Orders and their characteristics Flashcards
What are struthionformes and their characteristics
Ostriches
- largest living bird
-two toes per foot , an adaption for running
- do not bury heads
What are Rheiformes and their characteristics
Rhea
- Will flock up with deer and guanacos
-Traditionally hunted using bolas
-Feral population in germany
what are casuariformes and their characteristics
Cassowary
-Shy but tough
-Not to be messed with- human injuries
Emu
- Gregariou- sociable
-Not threatened
-Often farmed (meat, eggs and oils)
What are Apterygiformes and their characteristics
Kiwi
-Shy
-Secretive
-Nocturnal
-Flightless
-Eggs are 20% of female weight
-Threatened- introduced predators and habitat loss
What Tinamiformes and their characteristics
Tinamou and MOA
-Shy
-Secretive
-Not flightless
-Males simultaneous polygyny- a male associating with
-many females at once
-Female Sequential polyandry- mates with a male, lays eggs and then moves onto another male
What is Galloanserae
the fowl
What are anseriformes and their characteristics
Waterfowl
-Adapted to aquatic living
-Webbed feet
-Salt gland
-Lamellae
-Simultaneous moult
-Harvested
What are Galliformes and their characteristics
Landfowl
-Adapted to terrestrial living
-Prefer running to flying
-Rounded wings, large body
-Non-mogratory
-Harvested
Podicipediformes
=grebes
Freshwater diving birds
Lobed toes
Legs far back on the body
Very awkward on land
Floating nests
Hesperornithes
Phoenicopteriformes
=flamingos
Filter feeder- feed with head upside down
Color comes from beta-carotene in ingested bacteria (or brine shrimp)
Social
Oldest bird 83 years
Columbiformes
=Doves and Pigeons
Stout neck
Chunky birds
Short bills with freshy ceres
Eats seeds, fruit and plants
Can be very important to ecosystem health
Ridiculous nests, crop milk
Pteroclidiformes
=Sandgrouse
Treeless open habitat
Look like a cross between dove and a quail
Wings are sharp and pointed (fast flight)
Seed eaters
Mesitornithiformes
=Mesites
Almost flightless
Posses powder down which produces dust made of keratin
Forest and scrubland
Seed and insect eaters
Vulnerable
Cuculiformes
=Cuckoos
Wide range of habitats
Most sedentary
Quiet solitary. Heard more than seen
Insectivores
Famous for nest parasitism, but are minority
Musophagiformes
=Turacos
Banana eaters
Frugivores
Semi-zygodactyl- fourth outer toe can be switched back and fourth
Run through canopies
Weak flyers
Warn other species of danger - the go-away bird
Otidiformes
=bustards
World’s heaviest flier
Omnivores
Open, dry country
Males are two times heavier than females
Some have elaborate courtship displays
caprimulgiformes
=Nightjars and allies
Name- goat suckers
Nocturnal
Aerial insectivores
Keen eyesight
Excellent fyers
Do not build nest
Opisthocomiformes
Hoatzin
Smallest order
Eats leaves (80%) fruit
Uses bacteria in crop to breakdown/ ferment plant material(kind of like ruminant) aka stink birds
often debated phylogeny
Chicks have clawed wings
Gruiformes
=rails and allies
Diverse group
Many argue that suborder (cranes and rails are actually orders
+Cranes
Large
Long Necked
generalists - species that live in many different environments and have varied diet.
