Raptor stuff Flashcards
What class name includes all birds
“Aves”
What order is used for Bird of Prey/Raptors and what are the characteristics of these animals
“Falconiformes”
- Hooked bills
- soft skin at base of bill
- Sharp curved talons
- Opposable hind toes
- Keen vision
In diurnal BOP is there sexual dimorphism
Same coloration between sexes but females tend to be larger. Most birds have a fusiform body shape (rounded and tapered at ends) to reduce drag
Name 4 types of wing feathers and their uses
- Primary flight feathers are the largest, connected to hard bones, and are used for propulstions during flight
- Secondary flight feathers fun along the forearm and provide lift in flight
- Alula feathers are small feathers attached to the thumb bone and increase lift by reducing air turbulence
- Covert feathers cover the base of the flight feathers allowing smooth airflow
How does wing shape differ between birds
Depend on bird’s foraging behavior.
-Falcons have relatively long, narrow, and sharply angles wings for chasing or diving.
- Hawks have short, rounded wings for short bursts of speed and manuverability while chasing prey in dense vegetation
- Osprey have long, rounded wings for stablility when flying close to water/land seeking prey
What are the components of the eye in BOP
- Protected by an upper and lower eyelid
- also has a nictitating mebrane that moves across the eye to keep the eye moist
- Most hawks, eagles, and falcons have a distinctive shelf (eyebrow) above and in front of the eye thought to shade and provide some protection to the eye
What are the components of the beak in BOP
- Made of bone and covered in keratin places
- Strongly hooked at the tip and sharp on edges
- Base of the upper bill is soft and fleshy
What are the components of the tail in BOP
- Tail feathers are attached to the pygostyle (tail bone)
- Tail shape and length depends on bird’s hunting technique
- Falons (fast, open flight) tend to have short tails
- Hawks (fast maneuverability) have long tails
- Forked tails provide extra lift as birds fly at slow speed to get insects
What are the components of the skin in BOP
- Stored fat attached to the innermost layer of skin helps prevent heat loss and provide energy during migration
- Smooth muscles in the skin allow birds to fluff feathers (trapping air for insulation)
- Most birds have a uropygial (preen gland) located on the upper surface of the rump and covered by feathers. Gland secretes oils believed to help waterproof feathers and condition exposed skin
What are the 6 types of feathers and their uses
- Vaned feathers (two types): contour feathers used for streamlining and flight feathers
- Down feathers: short, fluffy, insulating feathers usually under contour feathers
- Semiplume feathers: intermediate in structure between contour and down feathers, mainly used for insulation
- Filoplume feathers: long whiplike shafts usually assocaited with flight feathers believed to have a sensory funtion
- Bristels: modified, vaneless contour feathers found around the eyes, nostrils, or mouth, thought to protect these parts
- Powder down feathers: only feathers that continuously grow, scattered throughout and tips crumble into a powder to waterproof and preserve feathers
What are the characteristics of molting in BOP
- Most birds molt once a year after the breeding season
- Feathers are molted in sequential pattersn so at no time are birds flightless
- Most birds take 4-8 weeks to molt but large eagles may take two years
- Some birds molt for a couple months, stop while migrating, then resume in their winter quarters
What does migration look like in most BOP
- True migration involves a seasonal movement between breeding regions and a nonbreeding/wintering region
- Migration is used to enhance chances of survival for birds with harsh wintering breeding grounds and to allow them to have a place w/ abundant resources for young
- Most routes have a north and south direction
- Migrating birds have an internal calendar start migration
- Most diurnal BOP are not true migrators
What is the eyesight of BOP like
- Eyes are proportionally larger than other vertebrates allowing larger and sharper visual images
- Retina have more rods and cones allowing better visual acuity
- BOP have two fovea (humans have one) allowing them to see a wider range of colors and UV light
- have more sensory cells in the upper half of the retina allowing them to see above them better and is why they scan the sky with head upside down
- Thought that birds of prey have vision 3x better than humans but depends on bird
what are some of the characteristics of vocalizations in BOP
- Typically vocalize in defense of territory and when courting mates
- Vocals are not melodic but a series of short, loud calls/whistles
What tastes are birds of prey able to sense
sweet, salt, sour, and bitter
What are tominal teeth
cutting edges on the upper bill that match grooves on the lower bill
