Final Review Flashcards
What are feathers made of? Where else can this be found
keratin:found on bird’s legs, feet, and bill als on the hair, hooves, claws, and horns of other animals
What is the difference between feathers with true pigment and those with reflected light?
True pigment comes from melanins carotenoids, and porphyrins. Reflected light has prism-like barbs that either reflect or refract light giving the illusion of a specific color.
What are the four main types of flying?
flapping, gliding, soaring, and hovering
What is the function of a bird’s tail?
helps the bird to steer and brake while flying
How do birds get the energy to power flight?
They have strong hearts that beat incredibly fast and are effective at absorbing oxygen.
How do birds walk?
Birds walk almost exclusively on their toes.
What is so special about bird bones?
Bird bones are pneumatic, which means that they are hollow, porous, and connected to their respiratory system.
What do birds have that compensates for their small lungs and lack of diaphragm?
Birds have air sacs, which allow them to breath continuously.
Why do birds need such large amounts of oxygen?
Birds need incredible amounts of oxygen to power their large flight muscles.
What are the two types of vision? Describe the benefits and drawbacks of each type
Monocular vision corresponds to birds that have eyes on either side of their head. It gives them a large field of vision, but they have poor depth perception. They can even use each eye for a different task. Binocular vision corresponds to birds that have both eyes at the front of their heads. This gives them a smaller field of vision, but greater depth perception.
How do songs differ from calls?
How do birds adapt to extreme weather or food shortages?
Some birds go into a hibernation state called torpor, others puff up their plumage and tuck their heads into their feathers, and others put on fat or reduce the blood flowing to their feet.
Describe a precocial chick.
Precocial chicks are incubated longer. They are born with their eyes open, covered in feathers and ready to walk. They may leave the nest within hours of hatching and find their own food, but are protected by their parents.
Of what material is an eggshell made?
Eggshells are made of calcium carbonate.
Why is Audubon considered the most influential ornithologist?
He created Birds of America, a book of 435 life-size watercolors of North American birds.
