Ornithology (Birds) Part 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

What two characteristics are diversity related to?

A

Sustained flight and endothermic metabolism

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2
Q

What defines Passeriformes?

A
  • 60% of all bird species
  • Finches, canaries
  • “Perching birds” or “Song birds”
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3
Q

What defines Psittaciformes?

A
  • Stout, hooked bill
  • Upper mandible is moveable
  • Parrots
  • Macaws
  • Cockatoos
  • Lories
  • Parakeets
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4
Q

What defines Piciformes?

A
  • Enlarged bill
  • Picidae - Woodpeckers
  • Ramphastidae - Toucans
  • Barbets
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5
Q

What defines Strigiformes?

A

Owls

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6
Q

What defines Falconiformes?

A

Raptors

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7
Q

What defines Ciconiiformes?

A

Wading birds such as herons and cranes

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8
Q

What defines Galliformes?

A

Fowl (Poultry, pheasants)

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9
Q

What defines Columbiformes?

A

Pigeons and doves

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10
Q

What defines Anseriformes?

A

Waterfowl

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11
Q

What does Zygodactyl mean?

A

Having two toes pointed forward and two backward

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12
Q

What does Anisodactyl mean?

A

Having 3 toes facing forward and one at the back

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13
Q

What anatomical adaptations enable flight?

A
  • Weight reduction
  • Hollow bones
  • Shortened GI tract
  • No teeth
  • Oviparous (lay eggs)
  • Air sacs
  • High metabolism
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14
Q

What are the two layers of skin?

A

Epidermis (pliable) and Dermis

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15
Q

What is the outermost layer of the Epidermis called, and what does it consist of?

A
  • Stratum corneum
  • Consists of flattened, keratinized cells
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16
Q

What is the basal layer of the Epidermis called?

A

Stratum germintivium

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17
Q

What does the dermis contain?

A
  • Blood vessels
  • Nerves
  • Smooth muscle that controls feather growth and movement
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18
Q

Do birds have sweat glands and sebaceous glands?

A

No!

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19
Q

How do birds keep cool?

A

They cool themselves with gular panting/fluttering

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20
Q

What glands do birds have?

A
  • Lacrimal glands (Eyelid)
  • Uropygial gland (Found in most species, found at tail base, secretes oil to preen)
  • Keratinocytes: produce lipids keratin. Skin is an ‘oil-producing’ gland
  • Gland external ear canal
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21
Q

Description of claws.

A
  • Toes, some on wings
  • Pectinate middle claws
    (Comb-like edges used for grooming)
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22
Q

What areas are featherless?

A
  • Cere (nostrils)
  • Cheek patches
  • Podotheca (The non-feathered areas of the legs and feet)
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23
Q

What is a brood pouch?

A
  • Females have a brood pouch for their eggs
  • Direct body heat keeps them warm
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24
Q

What 3 types of feathers do birds have?

A

1) Contour (Flight and body)
2) Semiplume (Bristles/hairs)
3) Plume (Down)

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25
Q

What are Contour feathers and what do they look like?

A
  • Cover the surface of the bird
  • Flight feathers are long, stiff, asymmetrical
  • Tail feathers - Symmetrical on both sides
  • Built with durability
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26
Q

What are Semiplume feathers and what do they look like?

A
  • Specialized feathers
  • Mostly hidden underneath outer feathers
  • Appear fluffy; great for insulation
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27
Q

What are Plume feathers and what do they look like?

A
  • Down feathers
  • Helps keep bird warm/thermoregulate
  • Soft
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28
Q

What is a barb and barbule?

A
  • The central rachis (shaft) branches into barbs and then further into barbules
  • Creates a structural network that is almost weightless yet very strong
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29
Q

What do feathers provide?

A
  • Provide insulation (Smooth muscle attaches to the follicles)
  • Courtship
  • Molting (1-2 times /year)
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30
Q

What is a blood feather?

A
  • Still growing with a blood supply
  • Protected by a sheath
  • Damage to sheath can cause severe bleeding
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31
Q

Name 2 sensory organs.

A
  • Eye
  • Ear
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32
Q

Vision of birds.

