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36 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What does zoology mean?
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Zoology means the study of animals.
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What does taxonomy mean?
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Taxonomy means the grouping and naming of all living creatures based on shared features.
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What is the order of classification groups used in taxonomy?
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Kingdom
Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species |
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Describe how a tiger would be classified.
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Tigers are in the animal KINGDOM. They are vertebrates so are in the PHYLUM chordata. They are mammals so are in the CLASS mammalia. They are meat-eaters so their ORDER is carnivora. As they are only meat-eaters their FAMILY is Felidae, As they can roar their GENUS is Panthera. This genus consists of different SPECIES, one of which is tigers.
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What is the Binomial Nomenclature?
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The Binomial Nomenclature is the animal's genus and species. It is in latin and is the same the whole world over. The first word is capitalised and the second is lower case. It is written in italics. The Binomial Nomenclature for a tiger is Panthera tigris.
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Why can birds use their wings to fly but humans cannot use their arms?
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It is to do with the different shape and structure of wings and arms. Wings were designed to have lift and no drag. Arms were designed to carry and for balance.
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What is air pressure?
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Air pressure is the pressing down of air on an object. It can vary according to the circumstances.
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How are birds able to fly?
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The feathers on the wing are designed so that the air cannot flow through them. The wing takes up a special shape which makes the air flow much faster over the top surface of the wing than it flows below the under-surface of the wing when the bird is gliding through the air. The difference in air-speed (or air-pressure) between the top and bottom surfaces of the wings gives the wings a "lift" force which counteracts the force of gravity.
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What does habitat mean?
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Habitat is the natural conditions and environment in which an animal lives. Animals are designed for their natural habitat but can also adapt to new habitats.
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What is instinct?
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Instinct is a built-in need that makes an animal do something necessary for survival.
(Examples include a baby bird throwing its head back and crying for food, migrating,or birds building nests |
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What is extinction?
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Extinction is when every animal of a species has died.
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What are some of the reasons that animals become extinct?
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Extinction can be caused by a change in habitat, a catastrophe, being hunted for food or being shot as pests.
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What makes a bird a bird?
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A bird is an animal that has feathers.
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How is a bird classified?
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Kingdom - Animal
Phylum - Chordata (they have a backbone). Class - Aves |
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Are birds warm-blooded or cold-blooded?
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Birds are warm blooded. This means that their bodyheat stays the same even if the air temperature around them changes.
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What is the main benefit of birds?
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Birds stop the insect population from getting too large. Insect populations need to be controlled to stop them destroying crops or habitats.
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What are the distinctive features of a bird called?
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Field marks.
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Working from the front of the bird's head backwards what are the parts of a bird?
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Mandible (beak)
Forehead Crown (top of head) Nape Back Rump Tail |
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What are 'passerines'?
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Passerines are an order that makes up more than half of the birds in the world. They have feet that allow them to perch on branches with three toes pointing forward and one back. They are also all singing birds.
There are over 5,000 passerines. |
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How does a bird make a sound?
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A bird does not have a vocal chord. To make sounds vibrations are sent across the bird's voicebox called the 'syrinx.' Usually, the more muscles a bird has attached to its syrinx the more sounds that it can make.
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What is the difference between a bird call and a bird song?
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A bird call is a single sound; a bird song is a series of notes that have a pattern.
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What are some of the reasons that birds sing or call?
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To attract a mate, to define and defend its territory, to warn of anger or to commence a migration.
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What are the five types of feather called?
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Contour feathers
Down Feathers Semiplumes Filoplumes Bristles |
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How many feathers does a bird have?
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The Tundra Swan has 25,000 (to help keep it warm) but the South American hummingbird only has a few thousand.
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What happens when a bird molts?
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It loses its old, damaged feathers and replaces them with new feathers. If this were not done the bird's ability to fly would be lessened.
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What is a molt sequence?
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Each species has its own order of losing feathers and its own time to molt.
When a wing feather molts it usually falls off with another feather located in the exact same place on the opposite wing. If it did not do so it would not be able to fly straight. This is symmetrical molting. |
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What are the basic parts of a feather called?
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Shaft.
Quill. Vane. |
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What does the quill do?
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It is at the bottom of the shaft and is where it is attached to the bird. Also here are special muscles that allow the bird to raise or lower its feathers.
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What is the shaft made of?
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The shaft is made of keratin. As this is what our fingernails are made of they can be clipped to stop the bird flying.
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Describe the vane ?
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The vane is the soft part of the feather. It is made up of hundreds of barbs that look like skinny hairs and each barb has barbules on its end. Some of these barbules have hooks and some do not. These act as 'zippers' that zip the barbs together.
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What is preening?
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A bird will preen its feathers when the barbules on their feathers have become unhooked. Preening enables birds to keep their feathers in good condition and ready for flying.
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What is the purpose of contour feathers?
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Contour feathers are the feathers that give the bird its shape and form and that allow it to fly.
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What are the contour feathers that are used in flight known as?
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Flight feathers
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How do flight feathers differ from other contour feathers?
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They are stiffer than other contour feathers and usually have a solid vane all the way down the shaft.
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Where are flight feathers?
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Flight feathers are located on the wing and on the tail.
Those on the wings are called remiges and those on the tail are called retrices. |
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What are the different types of remiges called?
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Primary (the furthest from the body) produce thrust. Secondary and tertiary wings provide the airfoil shape that allows the bird to lift up in the air.
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