Birds (Class aves) Flashcards
Feathers are made up of what
Protein Keratin
Adaptive significance of feathers
thermoregulation. Display behavior, Camouflage, flight
two types of wing feathers
Primaries and secondaries
Feather types
Flight feathers, Contour feathers, Down feathers and semiplumes and Filoplumes
Primaries are located where?
Secondaries are located where?
Primaries are on the hand
Secondaries are on the forearm
Barbules are interlocked by?
They interlock with the barbs and hooklets
Seasonally molts consist of
Complete molt and a partial molt
what is a complete molt
All the tracts replaced within a short time
Partial molt
Parts of tracts are replaced piecemeal; tail and/or primary flight feathers are often retained.
Most north American birds molt when?
Late summer and fall
Late summer and fall molts are called
Prebasic molt resulting in a basic molt
A second molt in the spring are called
Prealternate molt resulting in the alternate plumage(for breeding or for seasonal camouflage)
Drakes (male ducks) Have what type of molt?
Eclipse plumage- they undergo a prealternate molt in late fall instead of fall to attain their breeding plumage early.
Birds forelimbs are greatly modified by what
Hollow with struts for strength
Many birds bones are fused and reduced
Define lift and drag
Lift- air flowing over an airfoil creates lift
Drag- reduces lift by slowing air moving over the airfoil