A
  • Excellent vision
  • Different colours
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33
Q

What is a Sclerotic ring?

A
  • Bones support front of the eye
  • Muscle attachment
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34
Q

What is the Pectin?

A
  • Vascular fringe
  • Nourishes the retina
  • Controls the pH of the vitreous body (Clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina)
35
Q

How many eyelids do birds have?

A

3
- Upper
- Lower
- Nictitating (Protection)

36
Q

Do birds eyes move?

A

No, their eyes are fixed. They rotate their head.

  • Birds can also keep their eyes dilated / control the pupil when light is directed towards the eye.
37
Q

How do birds hear?

A
  • They have no pinna (external ear)
  • The external canal is covered by feathers
38
Q

What keeps a bird lightweight for flight?

A
  • Reduced number of bones
  • Hollow (pneumatic) bones
  • Fused bones
39
Q

Name the fused bones in a bird.

A

Pectoral girdle
- Furcula (wishbone), fused clavicles

Keel
- Sternum

Synsacrum
- Sacrum + lumbar vertebrae

Carpometacarpus
- Carpal + metacarpal

Tarsometatarsus
- Tarsal + metatarsal

40
Q

What is the crop?

A

Storage, crop ‘milk’

41
Q

What is function of the Proventriculus?

A

Secretes digestive enzymes and HCL

42
Q

What is the function of the Gizzard or Ventriculus?

A
  • Mechanical breakdown of food
  • Thick muscular part of the stomach
  • Grind rocks and grit
43
Q

Function of the liver.

A
  • Fat absorption,
  • Bile salts and acids
44
Q

What is the function of the Duodenum?

A

Enzymatic digestion and nutrient absorption

45
Q

What is the function of the pancreas?

A

Enzyme secretion; bicarbonate; insulin/glucagon

46
Q

What is the function of the Small Intestines?

A

Nutrient adsorption

47
Q

What is the function of the Caecum?

A

Microbial digestion / fermentation
- Increased surface area

48
Q

What is the function of the Colon?

A

Water and electrolyte adsorption

49
Q

What is the function of the Cloaca?

A
  • Coprodeum: feces
  • Urodeum: Urinary/reproductive
  • Proctodeum: Burse of fabricius and excrement (waste matter) voiding
50
Q

Why is nutrition in birds so important?

A
  • They need food with high-energy values to maintain high body temperature.
  • They have limited fat storage capacity = cannot survive long without food
  • Birds that eat grain need more mechanical breakdown than those that eat meat
51
Q

What does the Basal Metabolic Rate (kcal/day) =

A

BMR (kcal/day) = BW 0.75 x 129 for passerine birds

52
Q

What 3 areas are used for fat storage?

A
  • Clavicular area
  • Abdominal area
  • Each side of ribs
53
Q

What can Psittacines (Parrots) eat?

A
  • Commercial pellets (80%)
  • Green vegetables
  • Rice
  • Fruit
  • Mixed seeds, nuts
  • Ca supplement
  • Iodine supplement for budgies
  • Do not need grit
54
Q

What can Anseriformes (Waterfowl) eat?

A
  • Commercial duck pellets or poultry maintenance
  • Grains
  • Greens
55
Q

What do Falconiformes (Birds of prey) and Strigiformes (Owls) eat?

A
  • Whole animals
  • Supplemented meat
56
Q

What do Passeriformes (Song birds, Soft bills) eat?

A
  • Mixed fruit
  • Insects
  • Commercial rations
57
Q

What do Columbiformes (Pigeons and Doves) eat?

A
  • Commercial pellets
  • Mixed seeds
  • Fruits
  • Green vegetables
58
Q

Respiratory System in birds.

A
  • No diaphragm (coelom)
    Trachea
  • Complete cartilage rings

Reduced Larynx
- Glottis protects trachea entrance
- No epiglottis

Syrinx: At base of trachea
- Sound protection

Lungs
- Do not expand during inspiration
- One-way airflow

59
Q

What are air sacs? How many?

