Birds quiz 1 Flashcards
order anseriformes
waterfowl, 45 species
defining features of anseriformes
adaptations to aquatic habitats, lamellate bill (strainers)
reason for creation of many parts of the NWR system
provide habitat to migrating and winter waterfowl
trumpeter swans conservation
reintroduced to WI/MI/OH/Ontario, WI/MI winter in IN, ecological effects (mute swans exotic and destroy aquatic systems)
bird class
aves
names of North American birds are standardized by the
american ornithological society
archaeopteryx
7 specimens, from German quarries, 135-150 mil years old, modern birds appear at 60 MYA
furcula
fused clavicle
reptilian features
teeth, claws on wings (exception: hoatzin)
thecodonts
longisquama
theropods
compsognathus
order galliformes
chicken-like birds, many game species, widely studied and managed
greater prairie chicken
extirpated from IN, barely hanging in IL
attwaters prairie chicken
endangered
greater sage grouse
proposed for listing as threatened, state-led initiative accepted instead, Trump administration proposed to dump initiative
rhamphotheca
horny sheath cover of the bill, must be worn down regularly
manus anatomy
digit and hand bones in wing reduced and fused, manus attachment point for primaries
leg bones
femur, tibiotarsus, tarsometatarsus, really reduced fibula
pygostyle
reduced tail vertebrae
uncinate process
projections on the ribs, allow rib cage to move as one unit
loons and grebes
two orders, 5-7 species, loons associated with deep water, grebes associated with small ponds, have solid bones
freshwater systems have been destroyed by ____, causing loss of ____ populations
acid rain, loon
bird body temperature
100-107, allows greater resistance to infection but can cause larger issues with stress and an increase in temperature
laparotomy
surgical technique of cutting into the body wall, notable in gendering and assessing breeding condition, associations with body temperature
parts of a feather
shaft: central attachment part, attaches to skin
calamus: proximal shaft, no vanes attached
rachis: distal shaft, vanes attached
vane: broad part of a feather, has barbules and hooklets
keratin: substance feathers are made of
pin feathers: visible when molting
pterylae
feather tracts: parts of skin that feathers attach to
apterylae
non-feathered parts of skin
contour feathers
feathers you see on surface (body feathers, long feathers wing/tail), water repellant, gives bird its look
remiges
wing feathers, made of the primaries (outermost) and secondaries (inner, attach along length of ulna)
rectrices
tail feathers
down feathers
lack rachis, all of vane attached at one point, used in insulation
filoplumes and semiplumes
small, long, rachis, no interlocking barbs, used for insulation or position control
bristles
hair-like (eyelashes, rictal bristles around the mouth)
pigment-based color
most common, from pigment molecules in feathers, either melanins (black/gray/brown) or carotenoids (yellow/pink, most from diet)
structural color
not based on pigment, color caused by microstructure of feathers, changes when hit by light
there are no ___ colored birds
blue (it’s all structural coloring with reflecting blue light, no pgiment!)
order procellariiformes
pelagic species, come to land to breed, called tubenoses, contains albatrosses/petrels and shearwaters/storm petrels
“tubenoses” comes from
a tube on the beak, connecting nostrils to an efficient salt gland, allowing birds to drink salt water
procellariiformes threats
exotic predators introduced on oceanic islands, new technique developed to kill those exotics, also conflicts with long-line fisheries
molt
regular replacement of feathers over time, needed to rid of worn feathers, replace missing feathers, reduce parasite load, change appearance
molt timing
genetically determined, species specific, triggered by photoperiod
virtually all birds replace all their feathers during a short period in _____, called a ______
late summer, complete molt
some birds replace some (or all) feathers again in _____, called a ______
late winter, partial molt
plumage terminology
alternate plumage (late winter, breeding), basic plumage (throughout the winter in all birds)
young birds often do not replace ____ during their first pre-basic molt
flight feathers
male duck molting
one molt in late summer, quick molt back to bright in late fall, molt all wing feathers together
breast muscles
pectorals: 15% weight
supracoracoideus: variable, often 6%, up to 11.5% in hummers
can add to 25% of weight
keel
protrusion on the breastbone that attaches supracoracoideus, a lack of this means the bird likely was not capable of flight
airfoil
shape, of wings and feather, blunt front and tapering in the back
forces of flight
lift: moves object up
drag: slow, move object down
thrust: move object forward
orders suliformes, pelecaniformes
traditionally 1 order but now 3, 6 families, coastal fish-eaters
brown pelican
formerly endangered by DDT pesticides, removed from list in 2009
double-crested cormorant
increasing rapidly, a management issue with aquaculture
arboreal hypothesis
tree-living birds glided between trunks, consistent with thecodont origin
cursorial hypothesis
ground-living birds hopped and jumped after prey, consistent with theropod origin
wing-assisted incline running hypothesis
newest idea from a study in patridges, noticed young flapped wings while running, thought was to decrease weight but noticed that flapping made birds heavier, so new idea was more traction
why is archaeopteryx not valuable for information on the early evolution of flight?
