Lab practical study guide

Question 1

What is the word we use to describe the parts and features on an organism?

Answer 1

topography

Question 2

What do we call the feathers around the mouth of nightjars and swifts and what is their function?

Answer 2

they are called rictal bristles and their function is to provide sensory information and funnel food towards the mouth

Question 3

What type of feathers cover the entire body and retain heat?

Answer 3

down feathers

Question 4

What is the uropygial gland and what does it do?

Answer 4

the uropygial gland produces preen oil, which is spread over the feathers to prevent wear and tear as well as waterproof and protect against ectoparasites

Question 5

Describe the asymmetry of the primaries. why are they like that?

Answer 5

primary 10 (most distal primary feather at the tip of the wing) is the most asymmetrical. It is asymmetrical to help create the airfoil shape of the wing (which generates lift and thrust). It is also asymmetrical to increase its strength and resilience. Primaries that are more proximal are not as asymmetrical or even symmetrical.

Question 6

What taxonomic group is important for us to know in lab?

Answer 6

order

Question 7

what does a field guide tell you about a bird (3 things)

Answer 7

scientific name
location
visual description

Question 8

Name 3 skeletal adaptations for flight

Answer 8

1. fused bones
2. center of mass/reduction of weight
3. other specific modifications (pneumatic bones?)

Question 9

what are some features of a bird’s skeleton that reduce mass (3 things)

Answer 9

loss of teeth
loss of jawbones
pneumatic bones

Question 10

describe molt

Answer 10

plumages will be numbered, molts are not

1. natal down
   prejuvenal molt
2. juvenal plumage
   first prebasic molt
3. 1st basic plumage
   2nd prebasic molt
4. definitive basic plumage
   prebasic molt

Question 11

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 11

convergent evolution describes organisms that have similarities but NO shared ancestry (birds and bats)

Question 12

Describe where the nape of a bird is

Answer 12

the nape is the back of the head

Question 13

describe where the rump of a bird is

Answer 13

the rump is right above the tail

Question 14

Describe where the malar stripe of a bird is

Answer 14

the malar stripe extends from the corner of the mouth and goes down alog the throat

Question 15

describe where the undertail coverts of a bird are

Answer 15

on the underside of the tail, NOT the retrices (tail feathers)

Question 16

describe where the flanks of a bird are

Answer 16

the flanks are on the sides of the body and do not include the belly - think between the underside of the wings and the abdomen

Question 17

describe where the lores of a bird are located

Answer 17

the lore is the region between the eye and the beak

think about drawing a straight line between the corner of the eye and the beak

Question 18

describe where the crown of a bird is

Answer 18

the crown is the top of the head

Question 19

Describe where the supercillium of a bird is

Answer 19

the supercillium is the area above the eye but under the crown

think of this as the ‘eyebrow’ of the bird

Question 20

What are the retrices?

Answer 20

the tail feathers of a bird

Question 21

What are the remiges?

Answer 21

the wing feathers of a bird including primaries and secondaries

Question 22

What are the characteristics of a down feather? Where is it found on the body and what is its function?

Answer 22

down feathers lack a central rachis and are plumulaceous (barbs do not ‘zip’ together to form a vane). Their barbs lack barbicels.

These feathers have a thermoregulatory function and appear all over the body

Question 23

What are the characteristics of a semiplume feather? Where is it found on the body and what is its function?

Answer 23

semiplumes have no barbicels and are plumulaceous, but DO have a central rachis that is longer than the longest barb

these feathers are found all over the body and have a thermoregulatory function

Question 24

What are the characteristics of a filoplume feather? Where is it found on the body and what is its function?

Answer 24

these feathers have a tuft at the tip but are thin and hairlike otherwise
these feathers have a sensory function

Question 25

What are the characteristics of a bristle feather? Where is it found on the body and what is its function?

Answer 25

Bristles are thin and hairlike, but have a tuft at the base

these feathers have a sensory and protective function (think eyelashes or whiskers) and can funnel food towards the mouth

these are found around the mouth and eyes

Question 26

What are the characteristics of a contour feather? Where is it found on the body and what is its function?

Answer 26

these feathers have a vane and an aftershaft (like a smaller, second feather attached to the base), note that they are pennaceous

these feathers cover the body and wings, are symmetrical and

Question 27

what is special about owl feathers and why are they adaptive?

Answer 27

owl feathers have fringed edges that enable them to be silent during flight

this is adaptive because it allows them to sneak up on prey

Question 28

What is the equation for aspect ratio and what does it mean?

Answer 28

aspect ratio is (wing span^2)/(wing surface area)

birds with a high aspect ratio have long and skinny wings
birds with a small aspect ratio have short/elliptical wings

Question 29

What is the equation for wing loading and what does it mean?

Answer 29

the equation for wing loading is (body mass)/(wing surface area)

birds with high wing loading need to go faster to carry the same weight as a bird with smaller wing loading

I think of it as “the more a bird weighs compared to the size of its wings, the higher the wing loading, and the less maneuverable the bird is”

Question 30

If you see this card, go look at the pigeon dissection powerpoint

Question 31

If you see this card, go look at the skeleton powerpoint and worksheet from lab

Question 32

What is the difference between a mobbing and a warning call?

Answer 32

mobbing call
- broadbrand (wide range of frequencies)
- carries farther
- calls other birds to your location

warning call
- high frequency
- hard to localize (predator cannot find you based on the call)
- short range
- tells other birds to stay alert