Wfb Exam 2 Lecture 2

Front 1

What is the Kingdom, phylum and subphylum for birdes?

Back 1

Animalia, chordata, and Vertebrata

Front 2

What is the earliest known species from the Jurassic period? describe it.

Back 2

Archaeopteryx lithographica; feathered "reptile", small teeth, crow size, bipedal, feathers on wing and tail, found in europe in limestone deposits

Front 3

What is a furcula?

Back 3

fusion of two clavicles; helps withstand rigors of flight

Front 4

What bird characteristics do Passeriformes have to help with tightly gripping branches? Which type of Passeriformes are the most advanced in this?

Back 4

leg tendons and hallux, song birds

Front 5

What does a larger brain in birds compared to reptiles help enable them to master in?

Back 5

1. complex motor tasks
2. social behavior
3. vocalizations

Front 6

What do birds have that compares with the larynx of a human? describe it

Back 6

syrinx, much more complex, greatest sound producing capabilities of all vertebrates

Front 7

What are the three parts of a feather and describe its location?

Back 7

calamus- hollow base of shaft
rachis- rest of the shaft
vane-made of lateral branches called barbs

Front 8

What does each barb consist of?

Back 8

a central tapered axis known as a ramum

Front 9

What is a ramus and what does it have?

Back 9

central tapered axis located on a barb- hasd distal and proximal barbules

Front 10

label the parts of this feather

Back 10

1. vane
2. rachis
3. barb
4. afterfeather
5. calamus

Front 11

What do the distal barbules have and what are they?

Back 11

hooks called barbicels

Front 12

How are proximal barbules shaped?

Back 12

they are curled which results in interlocking

Front 13

Describe the variance a vane of a feather can have?

Back 13

can have a fluffy basal (at the base) portion to exposed cohesive outer portion which can be tightly interlocking or not downy (pennaceous)

Front 14

What is a secondary structure of a feather called that some birds include? describe it

Back 14

afterfeather or after shaft, mirror-image shaft & vane attached to the same calamus, typically plumulaceous (downy)

Front 15

What type of birds can you find the aftershaft or feather? and when do you often find it?

Back 15

Ptarmigans- longer in winter than summer plumage

Front 16

What is a plumage?

Back 16

entire feathery covering of a bird

Front 17

What does pennaceous mean?

Back 17

distinguished from down, not a plume, contour feather of a bird-shapes and outlines a bird

Front 18

What does Plumulaceous mean?

Back 18

insulation- downy

Front 19

What molts bring on the basic plumage and the alternate plumage? when do they take place

Back 19

pre-basic- right after breeding
pre-alternate- before next breeding

Front 20

When the prebasic molt is rapid what does it do to waterfowl/

Back 20

leaves them flightless

Front 21

Name an example of each type of bird:
1. forest bird
2. song bird
3. upland bird
4. wading birds and shorebirds
5. aquatic birds
6. oceanic birds
7. flightless and ground birds

Back 21

1. owl
2. robin
3. pheasant
4. plover
5. penguin
6. albatross
7. ostrich

Front 22

What does wading mean?

Back 22

to walk in water; sand etc. anything that offers resistance

Front 23

What are the three main characteristics of copulation and fertilization of birds?

Back 23

1. most lack an intromittent organ
2. some do have an "erectile" penis
3. avain sperm can reach infundibulum in < 30 min

Front 24

How do birds reproduce?

Back 24

a cloacal kiss, lasts 1-2 seconds- sperm transfers once cloacal contact is made

Front 25

Which birds have an "erectile penis"

Back 25

1. most waterfowl
2. ostriches
3. tinamous
4. curassows

Front 26

Describe egg laying for a female?

Back 26

large energy costs to flight, gravid (egg-laying) female at risk, large eggs precludes retention of multiple eggs (makes it impossible to secrete)

Front 27

What is a clutch?

Back 27

the number of eggs a bird lays in one set

Front 28

Describe the characteristics of clutches within birds?

Back 28

varies from 1-25
varies btwn. species
also can vary within species (ex. flickers lay 4-14 eggs)

Front 29

What is the avg. clutch for waterfowl and the avg. clutch for gallinaceous birds?

Back 29

waterfowl-3-12
gallinaeceous birdes- 2-23

Front 30

What factors can affect clutch size?

Back 30

age
food availability
season

Front 31

What is determinate vs. indeterminate layers in birds? give an example of both types

Back 31

determinate birds lay a fixed number of eggs, then stop- shorebirds and gulls
b. indeterminate birds will continue to lay extra eggs, if some are removed during egg-laying until a full clutch is reached (Gallinaeceous birds)

Front 32

Describe the avian egg.

Back 32

cleidoic, contains all needed nutrients (especially water)
increased calcification provides better protection
4. embryou not isolated from environment

Front 33

What is calcification and what is cleidoic?

Back 33

cleidoic means closed,
calcification means made of lime

Front 34

What does survival of an egg require?

Back 34

active exchange of oxygen, C02 and water vapor
2. chances of hatching depend on parent's ability to regulate microenvironment of egg (temp and humidity)

Front 35

What are the three embryonic membranes of an egg?

