Ornithology Exam Two:

During which stage do birds first begin practicing their songs?

• subsong period

How many types of cone cells to birds have?

• four

The number of different vocalizations that a bird makes is known as the

• repertoire

Spatial memory in birds occurs in the:

• Hippocampus

The source of vocalizations for most birds is the:

• syrinx

Which of the following is true of the pecten?

• It allows for increased visual acuity.

• It provides oxygen and nutrients to the retina

Birdsong is normally controlled by the:

• left hemisphere of the forebrain

How many bones make up the ear of a bird?

• One

The Herbst corpuscle is involved in:

• mechanoreception

Which stage transforms plastic song into the final form?

• song crystallization

Birds have broader visual spectrums this is important becuase:

• They use it to hunt

• They use it to communicate

Why is Birds Eye sight so good:

• Because they have a large eye mass compared to there heads

• They kept there ancestral eye droplets

Why do birds move there heads quickly:

• To get better depth perception

Pecten:

• Soft fracture of eyes

• Provides more oxygen to them too

Magenite:

• Compass in head help direct birds using magnetic fields

What is rhodopsin theoretically used for?

• Transmit light and magnetic field into nerve impulses to guide the birds

How many ear bones do birds have?

• One

Why do humans have better hearing then some birds:

• They cannot hear higher frequencies then humans because we’re not urban hunters so better hearing.

What helps birds detect storms:

• Barometric Pressure

Why are birds brains interesting:

• They have large brains compared to there head size

• Birds can increase there size of the hippocampus to boost memory

How many vocalizations do birds usually has:

• 5-14 distinct vocalizations

What did Ulyssis find out?:

• Birds can vocalize after there head it cut off Because the syrinx isnt in the head it’s in the body.

How much air do birds use for sounds?:

• 100% compared to the 2% for humans

Syrinx:

• Used to sing and the two halved can sing independently from one another

Mainpathways:

• Motor control for song production

Anterior Pathway:

• Song recognition for learning

Which groups of birds can learn to sing:

• Oscine songbird (finches, thrushes)

• Parrots

• Hummingbirds

4 Statges:

• Critical learning period <1 year (listening and learning)

• silent period up to 8 months (figuring out parts of songs but not in order)

• Subsong period (“babbling” toddler speaking making sound but not song)

• Song Crystallization (full song made)

Song can:

• Establish social hierarchy (dueling)

• Promote pairs bonding (Dueting)

Annual cycles:

• Birds change behavior (mating molting)

• Some bird don’t follow this trend because it take more energy to raise young so they wait years in between breeding

Pineal gland:

• Top of the bird biological clock

• Photosensitive cells

• Controls the release of melatonin

Rythms:

• 23-24 hours cycle linked to daylight

• Longer days induce gonadal development

Corticosterone:

• Produced by adrenal glands indicated stress

Ultimate factors:

• Timing enough food for young and parent

• Enough space

• Climate good

• Low predation

Proximate factors:

• Tempeture

• Correct habitat

• New vegetation

• Social stimulations

Breeding seasons

• Tropical: 10 months long around rainy seasons

• Temperate: 4 months around seasonal change

Migration:

• High energy tax (high mortality rate)

• Depends on the species of bird and what they need and where they’re going

How to study Migration:

• GPS taging of the birds must recapture birds

• PTT send information directly to a satellite

Navigate:

• Sight

• Smell

• Stars

• Magnetic field

Types of social behavior

• Territoriality

• Flocking

• Dominance displacement

Territory:

• Fixed area defended for a period of time (chases other bird off)

• Territory may be extended for mates and progeny

Two types of territories:

• Simple territory one type of resource

• All purpose territory resources low predators limited competitors for mates

Flocking:

• Lowers predation

• Social hierarchy’s are built

Agnostic Behaviors:

• Aggression attack threaten

• Escape submit flee

Feeding in flocks:

• Increased competition

• Informations sharing

Adrenocorticotropic hormone:

• Stress managment

• Migratory restlessness

• Suppresses release of gonadal hormones

Estrogen:

• Progesterone released by pituitary gland

• Egg production

• Sexual morphology and function

Follicle-stimulating hormones:

• Sperm production

• Egg follicle development in ovary

Glucagon:

• Metabolism in the liver comes from pancreas

Growth hormones:

• Normal post hatching growth

• Stimulates immune system

Luteinizing hormones:

• Induces ovulation

• Increases production of progesterone and testosterone

Melatonin:

• Food utilization

• Circadian rhythm of cells throughout the day

Prolactin:

• Production of crop milk

• Broodiness

Thyroxine:

• Onset molt

• Metabolism and thermogenesis

• Growth and development

Testosterone:

• Development of testes and ovaries

• Sexual morphology