ornithology test 2

what feathers are considered sensory feathers

filoplume and bristle

what are considered noncontour feathers

downy feathers

what are the first feathers to come in

downy feathers

contour feathers are associated with

the wing

flight (remiges) include what feathers

primaries and secondaries

when molting, how do the feathers come out

one at a time

when birds get wings clipped, which feathers are cut

primaries

covert feathers include

primary, secondary, marginal

what feathers are above the primary coverts and to the left of marginal coverts

alula

the contour feather of the tail are called what

retricies (tail feathers)

what are reptilian traits of archaeopteryx

toothed beak, wing claw, long tail with many vertebrae

what are avian characteristics of archaeopteryx

airfoil wing with contour feathers

what are that “in between” contour feathers

semiplume feathers

what are some purposes of the semiplume feathers

aerodynamics and courtship displays

what is the function of down feathers and what is a notable feature of them

insulation, usually no central barb

what are the feathers associated with sensation and where are they found

bristles, found on face, filoplume, found on body

display feathers are modified

contour feathers

example of modified covert feathers

peacock feathers and great horned owls

what are the steps in the initial development of feathers

placode, thickened epidermis, condensation, dermal papilla, follicle, follicular cavity

what are the final stages of feather development

feather germ, forms the epidermal collar/keratinocytes and dermal pulp, feather primordium, formation of sheath, rachis and barb ridges, and pulp

what is the first step in feather growth

undifferentiated collar, just hollow cylinder

what is the second step in feather growth

formation of barb ridges, now tuft of unbranded barbs

what is the third step in feather growth

planar-feathers, now 2-sided with unbranched barbs

what is the fourth step in feather growth

differentiation of barbules, now have hooklets and barbules

what is the fifth step in feather growth

asymmetrical vane, now flight feathers

what are bichrome pigments

melanin, carotenoids, and porphyrins

what are the types of melanins

eumelanins, phaomelanins

what are the functions of melanins

resist to wear and abrasion, bacterial degradation, thermoregulation, protection from UV

how does melanin form

melanocytes produce melanin packets that are in the dendrites

what pigments are produced by carotenoids

red, orange, yellow, blue, purple

how are carotenoid pigments produced

diet, accumulate as lipid droplets

what pigments do porphyrins produce

buffy red/brown colors, contains iron

iridescence are considered what colors

structural colors

how do iridescence colors work

melanin-stained granules coat barbules, fills with air bubbles, then bubbles refract light

what are ways feather colors are affected by diet

carotenoids can be impacted by lipophilic algae and crustaceans

what is the famous red/pink lake in Tanzania

lake natron

what are the feather tracts and what are their differences

pterylae, apteria

what do birds do to maintain their feathers

preening, rub oils on them

what gland produced oils/lipids to rub on feathers

uropygial gland

what is the purpose of feather maintenance

waterproofing, reduces abrasion, fungicide and antimicrobial, insulation

cryptic plumage

blends in, forest birds

disruptive

confuses predators

countershading

blend in above and below

bold

helps with reproduction

changes in feather coat occurrence

gradually over 4-6 months

seasonal molting

occurs with change in season, when needing to become more camouflaged

psilopaedic

naked down plumage, most birds, very helpless

ptilopaedic

feathered down plumage, ducklings and chicks, more independent

what are the implications in development in ptilopaedic birds

bigger egg and tend to stay in egg longer

what are seasonal moltings

juvenile, basics, alternate, definitive basic, definitive alternate

primaries, secondaries, primary coverts, secondary coverts, marginal coverts, alula, scapulars

tail, flight, semiplume, filoplume, bristle, downy

no hooklet

rachis, barb, afterfeather, downy barbs, hollow shaft/calamus, vane

barb, barbules, hooklets

a is towards the air, b is towards the body

modified primaries

modified semiplume

modified retricies

capital, humeral, alar, ventral, spinal/dorsal, curial, caudal

what are things that make it hard to fly/resistance to flight

gravity and drag

what is drag

turbulence and friction

how do we overcome the resistance

lift goes against gravity, thrust goes against drag

how do birds overcome gravity

hollow bones, bones with no fatty marrow, lack teeth, shorter tail

how does lift help overcome resistance

wing shape, flapping pattern

how do birds overcome drag

feather shape, wing shape, contour feathers

how do birds use thrust to overcome resistance

fusion of bones, pectoralis muscles, keeled sternum, wrists

what is the aerodynamic of the bird wing

“air foil” asymmetrical

leading edge, trailing edge

what is bernoulli’s principle

air has greater distance to travel, must move faster. fast moving air, pressure is reduced. air pushes up to fill negative pressure

how does wing position impact lift

tilt wing slightly up, sharp incline stalls for landing

what is use of allula in bird wing aerodynamics

helps aid in stalling, impacts air flow, can cause more friction

what are wing tip vortices

spirals produced on tips as birds are flying

what is upwash

spiral going up

what is downwash

spiral going down

elliptical, high speed, soaring, high lift

birds with elliptical wings

songbirds, forest birds

birds with high speed wings

swallows, gulls, falcons

birds with soaring wings

albatross

birds with high lift wings

hawks, eagles, vultures

dihedral wings

slightly bent high lift wings for maneuverability, found in osprey

dynamic soaring flight pattern

straight line flight

gliding flight

oscillating

what flight pattern is energy costing

hovering

skeletal adaptations for flight

fusion of wrists, tails, vertebrate, support bones like sternum, coracoid, furcula, hollowed bones

pectoralis

flight muscles for pulling down

supracoracoideus

flight muscles for pulling upward

downstroke

down and forward

upstroke

inward and rises in circular motion

adaptations of flightless birds

less muscle mass, lower metabolic rates, less bone (keeled sternum)

characteristics of bird lungs

parabronchi, counter current flow

counter current flow

air capillaries and blood capillaries flow in opposite directions, allowing for more efficient exchange rate

inspiration 1

Trachea to posterior air sacs

expiration 1

posterior air sacs to parabronchi

inspiration 2

lungs to anterior air sacs

expiration 2

anterior air sacs to trachea

syrinx

part in throat that helps sing

mammal vs bird respiration

tidal vs unidirectional ventilation