Back 35

amnion- porous leathery egg shell
2. chorion
3. allantoic sac-facilitates respiration while providing a reservoir for wastes

Front 36

What are elephant birds?q

Back 36

extinct family of flightless birds- from madagascar, > 10 ft tall, 1100 pounds, egg circumfrence about > 3 ft.

Front 37

What is a possible reason that eggs went extinct?

Back 37

humans used eggs to to feed an entire family, eggs were vulnerable

Front 38

What is the use of yolk and how large is it? what is made up of?

Back 38

mammals live off egg yolk, 21-36% lipids, 16-22% protein, rest water
energy and growth

Front 39

What is another name for the yolk sac and what is it?

Back 39

vitelline membrane, contains the yolk, early analog to stomach and intestines (a structure that will actually become the stomach and intestines later)

Front 40

What is another name for the egg white and desribe it?

Back 40

Albumen- 90% water and 10% protein
serves as an elastic, shock absorbing cushion, structural protein for growth

Front 41

What happens after the albumen is used up?

Back 41

forms air space to provide critical first breath as chick is hatching

Front 42

How does an egg shell vary in thickness?

Back 42

strong enough to withstand weight of incubating parent, yet think enough to allow chick to break out, vary from paper think to as much as 2.7 mm thick i ostriches

Front 43

Describe nesting for birds.

Back 43

most build isolated hidden nests
2. others (13%) build open conspicuous nests in breeding colonies
3. purpose is to protect
4. vary in site locations ,as well as styles
5. size ranges from a thimble to > 2 tons

Front 44

What are open conspicuous nests called?

Back 44

rookeries

Front 45

How does a nest provide protection?

Back 45

protect from predation- season nest losses of 70-85% not uncommon
b. nests on ground are more vulnerable than nests in trees, which are more vulnerable than nests in cavities
c. adverse weather
d. provide correct micro-environment for incubation and hatching (temp and humidity)

Front 46

What are some nest materials used by birds?

Back 46

a. plant matter
b. some plant materials combat disease and ectoparasites
c. inorganic materials (minerals)
d. animal products

Front 47

What is an incubation period?

Back 47

the time required by embryos for development in a freshly laid egg that is given regular normal attn. by incubating parents
the interval btwn. thelaying of the last egg of a clutch and the hatching of that egg

Front 48

Describe the characteristics of incubation for birds.

Back 48

-fixed for most species
-range from ~10 days (woodpeckers, cuckoos, small songbirds) to 80-90 days (albatross and kiwis)

Front 49

What does shorter incubation lead to and what does longer incubation lead to?

Back 49

shorter- altricial young- young that need more attn. from a parent and are helpless at birth
precocial young-longer-active and not helpless at birth- needing little parental care

Front 50

Describe altricial young.

Back 50

more underdeveloped, blind naked and virtually immobile at hatching, typically smaller eggs, cavity nesters, most songbirds, hawks, herons and other typically have altricial young

Front 51

Describe precocial young.

Back 51

active chicks, well developed fuzzy down, typically larger eggs, ground nesting species (grouse, quail, shorebirds, waterfowl) typically have precocial young

Front 52

Which birds typically have altricial young?

Back 52

hawks, songbirds, herons others

Front 53

Which birds typically have precocial young?

Back 53

shorebirds, quail, waterfowl and grouse

Front 54

What is brood rearing?

Back 54

period of feeding and caring for the young after hatching. In the nest and after they leave the nest, until the family breaks up

Front 55

What are the types of mating systems?

Back 55

a. monogamy
b. polygny-having more than one female
c. polyandry-having more than one male
d. promiscuity-more than one sexual partner

Front 56

How is pair bonding defined?

Back 56

by duration of association
-number of sexual partners

Front 57

How many species are monogamous? describe the raising of young with a monogamous pair?

Back 57

90% of the species
a. monogamous pair can raise more young
b. spend weeks/months tending eggs (rather than laying and abandoning)
c. effort to raise a brood often requires both parents

Front 58

What is polygny, how many species do this?

Back 58

one male with several females about 2% of birds do this

Front 59

14 of 278 spp in NA are polygnous and 11 of these are in marshes or grasslands, why?

Back 59

females have nests within male's territory
-primary mate gets most of male's attn.; other mates get high quality habitat

Front 60

What is a brood?

Back 60

a family of offspring

Front 61

What is Polyandry and how many species do this. describe what takes place with the brood in this type of pair.

Back 61

one female pairs with several males; < 1% do this
a. males incubate the eggs and take care of the young
b. females defend territories and compete for male's and take lead in courtship
c. females typically larger or more colorful
d. ex. spotted sandpiper-females lay clutches for about 4 mates; jacanas, phalarops

Front 62

How many species are promiscuous? describe

Back 62

pair for copulation only; males often display in courtship arenas that contain low or no resources
about 6%
male courtship arenas vary from two competing birds to large communal display grounds known as "Leks"

Front 63

What are Leks?

Back 63

communal display grounds where male birds display and compete for females. Sage grouse and Greater Prarie-chickens are examples

Front 64

What does the superorder for Ratites and Tinamous? for all other modern birds?