+Rails
Dense veg(skinny as a rail)
Many flightless species
Often endemic to oceanic islands- restricted to geographical area
Charadriiformes
=Waders, gulls, auks, and allies=
Very diverse group
Diverse mating and parental care systems
++Gulls++
Biparental
Monogamous
++Phalaropes++
Parental care, polyandrous (multiple 4e)
++Long distance wader migrants++
Maternal care
Lekking males - competitive display of courtships
Eurypigiformes
=Kagu and sunbittern=
++sunbitten++
flash fake eyes when threatened
++Kagu++
Almost flightless
Nasal corns
Phaethonotiformes
=tropic birds=
White bird
Elongated tail feathers
Legs far back from body
Plunge diving piscivore
Not a social feeder
All 4 toes connected by web
Gaviiformes
=Loons=
Freshwater breeding season, coastal in winter
Ridiculous nests
Legs are far very back on the body
Cannot take off from land
Sphenisciformes
=penguins=
Wedge wings- fly underwater
Countershade plumage
Largest emperor 35kg dives 560+m 22 min
Males winter in antarctica
Crested penguins - small A-egg
procellariiformes
=Tubenoses=
Seabirds
Tube noses help locate food (also drip salt
Big birds - long annual cycle
Monogamous
Stomach Oils (does not equal crop milk)
Longest Wingspan-wandering- albatross 3.6m
Some amazing migrations being discovered- Sooty Shearwaters 64,000km NZ -> AK
Pelecaniformes
=pelican, cormorants, boobies, and allies =
Piscivorous water birds
Much debated taxa- convergent evolution paraphyletic
Used to include all species with 4 webbed toes
Have gular patch on nostrils
Accipitriformes
=Hawks, eagles, vultures, and allies=
Most diurnal birds of prey
Primaries are emarginated
Strong talons
Often reverse sexually
Dimorphic and 2 ovaries
Strigiformes
=owls=
Solitary
Nocturnal
Silent killers
Powerful talons
Greathorded owl=13kg of force
How do you find a roost?
Owls often roost in dense evergreens. They’ll also perch close to the trunk in other kinds of trees, where they’re easier to spot once autumn leaves fall. Some species roost inside tree cavities, and you may be able to spot them looking out of the holes on warm days.
Coliiformes
=mousebirds=
Frugivore
Pamprodactyl feet- all four toes moved to font
Grey brown
Gregarious
Scurries through canopy
Long tail
Mouse like
Leptosomiformes
=cuckoo roller=
Tied with Hoatzin
Insects and lizards
Sexualy dimorphic
Who incubates?
Female incubation but she is feed by the male
Not threatened
Trogoniformes
=trogon=
Wet tropical forests
Weak legs
Heterodactyl feet- X shaped
Sexually dimorphic ?the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species
Both male and females incubate
Bucerotiformes
=Hornbills and Hoopoes=
++Hornbills++
2 fused upper vertebrae
Strong necks
Casques- upper mandible
Resonator
Battering ram
Maternal sacrifice
++Hoopoes++
Cavity nesters
Young and females secrete smelly liquid (uropygial)
Hiss like a snake and direct feces
Undulating flight- similar to woodpecker
Clutch size depends on location N-12e, tropics-4e
Piciformes
=woodpeckers and allies=
Woodpeckers, barbest, toucans and honeyguides
Zygodactyl - X shape, digit 2 and 3 are in front
Woodpeckers ands barbets are primarily cavity nesters
Frugivores (toucans and barbets seed dispersers
Coraciiformes
=Rollers, Kingfishers, and allies=
Colorful
Cavity nesters- banks
Syndactyly- digit 2 and 3 are fused
Kingfishers- global (-ant)
Capable of hovering
Heavy bills
Cariamiformes
=Seriemas=
Rarely fly but still roost and nest in trees
Convergent evolution with the secretary bird
Claw for tearing prey and fighting
Popular in zoos
Falconiformes
=Falcon=
Thin pointed wings
Fastest animal on planet
Kill with bite-tooth
Vision 2.6x better than ours
Historically used for hunting
Now also used in pest control
Psittaciformes
=parrots=
Strong bill, not fused to skull
Touch receptors in bill & tongue (bill tip organs)
Zygodactyl (2 & 3 forward)
Extremely intelligent (brain :body size ~ upper primates)
Long lived
Alex the African Grey- 100 words, 0-6, concepts, colours
Passeriformes
=songbirds=
Amazing vocals
3 toes forward
1 backwards tendon in leg tightens when leg bends
Small eggs, altricial chicks - born helpless and needs extensive parental care.
How do you find an Owl roost?
Owls often roost in dense evergreens. They’ll also perch close to the trunk in other kinds of trees, where they’re easier to spot once autumn leaves fall. Some species roost inside tree cavities, and you may be able to spot them looking out of the holes on warm days.
