toes (2 by 2)
Eyes are placed high and wide on the skull
A uniquely wide field of vision
Tropical or subtropical
Why are parrots prized by people
Prized by their
Brightly coloured plumage due to special pigments and feather arrangements
Many species can talk
Intelligence
Parrots: diet and nesting
Most parrots eat
Seeds
Nuts
Especially those with very strong beals
Fruits
Buds
Other plant material
Most nest in hollow trees are nesting boxes
Parrots are divided into 3 ‘Superfamilies’
True parrots
Cockatoos
New Zealand parrots
What birds are true parrots
Lories and lorikeets
Nectar eating, brushed tongue
Macaws, conures, eclectus parrots, amazon parrots, african gray parrots, budgerigar and many others from africa/australasia
How do you know if the bird is a cackatoo
The only crested parrots
Cockatoos look like
Crested
Mobile
Raised for display
Not as colourful as other parrots
Where are cockatoos from and how many species are there
Native to Australasia
21 different species of cockatoos (eg. umbrella, Sulfur Crested, Goffins, Cockatiels)
These are not breeds, but truly different species
Cockatiel is
The smallest and easiest to keep of the cockatoos
Live in pairs or small groups in the wild
Popular
Difference between male and female cockatiels
Adult males are more brightly coloured
Females have grey faces
Differences only visible after the first moult
Newer “fancy cockatiels” may not be able to distinguish
When do cockatiels crests erect
When standing
During mating
When aroused
Lories and lorikeets characteristics
Live in trees
Feed on nectar and soft fruits
Colourful
From Australasia
Characteristics
Small to medium sized
Brush tipped tongue
Problems with lories and lorikeets
Messy eaters
Territorial so may bite
African greys are
Large parrots: african grey parrot
Feather dander gives a fine white powder coating to beaks
Endangered
Difference between male and female ecletus parrots
Females are red
More likely to bite
Males are green
Characteristics of Eclectus parrots
Quieter and less active than other birds
Long digestive tract require fiber
Eat fruits, figs, bubs
Australasia
macaws are
Larger beaks and longer tails then other parrots
Very strong beaks: crack hard, large nuts
Also eat fruits, leaves, flowers and stems
Active and vocal
Require a large cage
Make a lot of feces
Found in the americas
Budgerigar are
Small
Active and social
Sex based on the colour of the Cere
Native to Australia
Can have a huge vocabulary
1 000+ words
“Puck” - world record at 1 728
Lovebirds are
Small parrot
Affectionate
Monogamous, pairs sit together for long periods
Need a buddy
Eat fruit, vegetables, grasses and seeds
African
Passeriformes (passerines) are
The largest order of birds
Half of all bird species
The “perching birds”
Includes out nature wild songbirds as well as Canaries and Finches which are kept as pets
Passer domesticus is the House Sparrow
Three front toes, one hind toa
Some raptors also have thai arrangement
Finches are
Zebra finches
Very common in Australasia
Colonial seed eaters
Song birds
How often should birds spend with owner
Most species require enrichment
1-2 hours a day with owner
Why do birds destroy theri feathers
Many species destroy their own feathers if bored
Feather picking is one of the most common reasons we see parrots in the clinic
Usually behavioural (boredom, frustration, poor socialisation early in life, etc)
Occasionally can see medical reasons (mites, skin disease, injury, etc)
Feather picking in small birds is more likely to have a medical reason
What can birds do if not handled frequently
Most will bite if not handled frequently or are poorly socialized
Parrots have an incredibly strong beak- can break fingers
Bird cages should include
At least large enough for the bird to fully stretch its wings and actively move around
The bigger the better
At least two perches of different thickness
Avoid sandpaper
Real branches are great
Ladders
Toys (rotate the selection)
Often hav a grated floor, COVERED with beddings as part of the play/exercise area
Good covering so do not damage claws (newspaper works well)
Water for birds
Free choice water
Water bowl
Will get soiled by droppings
May be used as a bath or to wet food
So change it frequently
May also teach bird to use a sipper bottle
Should still have bathing area
Or mist with spray bottle
Feeding a bird
Try to find ways to have birds forage for food (enrichment)
Bird seeds can be a problem
-Rarely a balanced diet
-Too high in fat and deficient in nutrients
Formulated food (pellets) appropriate to size and type of bird. For parrots
-Feed about 70-80% of diet pellets
-Add fresh fruit and vegetables to 20-30% of diet
-Wash or peel it first
What to do when your bird is out of their cage
Close all doors and windows before letting a bird out of cage
May fly into a window (cover with a shade)
Turn off fans and stove tops
Remove other pets (cats)
Cover aquariums and toilets
Very sensitive to gasses and scents