Back 64

Paleognathae; Neognathae

Front 65

What are Ratites and what superorder do they belong? give some examples

Back 65

flightless, terrestrial birds,
ex. rhea, emu, cassowary and ostrich
have 1. reduced wing bones
2. sternum likes keel
3. long necks and legs
Paleognathae

Front 66

Describe Tinamous and what super order do they belong?

Back 66

Paleognathae
-reduced keels but can fly
-males in this superorder incubate the eggs and care for the young

Front 67

What orders belong to the Neognathae superorder?

Back 67

1. Anseriformes
2. Galliformes
3. Pelecaniformes
4. Ciconiiformnes
5. Falconiformes
6. Charadriiformes
7. Columbiformes
8. Cuculiformes
9. Strigiformes
10. Camprimulgiformes
11. Apodiformes
12. Piciformes
13. Passeriformes

Front 68

What order do waterfowl, ducks, geese, swans and screamers belong to?

Back 68

Anseriformes

Front 69

What birds belong to the term "waterfowl", what about "waterbirds"

Back 69

ducks, geese, swans and screamers

all other wetland birds

Front 70

What family do ducks, geese and swans belong?

Back 70

Anatidae

Front 71

What family to Screamers belong?

Back 71

Anhimidae

Front 72

What are shared characteristics of the Anatidae and Anhimidae family?

Back 72

aftershaft reduced or absent
-oil gland is feathered
-precocial young clad in down

Front 73

What are some characteristics of Screamers?

Back 73

slender toes with rudimentary webs, hind toe same level with front toes, short, slightly hooked bill
-rounded wings with spur
-no defined leather tracts
-males lack penis
-no uncinate process

Front 74

What are some characteristics of ducks, geese and swans and to what family do they belong?q

Back 74

Anatidae, webbed feet, somewhat elevated hind toe, flattened, blunt-tipped bill
-rhamphotheca
- and bearing a nail (uniguis) at the tip
-pointed wings
feathers in tracts, dense, waterproof
-males have penis

Front 75

What covers the bill of the family Anatidae? and what is it?

Back 75

a think layer of leathery skin- called rhamphotheca

Front 76

What is special about the Anatidae family?

Back 76

one of the few families that the males possess a penis

Front 77

What are some bill exceptions for the family Anatidae?

Back 77

lateral lamellae,
strong and broad
narrow with serrations
short and blunt

Front 78

What are some similarties of Swans & Geese with whistling ducks?

Back 78

sexes have similar plumage
-molt once each year
-mate for life
-both sexes care for young

Front 79

What are some characteristics of whistling ducks?

Back 79

two species in US, long legs and long necks

Front 80

For the subfamily Anatinae-true ducks describe them.

Back 80

typical plumage shows sexual dimorphism, varies seasonally, especially in Northern Hemisphere

Front 81

Describe swans and geese (Anserinae subfamily)

Back 81

Swans- large size, long necks, short legs
Geese- have shorter necks and longer legs than swans
-graze extensively on uplands

Front 82

Describe Ducks. (Anatinae subfamily)

Back 82

sexes have dimorphic plumage, molt twice a year-prebasic, prealternate
post brood rearing in females
monogamous pair bonds < 1 yr
female incubates and rears young

Front 83

What are some differences between diving ducks and dabbling ducks.

Back 83

Dabbling ducks- brightly colored, inhabit shallow waters, fly in loose groups, feed on seeds and aquatic vegetation, feed by tipping up, bound directly up and off water
diving ducks- feet set far back on body, hind toe has distinct lobe, run along water to take off, feed by dividng completely under water, feed on animal matter, inhabit deep water, speculum not brightly colored, fly in V's or in long lines, nest in tree cavities

Front 84

What Order do Pelicans and allies belong to?

Back 84

Pelecaniformes

Front 85

What are webbed feet called?

Back 85

totipalmate feet

Front 86

What is a Gular pouch and what order has them?

Back 86

a pouch under the bill that stores food- in Pelicaniformes- absent in tropicbirds, highly developed in pelicans and frigate birds

Front 87

Describe the order Pelecaniformes.

Back 87

young without down at hatching (except tropic birds)
all have intra-orbital salt gland
lack a brood patch (except tropic birds)

Front 88

What types of birds does the order Pelicaniformes include? and how does each feed?

Back 88

pelicans- scoop fish up in their pouched bills, boobies and gannets, and tropic birds-catch fish by diving from the air, cormorants-underwater pursuit of fish with hooked bills, anhingas-spear fish underwater, frigatebirds-swim with only head and neck above water-snatch food from other fish-eating birds and flying fish at surface

Front 89

What family do Frigate birds belong?

Back 89

Frigatidae

Front 90

Where do white pelicans and brown pelicans live?

Back 90

white pelicans- in fresh water-swim on the surface, herding the fish together
brown pelicans- plunge dive into the water- coastal

Front 91

Describe nesting of Pelicaniformes.

Back 91

nearly all nest in colonies-
boobies nest on ground
gannets nest on cliff ledges, brown pelicans nest in trees
they have 1-5 eggs, and altricial young