Final

Question 1

What are the changes that occur during a bird’s annual cycle?

Answer 1

Colors (molt), reproductive structures atrophy

Question 2

Typical cycle of a migratory bird

Answer 2

As day length increases, molt into breeding plumage, gonadal enlargement, pair formation.
As day length decreases migration, nesting, egg-laying and incubation

Question 3

Typical cycle of a non-migratory bird

Answer 3

in the presence of good food and mate: initiate breeding plumage, gonadal enlargement

If good food or mate are absent: non-breeding molt

Question 4

Light deprivation studies

Answer 4

in the absence of daylight cues, individuals typically follow a regular, near - 24 hr. cycle, but it gets off slightly

Question 5

Atypical examples of annual cycles of birds

Answer 5

the kingfisher delays having offpsring until late summer, when the fishing is better bc winter runoff has passed

Question 6

Origin of migration

Answer 6

increases fitness by making more food available to individuals

Question 7

Why migrate?

Answer 7

food availability

Question 8

How do migrating birds navigate?

Answer 8

They navigate using the magnetic fields of the earth, and also by sight, sun and moon and star position, and landmarks

Question 9

Differences between spring and fall migration

Answer 9

In spring, there are less birds, and the migration takes place much more rapidly. Males especially come back quickly to establish territories

In fall there are more birds, and the migration is much lazier

Question 10

How do migrating birds navigate?

Answer 10

They navigate using the magnetic fields of the earth, and also by sight, sun and moon and stars position, and landmarks

Question 11

Different migration strategies

Answer 11

Osprey have long, slow migrations
Eared grebes get really fat before migrating (store energy)
Arctic tern migrate only over the ocean, long distances

Question 12

What is the bottom line of breeding?

Answer 12

pass your genes onto the next generation. Includes direct offspring and related individuals’ offspring

Question 13

Differential investment in offspring (male vs female)

Answer 13

Sperm are cheap and eggs are expensive. Explains breeding patterns and the parental differences between the sexes

Question 14

Two hypotheses for elaborate plumage

Answer 14

Good genes - handicap and male health
arbitrary choice or runaway selection - female selection is no longer governed by fitness. They simply like bright colors

Question 15

What is the bottom line of breeding?

Answer 15

pass your genes onto the next generation.

Question 16

How can breeding be accomplished (two ways)?

Answer 16

Either by having your own offspring, or by helping raise related individuals’ offspring

Question 17

What is the typical size of a clutch?

Answer 17

Most have 3-6 eggs

Question 18

Why are bird eggs bright blue?

Answer 18

They signal the good genes of the female, incentivize male to provide for offspring

Question 19

Niche vs neutral theory

Answer 19

niche theory - distribution of species is explained by a set of conditions needed to thrive, each species thriving in its own niche
neutral theory - competing theory that says the pattern of distribution of species is totally random

Question 20

Island biogeography theory

Answer 20

You can know (estimate) about the number of species that an island (or other isolated chunk of habitat) can support by knowing its size and shape

Question 21

Purpose of nests

Answer 21

protection against predators and protects the eggs and incubator against the elements

Question 22

nest parasitism (species, reasons, implications, etc.)

Answer 22

conspecific brood parasitism common in ducks, common cuckoo parasitizes wrens

Question 23

nest parasitism (species, reasons, implications, etc.)

Answer 23

conspecific brood parasitism common in ducks, common cuckoo parasitizes wrens

Reasons: either the parents cannot tell the difference between the eggs / offspring (recognition error), or mafia hypothesis
Implication: areas with high parasitism have egg speckles which closely resemble each other, making it easier to detect the mimic

Question 24

Definition of a population

Answer 24

A group of individuals of the same species interbreeding and found in the same space at the same time

Question 25

BIDE factors

Answer 25

The number of individuals in a pop. is governed by four factors:
B - births
I - immigration
D - deaths
E - emigration

Question 26

Lambda

Answer 26

N+1 / N - gives the population growth rate. >1 is growing, <1 is shrinking

Question 27

What are models?

Answer 27

qualitative generalizations of nature. They are always wrong, but some are useful, meaning they are always simplified but some can be used to make some reasonable predictions about future events

Question 28

What is a community?

Answer 28

A group of species coexisting in the same area at the same time

Question 29

How does rarity relate to populations?

Answer 29

5 most common bird species make up 55% of birds in an avian community.
Most species are rare.

Question 30

Island biogeography theory

Answer 30

You can know (estimate) about the number of species that an island (or other isolated chunk of habitat) can support by knowing its size and shape and distance from other islands

Question 31

Extinction

Answer 31

Most species live 1 - 11 million years

Five mass extinctions, some consider us in the sixth mass extinction

Question 32

How many birds are currently threatened, extinct, ect.?

Answer 32

Since 1600 at least 131 bird species have gone extinct.
532 endangered
674 vulnerable

Question 33

North American bird population trends

Answer 33

About half are declining, half are either increasing or stable

Question 34

Conservation failures

Answer 34

Dodo, Great auk, Carolina parakeet, labrador duck, passenger pigeon

Question 35

conservation successes

Answer 35

bald eagle, peregrine falcon, wood duck, wild turkey, whooping crane, California condor

Question 36

Conservation failures

Answer 36

Dodo, Great auk, Carolina parakeet, Labrador duck, passenger pigeon

Question 37

Contemporary issues

Answer 37

brood parasitism - forest fragmentation and edge effect put more species at risk because the common cuckoo is an edge specialist
habitat destruction - declining habitat is the biggest issue
feral cats - they eat lots of birds!
BASH - bird aircraft strike hazard