Week Two: Avian Nursing Part 1 Flashcards
What is the purpose of primary feathers?
Feathers for flying. “Flight feathers”
What are the only feathers we trim on a bird?
Primary feathers
What are secondary feathers?
Flight feathers along the radius and ulna
Where are contour feathers found?
Along the body
What are down feathers and what are the two types?
Fluffy feathers; oil or powder
What are the main parts of a feather?
Rachis (hard spine), barbs (feathery big parts that stick out), and barbules (soft feathery small parts)
What is the difference between the pterylae area and the apterylae areas?
Pterylae- feathered places
Apterylae- spots that do not have feathers (like around eyes and beak)
What is the keel?
The breastbone on flight birds
What are some examples of fused bones on birds?
Synsacrum and pygostyle
Where is the synsacrum found? Where is the pygostyle found?
Synsacrum- around pelvis area
Pygostyle- fused coccygeal area; tail area
What are the hollow bones on a bird called and where are they found?
Pneumatic bones; femur and humerous
What is the difference between cere and operculum?
Cere- around the nares
Operculum- flappy thing over the nares
What is different about birds’ tracheal rings?
The are complete rings
What is different about avian’s breathing mechanisms?
They have no diaghragm
What is a syrinx?
Voicebox of avians
What do air sacs hold? (be specific, don’t just say air!)
Warm air
Why is an understanding of the renal portal system important when dealing with drugs in avians?
If we give drugs on the bottom half of an avians body, the drug will go through the kidneys before it reaches the heart
What is the difference between urine and urates?
Urine- urine
Urates- Whity, chalky pee
What is the coelomic cavity?
Thoracic and abdomen cavity of avians (both together)
What is the crop?
Pouch in the avian’s esophagus that has food in it
What is the proventriculus of an avian?
the narrow glandular first region of a bird’s stomach between the crop and the gizzard
What is the ventriculus of an avian?
Gizzard, grinding of the food happens here
Male avian sex organs are _____
Internal
How do you determine the sex of an avian?
Visual, surgical (using an endoscope), or blood tests
Avian’s RBCs are _____
Nucleated
What does polychromasia mean?
Many colors
Heterophils are equivalent to what?
Neutrophils
What are thrombocytes?
Nucleated platelets
What is the difference between molting and preening?
Molting- new feathers coming in
Preening- fixing feathers
What are some normal parrot behaviors?
Bathing and preening, playing, sleeping, regurgitation if they like you, pinning (flashing), shivering and fluffing, vocalizing
What is pinning/flashing?
Pupil changes size rapidly
What are some abnormal parrot behaviors?
Feather destruction, sitting on the cage floor, fluffed feathers, regurgitation and vomiting, sudden friendliness, no poop, mouth breathing, falling
What are some normal cockatoo behaviors?
Biting (they find it funny), talking, being curious/destructive
What are some common breeds of cockatoos?
Umbrella, Moluccan, Rose-breasted, Sulphur-crested, Goffin’s
What are some normal behaviors for Budgerigar’s?
Very social with other birds, preening, food sharing, being flighty around humans
What is some normal traits of Eclectus?
Sexually dimorphic (males are green, calmer, and less aggressive while females are red and mean like in real life), generally quieter and less active
What are some traits of cockatiels?
Sweet, feisty, social, vocal (good at whistling and singing)
What are some traits of African Greys?
Extremely intelligent, they don’t have a preen gland which means they have powdered downs, great vocalizers, cautious, prone to feather destruction under stress or boredom, dusty
What are some common species of African Greys?
Congo (black beaks and bright red tails), Timneh
What are some traits of lovebirds?
Likely to whistle or sing, more people-friendly when housed alone, protective of cage mates
What are some traits of Macaws?
Largest of the commonly owned parrots, loudest birds, active and vocal, can learn words, stress leads to feather plucking, LARGE amounts of poop, very strong beaks
What are some traits of Conure?
Smaller parrots, active and vocal, very close with owners but can nip and bite
What are some common species of Conure?
Sun, Green-cheeked
What are some traits of Amazons?
Big-bodied (chubs), good talkers, need interaction and toys
