birds basics

What is the defining feature of birds

Feathers

Purpose of feathers

• insulation,

• color and selective adaptations

• Enables flight

Hypothetical feather evolution

Elongation

Splitting

Fraying and pigmentation

Elongation

Secondary splits, barbs, hooks

HFE elongation 1

Solar reflection

HFE splitting

Enables further elongation and splitting

HFE fraying and pigmentation

Insulation and displays

HFE elongation 2

Flight/balance

HFE secondary splits, barbs , hooks

Lightening and insulation

What are the 4 types of feathers

1. Contour

2. Down

3. Semiplume/filoplume

4. Flight

Purpose of contour feathers

Cover the body

Purpose of down

Insulation

Purpose of semiplume/filoplume

Monitor flight position

List the 8 feather tracts

• capital

• Spinal

• Ventral

• Humeral

• Femoral

• Rural

• Alar

• Caudal

1

Capital tracts

2

Humeral tracts

3

Alar tract

4

Ventral tract

5

Spinal tract

6

Femoral tract

7

Crural tract

8

Caudal tract

Where are the primaries on the wing

Outer wing

Where are the secondaries on the wing

Inner wing

How are secondaries numbered

Highest number innermost

How are primaries numbered

Lowest number innermost

What is the purpose of wing covets

Short feathers to protect primaries and secondaries

How do birds preen and oil

Rub beak on preen gland the rub over feathers

Where is preen gland

Base of tail

How do birds bathe

In water and dust

Some even bathe in mole to kill parasites ticks and fleas

Why do birds moult?

Feathers wear out, mites and parasites, change plumage

3 parts of feather maintenance

Preening

Bathing

Moulting

Why is there variation in moulting patterns

Related to flight dependency

4 times active flapping flight has evolved

1. Insects

2. Pterosaurs - extinct

3. Birds

4. Bats

3 requirements of active flight

Large wing surfaces

High energy

Very efficient oxygen transport

Wing aspect ratio

Wingspan squared / wing area

What does a low aspect ratio indicate

Short and round wing

Rapid takeoff, higher manouverability

What does a high wing aspect ratio indicate

Long and thin

Good gliders, high speed

What does wing turbulence cause

Stalling at low speeds

How is wing turbulence reduce

Alula

Purpose of alula

Allows hovering when wind is present

What do wing tip slots do

Allow control at lower speeds

What birds have wing tip slots

Large birds that soar

• crane, eagles, vultures, buzzards

4 parts of bird respiratory system

Glottis

Trachea

Lungs

Air was

1st inhale

Air moves In through trachea, past lungs into the abdominal and caudal air sacs

1st exhale

Air moves into lung tissue

2nd inhale

Waste air moves into clavicular and cranial air sacs

2nd exhale

Waste air leaves body through trachea

Birds vs mammal lungs

• one way air flow

• 2 breaths in and out over cycle

• Air pump and gas exchange separate

Purpose of separate air pump and gas exchange

Allows thinned exchange surface

How much more o2 is removed from air compared to human

25%

Other adaptations for flight

• hollow bones

• No teeth = light head

• Center of gravity in body center

bird evolutionary origin

land dinosaurs (not pterosaurs)

name the link between birds and dinosaurs

archeopteryx

bird classification kingdom

animalia

bird classification phylum

chordata

bird classification class

aves

how many orders of birds are there

27

how many living species of birds are there

10000

flightless birds why

reduced predation risk - flying is energetically expensive

flightless birds evolved from …

flying ancestors

flightless bird orders

• struthioniformes (ostrich)

• apterygiformes (kiwi)

• sphenisciformes (penguin)

waterbirds characteristics

• dense plumage

• webbed feet

• usually waterproof

• breed on land

marine waterbird orders

• gaviformes (black throated diver)

• suliformes ( blue footed booby)

• podicipediformes (little grebe)

freshwater waterbird orders

• gruiformes (granes and rails)

• anseriformes (swans, geese, ducks)

order procellariiformes

• pelagic

• albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters

• live 30-40 years

• have a gland in nose to get rid of excess sea salt

birds of prey characteristics

• talons and hooks

• forwards facing eyes

• hunt birds, mammals and others

birds of prey orders

• falconiformes = falcons

• acciptitriformes = eagles, kites, osprey, vultures

• strigiformes = owls

wading birds characteristics

long legs

feed on worms molluscls and other invertebrates

adaptive radiation of bill shape

song birds characteristics

• 5200 sp

• perching birds

• incl. thrushes, warblers, sparrows, finches, crows

plumage color purpose

camoflage or sexual signal

bird breeding

eggs in nests

bi-parental care

incubation of eggs

chick development

precocial or altricial

precocial

downy and can thermoregulate and feed themselves

altricial

naked and blind, cannot thermoregulate or feed themselves

social behavior

breeding in colonies

roosting in groups

foraging in groups

migration

seasonal migration north to south

tracked by ringing and gps