ECCB 402 Lab Exam 4 - Order/Family Specific Facts

Facts to know from the class Powerpoints for general ornithology lab exam 4

Birds migrate from areas of (blank) resources to areas of (blank) resources.

low/decreasing; high/increasing

What are the two major resources?

Food, nesting sites

What are some triggers for migration?

* changes in day length
* lower temperatures
* changes in food supplies
* genetic predisposition

What is ‘fallout’?

Fallout happens when a strong, fast-moving cold front crosses the Texas coast and moves into the Gulf of Mexico during the middle of the day. The wind and rain slows the migrating birds down, causing them to rapidly use up their stored energy reserves. Thousands of extremely tired migrants are forced to seek shelter and food as soon as they reach the coast. 

Some birds in the family Mimidae mimic songs of other species. T/F

True

Why is the repertoire of songs of birds in the family Mimidae important?

Believed to be important for sexual selection

Which bird family are amazing singers in both variety and volume (the brown thrasher in the family has over 200 song types)?

Mimidae

What is the bird in the family Sturnidae that is invasive to the United States?

European Starling

What unique ability (within passerines) do birds in the family Cinclidae have?

Ability to dive and swim

What are some adaptations that birds in the family Cinclidae possess to aid in diving and swimming?

* short, strong wings used like flippers under the water
* dense plumage with large uropygial (preening/oil) gland
* long, strong legs with sharp claws
* nasal flaps
* well developed eye muscles that can change the curvature of their eyes
* high hemoglobin concentration

What does the diet of birds in the family Nectariniidae look like?

* primarily nectivorous (look at the bill shape!)
* can supplement with insects
* some are spider hunters
* generally perch to feed

Birds in Nectariniidae and in Trochilidae share many similar characteristics, but are still genetically distinct families. What is this an example of?

Convergent evolution

Which family of birds possesses distinct mouth markings in chicks, and what are the purpose of these markings?

Estrildidae

* markings help stimulate parental feeding
* help parents ID their own chicks from parasitic birds

What is the purpose of birds in the family Passeridae bathing in water or saturating themselves with dust?

Maintaining feathers

Which bird in the family Passeridae is the most widely-distributed bird in the world?

House Sparrows

Which bird family ‘pumps’ their tails as they walk along the ground?

Motacillidae

What are some purposes of ‘song-flight’ in Motacillidae?

* song-flight: birds ascend 100m up and parachute down in song
* advertise territories and court mates

What are some adaptations of birds in Fringillidae that allow for more efficient seed-eating?

* stout, conical bills
* strong skulls
* large jaw muscles
* powerful gizzards

There is no variation in bill/morphology in Fringillidae. T/F

False - adaptive radiation exists within Fringillidae (think Hawaiian honeycreepers)

What two families have ‘new world’ genera of Emberizidae been sorted into?

* Passerellidae
* Thraupidae

What coloration do many of the birds in Passerellidae possess?

Cryptically patterned with various shades of brown

Which is the second largest bird family, comprising 4% of all birds?

Thraupidae

Define convergent evolution

the process whereby organisms not closely related (not monophyletic), independently evolve similar traits as a result of having to adapt to similar environments or ecological niches

Define adaptive radiation

a process in which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into a multitude of new forms, particularly when a change in the environment makes new resources available, creates new challenges, or opens new environmental niches