Lecture 11- Introduction to Birds

Question 1

How old were the fossil feathers discovered in Koonwarra, Vic?

Answer 1

11O MYA

Question 2

How old were the penguins & dromornithid tracks?

Answer 2

30 MYA

-first recognizable fossils in Australia

Question 3

How old were the extensive fossils of wetland birds in Central Australia?

Answer 3

• 20 MYA

- also dicovered rare pigeons, eagles, rails, megapode & passerines

Question 4

What was the Dromornis stironi aka Giant Demon Duck of Doom?

Answer 4

-'Mihirung paringmal’ (giant bird)
•  central Australia - 15 mya
•  Flightless, weight 500+ kg, 3m tall
•  related to geese
-not clear what he ate, probably not carnivorous

Question 5

How many species of birds are there in Australia and what is their size range?

Answer 5

• 800

- range from 8g Weebill to 45kg Emu

Question 6

What are the four broad categories of birds in Australia?

Answer 6

1. Long-established non-passerines of Gondwanan origin (emus, cassowaries, parrots)
2. Australasian passerines descended from Corvid family (fairy-wrens, magpies, honeyeaters)
3. Recent colonists from Eurasia (swallows, larks, cisticolas, some raptors)
4. Introduced species (starling, blackbird, Indian mynah)

Question 7

What evolution is in play in the similarity of Australian birds to the Northern hemisphere?

Answer 7

-• however, these examples illustrate convergent evolution, not relatedness • most Aust spp. are corvids,descended from ancestors of the crow family

Question 8

What does corvid mean?

Answer 8

-descended from the ancestors of the crow family

Question 9

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 9

-Evolution of similar features in unrelated species
-• DNA studies allow origin and evolution to be unravelled
• prove that Aust birds not derived from northern hemisphere stock - more closely related to each other than to N.H. look-alikes

Question 10

What are the four mating strategies of birds?

Answer 10

• monogamy (M+F)
• polyandry (FMMM) =more males
• polygamy (MFFF) =more females
• {promiscuity (FFMM)?}=lot of males with lot of females

Question 11

What are the five parental care types in birds?

Answer 11

• biparental = both parents stay
• paternal or maternal=only one parent stays
• none
• mound-builders= build mounts of rotting vegetation that warms the eggs
• cooperative= in groups

Question 12

What are the surveying techniques for birds?

Answer 12

• census, monitoring
• capture and ringing
• DNA studies

Question 13

What is the Atlas of Australian birds project?

Answer 13

Aim: - collect info on distribution and abundance of Australian birds - involve community

• commenced in 1998
• voluntary based
• Some conclusions:
• some supposedly migratory species are not - winter movement of birds from SW & Tasmania to NT

Question 14

What is the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme?

Answer 14

-commenced 1953
-• Coordinates all banding – 600 banders, 80-100k birds/yr – central database – train & license banders
• Banding permits – A class project leader – R class experienced bander – C class trainee

Question 15

What do we learn from capture and ringing of birds?

Answer 15

• lifespan, movements, observations of behaviour

- international movements

Question 16

How does life span of birds vary?

Answer 16

• a lot

- 1-48 years

Question 17

What are the Wader birds an their characteristics?

Answer 17

• Wader birds(the ones near water) - migrating species (~3 million individuals)
• March - gather on Australian shores, then fly north
• 10-15,000 kilometers, lose 50% body mass

Question 18

What do the studies using colour-rings tell us about birds?

Answer 18

• dispersal • pair formation • breeding success • interactions
-can tell individuals apart even from a distance do not need to disrupt them as with normal banding to read the number

Question 19

What is the myswan.org?

Answer 19

• example of citizen science

- people report sightings of swans

Question 20

What do the DNA studies tell us about birds?

Answer 20

• DNA fingerprinting - mating systems
• Molecular sexing of monomorphic species
- captive management - studies of sex ratios

Question 21

How many taxa of birds are extinct and how many are threatened and why?

Answer 21

24 taxa extinct, 127 taxa threatened
– large birds (>500g) more likely to be threatened than secure
- smaller birds more likely to be secure than threatened

Question 22

Where do lot of the threatened taxa nest?

Answer 22

26% of threatened taxa nest in hollows – large owls & parrots in particular

• 23.3% are ground-nesting
• 50 of 133 island taxa are extinct/threatened

Question 23

What are the threatening processes for birds?

Answer 23

•  clearance for agriculture 
• grazing
• altered fire regimes	
• predation	
• direct exploitation 	
 - hunting	
- bird trade