No smoking, aerosol sprays, dust (construction) strong cleaning products,etc
Skin of birds
Epidermis
Thin, flat epithelial cells that produce keratin
Required for feathers and outer sheath of beak and claws
Dermis
Thicker, tough fibrous connective tissue
Storage for fat
Smooth muscles move feather follicles
Heat regulation
Glands in birds
No sweat glands in birds
Uropygial gland= preen gland
On dorsal surface at upper base of tail
Secretes oily fatty substance
Oil waterproof feathers
Varies in size with species
Completely lacking in some species
Some parrots, flightless birds
These often prefer dust to water baths
Bird beaks
Derivatives of a birds skin
Upper and lower mandible covered with a horny keratin layer
Grows continuously
Very in hardness and flexibility, depending on function
Bird claws
Ends of each toe possess horny sheath derived from specialized scales
Grow continuously
Species differ in type of claws
Perching habits
Methods of procuring food
Feathers are made up of
Outgrowths of skin, nonliving
Made of protein
Sensations only at the base
5 functions of feathers
Flight
Protection
Thermoregulation
Camouflage
Communication behaviours
Types of feathers
countor feathers
semiplume
down
powder down
filoplume
bristles
Contour feathers are and used for
Most visible feathers
Give shape to a bird
Most compact microstructure
Calamsu
Rachis /shaft
Vane
Barbs barbules, hooklets
Semiplume feathers are and used for
Commonly found under contour feathers especially along sides, neck and back
Provide insulation and also flexibility and buoyancy in water birds
Central rachis with free bards (lack barbules and hooklets)
Down feathers look like and are used for
Soft and fluffy, located next to the skin also function in insulation
No true rachis/shaft, simply a calamus with free barbs
Powder down feathers look like and used for
(specialized type of down feather)
Unusual as they never stop growing, they also disintegrate at the tip creating a waxy powder
Thai powder is spread throughout the plumage through preening
Helps clean and waterproof other feathers
Highly developed in birds that don’t have a uropygial gland
Filoplume feathers look like and used for
Sensory or decorative function
Elongated rachis want barbs at the distal portion
Bristle feathers look like and used for
Modified contour feathers
Thought to serve as a sense of touch
Location depends upon species
Long tapered rachis; few (or no) barbs (may or may not have barbules)
Location of feathers
Feathers do not originate from the entire body
Feathers overlap each other and laid down in tracts with areas of bare skin in between
These bare areas are called apteria
Moulting is
Process of feather replacement
Occurs in a species-specific pattern
Allows bird to continue normal activities
Usually replacement is symmetrical
1 or 2 pairs of flight feathers moulted at a time
Major annual moult timed: often in the fall
Waterfowl lose all their feathers at once following the breeding season
Feathers develop from
Develop from papillae in feather tracts of dermis
A growing feather is
a blood feather
Newly developing feather pushes old feather out
Feather emerges, covered by periderm
Periderm removed by preening
Blood vessel from dermis reach into new feather
When feather is full grown, blood dries up, and rachis is pinched closed
How and why to clip feathers
Objective is to clip wing feathers so that birds cannot fly (no lift) but can still glide (to land safely from a perch)
Trim 5-7 flight feathers under the coverts
Leaves a smooth appearance
Can trim the outermost feathers or leave 2 or more outermost primary feathers intact
Never trim blood feathers, or the feather on either side
Feather damage can be caused by
External parasites chew and consume parts of feather vanes, creating weak points
Damage also from daily wear and tear
Fault bar= stress bar
Weakened area on feather vane where barbs lack barbules
Feather is stressed during its growth when blood flow is interrupted
Most common stressor is poor diet
feather picking is and treatmetn
Disorders among captive psittacines (parrots, cockatiels, budgies) and sometimes imprinted raptors (hawks, falcons)
Treatment: cure/rule out medical cause and enrich environment
Causes of feather picking
Can be caused by boredom or disease:
Parasites
Bacterial or fungal infection
Toxins
If small birds (budgies, cockatiels, etc) are feather picking, it is more likely to a medical cause
If larger birds are feather picking it is ALMOST ALWAYS behavioural
Skeletal system of birds
Highly specialized framework to support both walking and flying
Modifications allow for flight and walking
Reduction in number of bones
Fusion of some bones to form plates
Loss of internal bone matrix
Some bones hollow and filled with air spaces
Bird skulls
Bones thinner than in other animals
Jaw extended into keratinized bill
Large eye sockets bordered by sclerotic ring
Small portion of skull devoted to olfactory system
Bird CV
Number greater than in mammals for greater neck flexibility