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
