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28 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is the Archaeopteryx? |
key feature was feathers transitional form between feathered dinosaurs and modern birds |
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How did feathers evolve? |
simple projection -> tufts -> central shafts with pairs of branches -> branches bear finer branches |
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Why did feathers evolve? |
-courtship and display -waterproofing -insulation, evolving in tandem with endothermy -least likely for flight |
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Contrast and compare characteristics of birds and other reptiles |
Same: scales on legs, shelled amniotic eggs with internal fertilization Different: wings, feathers, hollow bones, endothermic |
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What are some modification for flight? |
-wings -hollow bones -reduced organs -hollow bill -elongated sternum (keel) |
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Why is it important to have efficient respiratory and circulatory systems? |
easier for flight, less energy required |
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How does the respiratory system work? |
one-way flow of air due to air sacs, no "dead space" gas exchange occurs during inhalation and exhalation (continuous ventilation) blood circulates perpendicular to parabronchi |
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How does the circulatory system work? |
four chambered heart for double circulation, two circuits; pulmonary and systemic |
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Different types of parental care? |
Almost completely helpless; require food, shelter, warmth, protection (chickadees and most song birds) More independent; can find food and shelter (ducks, geese, shore birds) |
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What are examples of brood parasitism? |
Cuckoo and reed warbler Brown-headed cowbird and common yellow throat |
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What are wings good for? |
-flight -down for insulation -camouflage (frogmouth blends in with trees) -defense (killdeer and broken wing display, bird of paradise) -swimming (penguin) -hunting (black heron, night time day time...) |
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How do birds communicate? |
-feathers (courtship and display) -song (attracting a mate, identification, alarm calls, defending a territory) |
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What are some characteristics of birds? |
-visual, excellent eyesight -complex behaviours -intelligent |
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What are the two types of feeding for ducks? |
Dabbling - filter feeding surface of water (mallard ducks, northern shovelers, wood ducks) Diving - disappear below water surface (more diverse than dabbling; mergansers, ruddy) |
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What are game bird characteristics? |
-ground-dwelling -foraging on seeds, insects, etc. -rely on camouflage |
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Difference between sandpipers and plovers? |
Plovers - shorter legs and shorter probing bills, common along shorelines Sandpipers - longer legs and beaks (waders and probers) look at colour of legs, break length and patterns |
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Characteristics of doves? |
-small heads and bills, stocky, plump bodies -forage on ground, feed on seeds and fruit |
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Characteristics of woodpeckers? |
-straight, chisel like bills -zygodactyl -stiff tail feathers, used as prop -drumming used for communication and songs |
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Characteristics of swallows? |
Aerial insectivores, with short legs (useless on land) Long wings for acrobatic flight and long distance migrations |
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Characteristics of thrushes? |
-long legs for running -feed on insects, worms, slugs, snails, etc |
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Characteristics of wood warblers? |
-small, colourful -small pointed beaks for picking off insects -most arboreal and very active (always hunting for insects) |
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Where can you find common yellowthroats? |
-loves marshes, reeds, and rushes, and skukling about in undergrowth -nearly always heard before seen |
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Characteristics of sparrows? |
-small, short and conical beaks -small in size -tend to be found on ground, scratching for seeds and insects -concentrate on head and patterns for ID |
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What is the house sparrow's group and what is its status? |
old world sparrow introduced and common around buildings |
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Characteristics of brown-headed cowbirds? |
-part of blackbirds -shorter and stouter beaks -evolved to follow buffalo herds so no time to raise young thus the brood parasitism |
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What is the blackbird group referred to as and what does it include? What are their characteristics? |
-Icterids -blackbirds, orioles, meadowlarks, cowbirds -medium to large birds with long and sharp pointed beaks |
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What are the different types of behaviours that birds exhibit? |
-ducks; dabbling vs diving vs filtering at surface -nuthatches; head first, down tree trunk -brown creeper; works way up tree trunk -warblers; quick, energetic, always moving -vireos; perch and attack -flycatchers; obvious, open perch, short flights, return to perch |
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What are the different types of bills of bird groups? |
-vireo; hooked bill -warbler; straight, slender pointed bill -flycatcher; broad, flat with bristles -hummingbird; tubular bill -heron; long, dagger-like bill -raptor; strong, hooked bill -sparrow; short, think bill -finch; conical, seed-cracking bill -shoveler; looks like a shovel |