A
  • 8-9 Air sacs
  • Communicate with humerus (pneumatic bones)
  • Like “bellows” push air through lungs
    Most air sacs are paired (except clavicular, cervical)
60
Q

How is the vertebrate respiratory system efficient?

A
  • All air is exchanged with each breath
  • 2 2 full cycles move air through
61
Q

How is the Sternum involved in air flow?

A

The sternum is lowered to enlarge air sacs and draw air in, and then contracted to force air from sacs through the lungs

62
Q

How is the rate of breathing inversely related to size?

A

The larger size reduces respiratory rate.
- 2-gram hummingbird breaths 143/minute
- 10 kg turkey breaths 7/minute

In flight respiratory rates increase 12-20 times resting rates.

63
Q

What happens during the first inhalation?

A
  • Air flows through the trachea and bronchi and primarily into the posterior (rear) air sacs
  • On exhalation, air moves from the posterior air sacs and into the lungs
64
Q

What happens during the second inhalation?

A
  • Air moves from the lungs and into the anterior (front) air sacs
  • On exhalation, air moves from the anterior air sacs back into the trachea and out
65
Q

How many chambers in the heart?

A

Four-chambered heart

66
Q

Which side does the Aorta curve to?

A

To the right

67
Q

Efficient delivery of oxygen is essential due to?

A

High metabolic rate

68
Q

A Renal Portal system is found in what species?

A
  • Birds
  • Amphibians
  • Reptiles
  • Fish
69
Q

Discuss the Renal Portal System.

A
  • Blood drains from the caudal body and passes through the kidneys
  • Nephrotoxic drugs?
  • Drugs cleared by the kidneys?
  • Most injections will be given in the cranial part of the body
70
Q

What do a bird’s erythrocytes look like?

A
  • Nucleated
  • Oval shape
  • Centrally positioned nucleus
  • Larger than a mammal’s RBC
71
Q

What do immature erythrocytes look like?

A
  • Rounder
  • Cytoplasm is more basophilic
  • Chromatin (nucleus) is more dispersed
72
Q

What do a birds Thrombocytes look like?

A
  • Nucleated (Higher nuclear : cytoplasmic ratio)
  • Smaller and rounder than RBCs
73
Q

What do Heterophils (neutrophils) look like?

A
  • Round, colourless cytoplasm (Not visible)
  • Eosinophilic (pink) rod shaped granules
  • Toxic heterophils nuclear hypersegmentation
74
Q

What do Eosinophils look like?

A
  • Irregular with round granules
  • Nuclei are lobed
  • Cytoplasm is pale blue
75
Q

What do basophils look like?

A
  • Round with a round nucleus
  • Nucleus is centrally located light blue
  • Cytoplasmic granules stain deep purple
  • Often hide the nucleus
76
Q

What do lymphocytes look like?

A
  • Round nucleus
  • Cytoplasm varies; narrow band to abundant
  • Cytoplasm of reactive lymphocyte is darker blue
77
Q

What do Monocytes look like?

A
  • Larger and round/irregular
  • Nucleus is off centre, round or bi-lobed
78
Q

What does a bird have instead of a bladder?

A

Urodeum of the cloaca
- No bladder

79
Q

What is the Metanephric kidney?

A
  • Adhered to the lumbosacral backbone area
  • Tri-lobed: Cranial, middle, and caudal
80
Q

What does a bird produce in the urogenital system?

A

Produce urate (uric acid)

81
Q

Discuss the males Urogenital system.

A
  • Paired testis within the coelomic cavity cranial to the kidneys
  • Enlarge seasonally
  • Sperm passes via vas deferens to the Urodeum
82
Q

What does a female birds Urogenital system consist of?

A

1) Infundibulum
2) Magnum (albumen)
3) Isthmus (shell membranes)
4) Uterus (calcified shell)
5) Vagina with egg inside

83
Q

How do birds mate?

A
  • Sexual dimorphism
  • Copulation in birds involves meeting of the cloaca (cloacal kissing)
  • Some species possess a phallus (waterfowl, herons, flamingos, emus/ostriches)
84
Q

What is the phallus and where is it found?

A
  • Its on the ventral aspect of the Proctodeum
  • Groove guides the semen into the female’s cloaca