Ornithology Exam 2

What does Numbers 11:31-32 say regarding birds?

God used weather (wind) to migrate quail from the sea so that the Israelites could eat them

What does Jeremiah 8:6-7 say?

Describes how birds know their migration season and routes; compares to humans always coming back to the Lord after wandering

What does Genesis 8:8-12 say? Mark 1:10?

Both use doves to represent peace; Noah uses a dove to see flood waters, and it brings back an olive branch; Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove

Can we replicate one of the previous episodes of the Bible regarding bird navigation?

Yes, we could test why the dove returned to Noah and the raven did not. The dove has spatial memory and the raven does not.

Would adding feeders for hummingbirds and other birds alter bird migration? Explain.

Yes, feeders could influence migration by providing another food source. Some birds may stay longer or migrate later if food is available.

What factors must birds consider when deciding to travel by land or cross the ocean? (6)

Wind direction, weather, distance, energy stored, food, rest

Why is bird migration within South America shorter and messier than in North America?

It has food availability throughout the year so birds do not need to migrate as far. It has a variety of geography, rainfall, weather and seasonal food availability.

What experiment would you do to test if magnetism aids a bird's navigation?

Place migratory birds in cages; one group would get normal magnetic field; one group would get altered magnetic field (coils); compare directions of travel to see if magnetic field affects direction

What physiological changes happen in a bird that is going to migrate long distances?

increase fat stores (energy) and flight muscle

What experiment would you do to test if learning the position of the stars aids in a bird's navigation?

one group of migrant birds under normal sky; another group under simulated sky; test both groups under normal sky and look at direction travelled; if different, star position help birds navigate

Why is there a difference in the hippocampus between Semipalmated and Spotted sandpipers, even though both are migratory?

different spatial memory when finding food, rest areas and navigating migration; one migrates over land, one over the sea

How can we test if pesticides affect birds?

compare birds from areas with high pesticides to birds from areas with low; look at stress, behaviors and survival for each group

What can we do to test if smell is important for bird navigation?

compare orientation of birds with blocked sense of smell to orientation of birds with smell; birds with blocked sense of smell should have a harder time with direction

Comment on one of the actions to manage migrant martins roosting in industry buildings in the Amazon.

alternative roosting structures away from industrial buildings; attract martins to safer locations, reducing exposure to toxins; protects the birds

Is all bird movement considered migration?

NO

The Big Bird Race refers to what species? The migrate from where to where?

Albatrosses; South Africa to Tasmania

Why do Swift Parrots migrate?

For nectar in trees

Give 3 reasons that birds migrate

Weather, food, dominance

Why does the Eleonaras Falcon migrate?

migrates for food (other birds migrating)

Differential Migration is when males and females migrate at ____ time and ____ distances. Why is this beneficial for the Dark Eyed Juncos?

Different; Different; Males travel farther to get better places to raise young and females follow after

Is migration just genetic?

NO

In the test with German Blackbirds, the chicks had tendencies to migrate inherited from _____. However, in the test with British Gulls, the chicks were switched at birth and had tendencies to migrate from _____ ____. Therefore, migration is not JUST genetic.

parents; foster parents

The drive to migrate ____ at night. This is called "migratory restlessness".

increases

The Blackcap Hybrids travelled in what direction compared to their parents (one parent travelled left, the other right)?

in the middle

How can we use stable isotopes to see where a bird is from?

Different areas have different levels of isotopes found in the environment; can extract from feathers

Define hyperphagia in relation to birds.

migrant birds overeat to save nutrients

Synchrony is when birds _____ during migration to save energy.

synchronize

What hormone may influence migration? If this hormone is high, what is the outcome?

Corticosterone; a bird is more likely to initiate migration

What changes does the Ruby Throated Hummingbird do in their body for migration?

doubles body weight and hops to conserve energy

Which type of pesticides were deemed "environmentally safe"? How was this tested against?

Neonicotinoids; compared amount of fat and length of migration with exposure

The more pesticides = _____ body mass, fat and food consumption

lower

Who are the champions of migration? What is their migration path? What strategy allows them to make the flight?

Bar-tail Godwits; New Zealand to Alaska; Late Refueling to keep more fat

Why do small birds prefer to travel at night and big ones during the day?

