Lecture 1 Flashcards
All birds belong to the kingdom of ____, Phylum of _____ and Class of ____
Kingdom Animalia
phylum Chordata
Class Aves
There are ___ different orders within the Class Aves of birds, these make up the different, it is further subdivided into different
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Different types of birds
Families, genus and species
What are Galliformes
Landfowl
Heavy bodied, ground feeding birds
Chickens, turkeys, grouse
Often meat birds
Males are typically more colourful
Typically have 4 toes -3 large toes in front and 1 small toe in the back
What are anseriformes
Waterfowl
Over 170 species in 3 families
Includes ducks, geese, swans etc
Often have large flat beak
Adapted for aquatic life at the water surface
Have webbed feet
What are Ratites
Any of a diverse group (including many different orders) of large flightless birds, most of which are extinct.
These birds have no keel (flattened sternum for flight feathers to attach to) so they lack a sting anchor for wing muscles (some birds may have an underdeveloped keel)
Poorly developed wings but have highly developed legs
Have 2, 3 or 4 toes that all point forwards
Includes: ostrich, emu, kiwi, rhea and cassowary
What are the 3 families in 3 orders of the raptors, which ones are diurnal or nocturnal
Falconiformes: diurnal (falcons)
Accipitriformes: diurnal (eagles, hawks and some vultures)
Strigiformes: nocturnal (owls)
What is diurnal vs nocturnal
Diurnal: active during the day
Nocturnal: active at night
Describe raptors
Only one jaw is mobile (like in humans)
A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts for food primarily using its talons (carnivores)
Have a characteristic curved tip to their beak and have superb vision and powerful claws
What are psittaciformes (psittacines)
Parrots: almost 400 different species in over 90 different genera
Overhanging, strong curved upper beak (both upper and lower beaks are mobile and sensitive)
Opposing toes (2 forward and 2 back) for climbing
Eyes are placed high and wide on the skull for a uniquely wide field of vision
Prized for their brightly coloured plumage due to special pigments and feather arrangements
Many species can talk and they are intelligent
Some may be tropical to subtropical
What are the most dangerous parts of a raptor? How about a parrot?
Raptor: claws
Parrots: beaks
Compare and contrast birds of prey and prey birds eye sight
Birds of prey: good vision for depth and distance
Prey: good vision for wide range and attack from behind
What is the dory of most parrots
Seeds Nuts (for strong beaks) Fruits Buds Other plant material (tubers and corms)
How to most parrots nest
Hollow trees or nesting boxes
What are the 3 “superfamilies” or parrots
True parrots (psittacoidea): lories and lorikeets (better eating, brushed tongue) including Macaws, conures, eclectus parrots, Amazon parrots, African grays, budgerigar and many others from Africa/Australia
Cockatoos (Cacatuoidea) the only crested parrots
New Zealand parrots (strigopoidea) not commonly kept as pets
Describe cockatoos
Crested (mobile head feathers raised for display)
Not as colourful as other parrots
Native to Australia
21 different species of cockatoos (including cockatiels) -these are not breeds but truly different species
Describe the cockatiel (cockatoo species)
Smallest and easiest then keep of the cockatoos
Live in pairs or small groups in the wild
Very popular
Adult males are more brightly coloured
(Females have grey faces, differences only visible after the first moult)
Newer “fancier” cockatiels may not be able to distinguish sexes
Crests erect: when startled, during mating or when aroused
Describe true parrots: lories and lorikeets
Live in trees
Feed in nectar and soft fruits
Colourful
From Australia
Small to medium sized
Weird brush tipped tongue for nectar and fruit
Messy eaters and very territorial (may bite)
Describe the African grey parrot
Large parrot
Feather dander give a fine white powder coating to beaks
Endangered in the wild
Describe eclectus parrots
Females are red and more likely to bite
Males are green
Quieter and less active than other birds
Long digestive tract and require fiber (eats fruits, figs and buds)
From australasia
Describe macaws
Larger beaks and longer tails than other parrots
Very strong beaks: crack hard and large nuts (also eats fruits, leaves, flowers and stems)
Active and vocal
Require a large cage (#one reason they are abandoned)
Make a lot of feces
Found in the americas
Describe budgerigar (budgies)
Small
Active and social (better in pairs or groups)
Sex is based on the color of the cere (on the nostrils) males are blue, females plate brownish pink
Native to Australia
Can have a huge vocabulary
Describe lovebirds
Small parrot
Affectionate
Monogamous pairs sit together for long periods of time (these need a pair)
Eat fruit, vegetables, grasses and seeds
African
What are passeriformes (passerines)
The largest order of birds (half of all bird species)
These are the “perching” birds
Includes our native wild song birds as well as canaries and finches which can be kept as pets (passer domesticus is the house sparrow)
Three front toes and one hind toe (some raptors and galliforms have this arrangement)
Describe zebra finches
Very common in Australia
Colonial seed eaters
Song birds
Males: have banding on the neck, bright orange cheeks, darker red beaks)
Females are most grey
Many species of birds require how many hours of enrichment a day
1-2 hours
Describe feather picking
A behaviour seen in bored birds (can also be from disease)
It is the most common reason birds are seen in clinic
Usually behavioural (boredom, frustration, poor socialization early in life, etc)
Can be due to medical reasons (mites, skin disease, injury, nutritional deficiency)
Most birds with bite if they are not
Handled frequently or socialized at a young age
Feather picking in small birds is mostly due to
Medical reasons
feather picking in large birds is most likely due to
Behavioural problems
Describe how cages should generally be for all birds
At least large enough for the bird to fully stretch its wings and actively move around (the bigger the better)
At least two perches of different thickness (avoid sand paper) (real branches are best)
Ladders
Toys (rotate for best enrichment practices)
Often have a grated floor, covered with bedding as part of the play/exercise area (good covering to prevent damage to the claws) newspaper works best
Describe the need of water for birds
Free choice water In a bowl
The bowl will get soiled by feces, may be used as a bath or to get food wet so change frequently
May also teach bird to use a supper bottle (should still have a bathing area or mist with a spray bottle)
Describe feeding birds
Birds eat A LOT of food relative to their size -very fast metabolism that burns through food very fast for energy
Try to find ways to have birds forage for food (enrichment)
Bird seen can be a problem (rarely a balanced diet, too high in fat and deficient in nutrients)
Formulated food (pellets) appropriate to size and type of bird.
For parrots, feed about 70-80% diet of pellets add fresh fruits and vegetables to 20-30% of diet (wash and peel first)
Describe exercise birds need
Make sure the area is safe (close windows, turn off burners and fans, remove other pets, cover bodies of water)
Allow birds to fly around for a few hours a day
True or false
Birds are extremely sensitive to gases and scents
True
Why are birds a huge danger to birds
Cats carry a lot of bacteria in their mouths and claws, that can be rapidly fatal to birds
