Exam 3 Flashcards
what is a bird’s principal tool for handling food
Beak
these birds have beaks that are good for straining water.
Dabbling ducks, such as mallards
these birds have beaks that are serrated and help in grasping fish
Mergansers
these birds possess bills similar to dabbling ducks that are good for sifting mud and water
spoonbills and flamingos
these birds possess short bills with a hooked tip that are ideal for dismembering prey
Raptors, such as owls, hawks, and eagles
these birds have long bills that allow them to pluck distant fruit
Toucans and hornbills
where is the food usually stored
in the birds crop, part of the birds esophagus
what is the only bird that uses their crop as a fermentation chamber
Hoatzin
what 2 parts does the stomach have?
anterior glandular proventriculus and the posterior gizzard
what part of the stomach contains glands that secrete digestive enzymes?
Anterior glandular proventriculus
what is the gizzard’s main function?
to mechanically process food
where is the main site of chemical digestion is the _______ where enzymes break down the food into small molecules that can be absorbed across the intestinal wall.
intestine
these birds are primarily “hawkers”
flycatchers
what regulate with internal heat
endotherms
what has constant body temperature
homeotherms
what are some benefits of the avian lifestyle?
- can function at times, places that other animals cannot (cold weather, no sunlight)
- higher rates of enzymatic reactions enable them to outperform other animals.
what are some costs of the avian lifestyle?
- constant demands for energy
- must have highly efficient supply systems
- body temperature close lethal limit (115°F)
what describes bones that are filled with spaces and may contain air sacs
pneumatic
found only in birds, thin-walled, transparent sacs extending from the mesobronchi or the lungs to different regions of the body; they act as bellows to bring air the body and store it until expiration
air sacs
the hardening or calcification of soft tissue (such as cartilage or tendon) into bone or a bone-like material
ossification
in birds, usually refers to the lower half of the beak; the lower jaw
mandible
in birds, refers to the upper half of the beak; the upper jaw
maxilla
a bird’s upper and lower jaws, including the external covering. In current ornithological usage, synonymous with beak
bill
a bird’s upper and lower jaws, including the external covering. In current ornithological usage, synonymous with bill.
beak
the outer covering (sheath) of the beak
rhamphotheca
the ability of some birds to independent move or open the upper tip of a long bill, most often seen in birds that feed by probing in soil or mud
rhynchokinesis
the breastbone; it provides an attachment site for the ribs and pectoral muscles. In all flying birds except tinamous, the sternum has a keel (carina).
sternum
the rib cage; in birds it consists of the ribs connected to the thoracic vertebrae above and to the sternum below
thoracic cage
a mid-ventral ridge of bone that projects outward from the sternum and provides an attachment site for the pectoral flight muscles. Synonymous with carina
keel
a mid-ventral ridge of bone that projects outward from the sternum and provides an attachment site for the flight muscles. Synonymous with keel
carina
the segment of the vertebral column of birds that is formed by the fusion of some thoracic vertebrae with all of the lumber and sacral vertebrae and the first several caudal vertebrae
synsacrum
the tail bone of birds, formed by the fusion of the final several caudal vertebrae; it provides an attachment site for the flight feathers of the tail.
pygostyle
a V-shaped bone of the pectoral girdle in birds, formed by the fusion of the right and left clavicles with a small interclavical bone. Commonly called the “wishbone”
furcula
describes a structure with little current apparent function that is thought to be present solely because it derives from a structure that was function in an ancestor
vestigal
a modification of the side of the middle toe claw into a comb-like, serrated edge used for preening
pectinate claw
the two openings of the nasal cavity located in the upper beak, usually near its base
Nares
a leathery band of skin covering the base of the bill in some birds, into which the nostrils open
cere
birds in the order Procesllariiformes including albatrosses, shearwaters, fulmars, petrels, and storm-petrels-all of which have tube-shaped nares
tubenoses
the primary sound-producing organ of birds, located at the point where the trachea divides to form the two bronchi
syrinx
an enlargement of the lower esophagus that stores food in some groups of birds
crop
the muscular lower part of the avian two part stomach that grinds and softens food, often with the aid of stones held within
gizzard
the copulatory organ of male ratites and waterfowl, an elongated, spiral, ridged structure that erects during copulation. Sperm travel along its surface to reach the cloaca of the female.
cloacal phallus
nerve stimuli that give information on the position and movement of the body or parts of the body
proprioceptive
a relatively simple, rapid, and stereotyped response to a stimulus; it may be either automatic or learned
reflex
the part of the autonomic nervous system that acts on smooth muscle to reduce the heart rate and regulate physiology under non stressful conditions
parasympathetic system
the part of the autonomic nervous system that functions under conditions of stress, preparing the body for “fight or flight”
sympathetic system
the “third eyelid” of birds, a thin, translucent fold of skin that sweeps across the eye
nictitating
a depth cue that results from the motion of the observer, as objects that are closer move farther across the visual field than do objects that are more distant
motion parallax
the active ability of an organism to modulate its internal body temperature
thermoregulation
an organism able to use metabolic heat production to keep its internal body temperature within a restricted temperature range despite conditions in the surrounding environment
endothermic homeotherm
the range of ambient temperatures over which a bird does not require additional metabolic energy for the heating or cooling of its body
thermal neutral zone
a behavior of opening the bill wide and vibrating the thin gular membranes of the throat in order to dissipate heat via evaporative cooling
gular fluttering
the loss of heat via the energy required to evaporate water
evaporative cooling
changes in a bird’s physiology after it has been in a new environment for several days or weeks that allow it to function better in the new conditions
acclimatization
the ability to maintain core body temperature while allowing the temperature of the extremities to deviate from the core temperature
regional heterothermy
in birds, the direct exchange of heat between warm outgoing blood (such as that traveling to the feet in arteries) to adjacent returning cold blood (such as that returning from the feet in veins) that helps retain heat within the body
countercurrent heat exchange
a resting state in which the body temperature drops, metabolic processes slow, and reactions to external stimuli are slow or lacking
torpor
internal body temperatures higher than typical
hyperthermia
what is primary fuel for birds?
fat
do birds have a good sense of smell?
no
an organism that maintains its internal body temperature at a constant or nearly constant level regardless of environmental conditions
homeotherm
models of foraging behavior in which it is assumed that animals maximize their food intake while minimizing the overall costs of obtaining it, such as energy and time devoted to searching, capturing, and processing
optimal foraging theory
an organism that is able to use a wide range of some type of resource; for example, birds with ____ diets eat many different kinds of foods
generalist
an organism that uses only a narrow range of some type of resource; for example, birds with specialized diets eat only one or a few kinds of food.
specialist
an evolutionary interaction between two or more species in which both species evolve adaptations in response to the other
coevolution