it has asymmetrical vanes, showing it is already advanced
wing loading
ratio of body mass to wing area
smaller number = gliding
larger number = better for takeoff, no long distances
variation can occur in wing shape even within species, like with the ____
rufous hummingbird
wing slots
gaps between primaries
non-flying birds…
live where flying is dangerous, flight is not necessary, need wings for other purpose
pelecaniformes and ciconiiformes
long-legged wading birds, mostly associated with shallow wetland and eating fish
most common IN pelecaniformes and ciconiiformes
great blue heron, green heron
long legged wading birds conservation
feathers used in fashion 1880-1910, causing many populations to decline
(T/F) gonad size changes with season
true
uterus function
part of the passage for eggs, different parts produce yolk, albumen (egg white), membranes, pigment, shell (layers added as the egg progresses)
egg production takes about ____ _____
24 hours
if a nest is destroyed during the laying period, how many eggs will a female produce?
one additional egg
factors affecting female reproductive success
clutch size ****, success/attempt **, # of broods/season, # breeding season, quality of mate
factors affecting male reproductive success
of mates **, # of breeding seasons, success/attempts, quality of mate
lots of strategies to resolve conflict (males shouldn’t be choosy, females should)
extra-pair copulations, rape (waterfowl), divorce
mating systems
regular patterns of who mates with whom
polygyny
one male, multiple females
polyandry
one female, multiple males
polygynandry
many types of pair bonds within the population
orders accipitriformes and falconiformes
hawks, falcons, traditionally placed in the same order but now split, no longer considered close relatives but can still be considered together ecologically
raptor
predatory carnivore, having talons/raptorial bill
accipitriformes and falconiformes conservation issues
used to be hunted as vermin, endangered species include snail kite and California condor, recovered species include peregrine falcon and bald eagle
factors affecting clutch size in variable species
time of season (earlier bigger), first clutches larger vs smaller replacement, older females bigger clutches, females in better condition have bigger clutches
indeterminate layers
lay enough eggs to get to a particular clutch size, even if some are lost
food limitation hypothesis
David Lack: average clutch size is the maximum number of nestings that parents can feed and nourish
tradeoff hypothesis
increased clutch size decreases female survivorship
predation hypothesis
smaller clutches in tropical areas with lots of predators
order gruiformes
includes families cranes, rails, coots, moorhens, limpkin, morphological linkages are internal
lateral compression
squeeze body between adjacent weeds: don’t rattle weeds so no predators locate (“Thin as a rail”)
sandhill cranes
jasper-pulaski wildlife area fall migration place that is now used almost all winter
whooping cranes
critically endangered, new program to make second migratory population, shootings in IN
cooperative breeding
helping someone else raise their young, while not trying to raise your own (often young from previous year)
common birds of brood parasitism
common goldeneye, wood duck, brown-headed cowbird, common cuckoo
intraspecific parasitism
put eggs in nest of own species
interspecific parasitism
put eggs in the nest of other species
obligate interspecific brood parasitism has evolved at least ___ times
7
brood parasitism is present in ___ species worldwide
80
how many eggs will a cowbird lay in a season?
40
order charadriiformes
plovers, sandpipers, gulls/terns, alcids, birds of the open shore/beaches/grasslands
charadriiformes game species
wilson’s snipe, american woodcock
marbled murrelet
alcid in the west coast, build nests in massive trees
brown-headed cowbird
major management issue in the east and midwest, associated with fragmented landscapes, follow buffalo-disturbed ground
collapse of host populations
kirtland’s warbler, least bell’s vireo
mafia behavior
lay egg in nest, if they respond puncture and throw other eggs out to force host to start fresh until eventually they don’t respond
song
complex, repeated, often by territorial males, learned
calls
shorter, simple, both sexes, used for flight/alarm/distress/flocking/etc.
syrinx
voice box, complex structure of muscles, bone membranes, air sacs
important parts of bird throat
internal tympaniform membrane, interclavicular air sac
in some groups songs are innate, such as in…
flycatchers, cowbirds
functions of song
identify singer species, identify singer as to individual
order columbiformes, cuculiformes, psittaciformes
doves and pigeons, cuckoos, parrots, “the higher nonpasserines”
order columbiformes, cuculiformes, psittaciformes extinct species
passenger pigeon (nest on trees too heavy, can be cut down collected killed, 60% adult survival), Carolina parakeet (mourning behavior got them shot)
thick-billed parrot
threatened, west Mexico, often caught with smugglers at the border
yellow-billed cuckoo
indicator species in western riparian forest (endangered habitat)
reasons for singing so many songs
larger repertoires are often more successful: hypothesis is that it takes time to learn so males that know more are older and are better
mimicry
how to cheat the system through learning songs quickly and be able to mimic sounds
dialects
local song type typical of a small region, common subject being the white-crowned sparrow
proventriculus
true stomach
orders strigiformes, caprimulgiformes
night birds, nightjars and owls and barn owls, crepuscular habits
nightjar habitat
openings, feed on insects, in IN we have eastern whip poor will and chucks will widow
barn owl
declining severely in midwest, endangered in IN, issues with us changing our farming to row-based
common nighthawk
nightjar, breeds in small towns and cities, populations declining, roofing materials changed and so did insect populations
why do birds join flocks?
increases ability to find food, reduced predation
how do flocks increase foraging success?
more effective space searching (parrots), faster searching for temporary food sources (cliff swallows), beater effect (harris’ hawk)
costs of flocking
sharing food, can attract predators, aggression from dominants
aggression and flock size
aggression decreases flock size under good conditions, increases flock size in bad conditions
