Chapter 17.2- Avian Anatomy and Physiology

Question 1

one of the most obvious features of a bird that allows it to fly

a characteristic unique to birds

Answer 1

feathers

Question 2

strong feather found on the bird’s body, wings and tail

provide for the streamlined shape by all pointing to tail

used in flight

Answer 2

contour feathers

Question 3

special contour feathers on the wings are known as

Answer 3

flight feathers

Question 4

soft, fluffy feathers close to the bird’s body that provide excellent insulation without adding much weight

Answer 4

down feathers

Question 5

the breast muscles weigh as much as ______ of its bodyweight

Answer 5

33%

Question 6

the stiff hollow quill of a feather

Answer 6

rachis

Question 7

flat area of the feather that pushes against the air

Answer 7

vane

Question 8

come out of the rachis

connect to form the vane

Answer 8

barbs

Question 9

hold together the several hundred barbs in each vane

Answer 9

barbules

Question 10

the feather’s design automatically changes its shape during flight in response to _________________ from the air

Answer 10

different pressures

Question 11

a special aileron consisting of three feathers

on the leading edge of a bird’s wing

Answer 11

alula

Question 12

serves as both rudder and elevator

Answer 12

tail

Question 13

embedded in the skin near the quill of each _____________ are nerve endings which convert the feathers into sensory receptors

Answer 13

flight feathers

Question 14

four main kinds of flight

Answer 14

powered flying
soaring
gliding
special flight patterns

Question 15

the larger the bird the _______________ it flaps its wings

Answer 15

slower

Question 16

kind of flight which travels the longest distance possible horizontally with the smallest possible loss of height

Answer 16

gliding

Question 17

flying in great circles, gradually attaining great height, then diving swiftly downward to start another spiral

Answer 17

soaring

Question 18

many avian bones are ______________ and filled with ____________

Answer 18

hollow
air

Question 19

a retractable group of feathers on the front of the wing

Answer 19

alula

Question 20

the most important flight muscles in a bird are the

Answer 20

pectoralis major (pull the wing down for the power stroke)

Question 21

the wing is raised after each power stroke by the

connect the sternum to the top of each wing similar to rope and pulley

Answer 21

pectoralis minor

Question 22

the seat of the bird’s intelligence

Answer 22

cerebrum

Question 23

relatively thin and contains no convolutions like those of man and mammals

Answer 23

cerebral cortex

Question 24

responsible for muscle coordination

Answer 24

cerebellum

Question 25

birds have poor senses of ___________ and ______________, but their sense of ____________ is very good

Answer 25

smell;taste
hearing

Question 26

the bird far surpasses the human in the ability to distinguish differences in _____________ and respond to the rapid fluctuations in _________________

Answer 26

intensity
pitch

Question 27

birds have a third eyelid called the

transparent membrane that allows the bird to “blink” and moisten its cornea without obstructing its vision

Answer 27

nictitating membrane

Question 28

most birds have tremendous

Answer 28

color vision

Question 29

striking patterns on the flowers visible only in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum

Answer 29

nectar guides

Question 30

birds must rapidly ____________ whatever they eat

Answer 30

digest

Question 31

can digest and excrete berries in 30 min

Answer 31

thrush

Question 32

special sac in the esophagus which serves as a storage chamber and releases food to the rest of the digestive system at the proper rate

Answer 32

crop

Question 33

the ____________- of birds consists of two primary chambers

Answer 33

stomach

Question 34

the second chamber of the bird’s stomach near the rear that is very muscular and is lined with horny plates that act like millstones to grind the food

serves the same purpose as molars

Answer 34

gizzard

Question 35

crushed food from the gizzard is emptied into the ______________
where digestion continues an nutrients are absorbed

Answer 35

intestine

Question 36

within the short intestine, digestion and absorption are completed and the remaining waste is readied for elimination in the

Answer 36

cloaca

Question 37

a special organ in young birds which lies close to the wall of the cloaca

at this site, the lymphocytes that aid in the immune system are produced

Answer 37

bursa of Fabricius

Question 38

birds display a unique ability to concentrate the ___________- that is collected by the kidneys

Answer 38

urine

Question 39

marine birds have been equipped with a special excretory gland which is located above each eye

allows marine birds to obtain much needed body water by simply drinking seawater and excreting the excess salt

Answer 39

salt gland

Question 40

the ______________________ system of birds is completely different than any other living vertebrate

Answer 40

respiratory

Question 41

when a bird inhales, fresh air passes through the trachea into large _______________ behind the lungs

Answer 41

air sacs

Question 42

cool the bird’s body systems during the vigorous muscular activity of flight

Answer 42

air sacs

Question 43

a special design in birds is the voice box or

Answer 43

syrinx

Question 44

the general pattern of __________________ in birds is not greatly different from that in mammals

Answer 44

circulation

Question 45

the principle that we learned in mammals about the heartbeat being proportional to body size ______________ for birds

Answer 45

holds

Question 46

bird blood looks that same as mammalian blood but contains _____________ red cells instead on __________ one

Answer 46

nucleated
nonnucleated