Small birds can avoid predators and less excursion; big ones can use thermals

What time do migrant harriers migrate?

Sunrise to sunset

How does the Tribute in Light (NY) affect migrant birds? What is an idea to help with these problems?

Collisions and Starvation (1.1 million); Dim the light or turn off during peak migration

Are the brains of birds that store their food different from ones that do not?

They have more hippocampus volume!

What are the two different types of orientation and what do they mean?

Compass (Vector Navigation)- Sense of direction

Goal (True Navigation)- One common goal; remember path

Adults use ___ navigation because they remember their migration path. However, juveniles only use ___ navigation.

true; vector

Define azimuth. Do birds use this for navigation?

Position of sun relative to the horizon; YES

Do birds use the stars as navigation? Do they travel on cloudy nights?

YES; no

What happens to a bird after a magnetic pulse?

Disorients them for days

If we alter the magnetic field mimicking migration time, what happens to a bird?

Gains weight and mass while staying still

Birds use a _____ map found in their ____ to know when to migrate. An increase in the protein ___ allows it to receive more and prepare for migration.

magnetic; retina; Cry4

How is smell used in seabirds? How has this been tested?

find their colonies; placed magnets in head to take away sense of smell = lost for a while :(

The "Pious pelican" or "Pelican in her piety" symbolized Jesus' sacrifice in medieval times. See the coat of arms of Louisiana. Explain that myth.

A mother pelican would wound her own breast and feed the blood to her chicks to save them from death; symbolizes Jesus sacrifices his blood to save us from death

What does Isaiah 31:5 and Deuteronomy 32:10 say?

God protects His people like birds protecting their young/nests

What does Job 39:27 say?

Emphasizes an eagle's strength and nesting behavior

Psalm 84:3?

Sparrow and swallow building a nest near God's altar

Jeremiah 17:11?

Compares a person who gains wealth dishonestly to a partridge that broods over eggs it did not lay

Why do eggs need to be turned?

To prevent developing embryo from sticking to inner shell membrane and distribute heat/nutrients

In which situations do you expect eggs to have camouflage?

eggs laid in exposed nests or in areas where predators can see them

What would happen if a bird's eggs were round like reptile eggs?

Round eggs roll away; Oval eggs help them remain close together in the nest

What would be the advantage of some birds making their nests with spittle?

Spittle is sticky and can bind materials together; makes nests more sturdy and can attach to surfaces

How would you test the hypothesis that pesticides cause thin eggshells?

compare eggshell thickness from birds exposed to different levels of pesticides; thinner shells = higher exposure

What should be the environmental requirement for birds like the ovenbird to make their nests with mud?

access to moist soil or mud that can shape into a nest; environment must have moisture

How are egg pigments related to egg or female quality?

reflects female health, diet and nutrients

What do large macaws need to nest?

large cavities in mature tress with entrance hole and space for eggs

Explain one strategy of deception a bird uses to protect its nest.

broken wing display to encourage predators to follow it instead of approaching nest/chicks

How do birds regulate nest temperature if it is too hot or cold?

too cold: incubate eggs by covering with body heat

too hot: shade the nest or leave the nest for a while

What is the advantage of a bird that parasitizes nests?

allows them to avoid the energy and time required to build nests, incubate eggs and raise their own chicks

What experiment would you do to test the hypothesis that birds nesting in colonies recognize their chicks by sound?

play recording of parent's chick and unknown chick; compare responses; stronger response = their own chick

What are the advantages and disadvantages of nesting in colonies?

Advantages: protection, higher predator detect, easier access to food sources

Disadvantages: increased competition, risk of disease, predators will locate many nests at one time

What is the purpose of some altricial chicks having a red gape?

bright red or orange area inside a chick's mouth can help parents locate where to deliver food

In which cases would cainism be a helpful strategy for survival?

cainism is where a chick kills a sibling; reduces competition when food is scarce, increases survival

What type of birds use helpers to care for their young?

Florida scrub-jays, acorn woodpeckers and others use older offspring or adults to help feed chicks, defend nests, and provide care

How can we compare the brood patch in birds with something in humans?

a brood patch is a featherless area of skin with increased blood flow that transfers hear directly to the egg; compared to skin to skin in humans or a heating pad

Three differences between altricial and precocial birds.

Altricial birds hatch helpless + undeveloped, little to no down at birth, and depend heavily on parents. Precocial birds hatch developed, have down feathers and do not rely on parents.

What is the trade-off in parental care efforts?

must balance own energy and resources with offspring; investing more into one brood may improve survival but leave fewer resources for future

Who was David Lack, and why is he known for?

British ecologist and ornithologist known for bird population and reproductive strategy research; proposed that clutch size is shaped by natural selection; birds only lay eggs if they know they will be successful

What factors must birds consider when deciding their clutch size? (6)

food availability, parental condition, body size, predation risk, climate, nest

Name the 10 types of nests and a species that build each type.

Cup Nest- American Robin

Cavity Nest- Eastern bluebird

Ground Nest- Killdeer

Platform Nest- Bald Eagle

Hanging Nest- Baltimore Oriole

Burrow Nest- Atlantic Puffin

Mud Nest- Barn Swallow

Floating Nest- Pied billed Grebe

Scrape Nest- Common Turn

Saliva-built Nest- Edible nest Swiftlet

Birds are ___gametic which means they have two distinct genders.

hetero

How do the sex chromosomes in birds compare to humans?

Birds have Z+W chromosomes instead of X+Y; women have the two different chromosomes instead of men (humans)

What is the cloacal protuberance?

One hole for everything; reproduction, poop, pee

Why does the aquatic warbler last for 25 minutes during reproduction?

to ensure that the sperm makes it and fertilizes the egg

Why do most female birds only have 1 oviduct?

having two is costly and would gain weight (affect flight)

Do eggs have a placenta? Is that tissue still present?

NO; yes inside the egg

Female birds and humans have the same two hormones. What are they?

Estrogen and progesterone

What two parts of the egg form a "mini placenta"? Where does the embryo form in an egg?

Yolk + chorioallantois; germinal spot

What happens when a female bird pairs with an unattractive mate?

Produce more eggs to offset the "ugly" genes

What is the difference between open and closed nests?

open: smaller broods

closed: bigger broods

The Albatross is a ___ species and has a ___ nest. The Blue Tit is a ____ species and has a ___ nest.

precocial; open; altricial; closed

Do females know what the optimal number of eggs to lay is?

yes

Two hypotheses to test clutch size include the resource availability and predation risk. They found that ___ resources led to more children. They found that ___ predators led to less children.

more; more

Martin's Hypothesis claimed that if nesting periods are ____, birds will have larger clutches.

longer

The coloration/patterning of an egg can provide what 3 thinsg?

camouflage, recognition by parents, signal female quality

The Cuckoo birds are brood parasites. What does this mean?

Lay eggs that mimic host of nest eggs

What species of duck "adopts" and raises over 18 different species eggs?

Black Headed Duck

How is the relationship between warblers and cowbirds "mafia" like?

The cowbird takes over warblers nests; warbler gets rid of the cowbird chicks/eggs; killed by cowbird

What color (s) in an egg tell that the mother was immunocompetent or healthy? What color (s) in an egg tell that the mother was not healthy?

Blue-green; Red-brown

What two factors is tied to calcium in eggs? Do calcium levels matter?

Spottiness and roundness; low calcium = more spots and weaker shell

Why does the Weaverbird have its name?

they "weave" their nests out of sticks and grasses

What do yellow warblers use in their nests in colder climates compared to moderate climates?

Colder climates use down feathers as insulation

How do birds keep their nests clean? What do they carry to the nests to keep themselves healthy?

take out feces and use easily cleanable materials; aromatic plants

How do you measure the "healthiness" of a bird and their nests? What do healthy nests have an abundance of? Not healthy nests?

hemocrit counts; aromatic plants; moss plants

What is the range of incubation periods?

9-85 days

The appearance of the ____ _____, a unfeathered belly skin that provides heat to egg AND a shift in the hormone ________ is evidence of the incubation period.

brood patch; prolactin

What can some birds do if the environment is too hot for their egg?

Get water in feathers and drip on their eggs

Agricultural pesticides cause death of birds and their eggs become more ____ causing abandonment of nests.

fragile

What increased after organochlorines were banned?

the shell index (thickness of shells)