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Vertebrates Quiz 1 > Birds 1 > Flashcards

Birds 1 Flashcards

(61 cards)

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1
Q

What order contains half of all bird species?

A

Passeriformes - perching birds

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2
Q

What is a major distinguishing feature of class aves?

A

bipedal vertebrates with feathers

- diverse and range from 2g to 100kg

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3
Q

Do all birds fly?

A

No

- some like the emu, penguin, and kiwi bird have lost this ability

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4
Q

What are 3 types of flight?

A

explosive - grouse
soaring - albatross
flap continously - hummingbird

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5
Q

Why are bird bills shaped so diversely?

A

adaptations to specific food sources

- corresponds to diet

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6
Q

What are woodpecker bills adapted for?

A

drilling and boring for insects

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7
Q

What are toucan bills adapted for?

A

fruit

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8
Q

What are flamingo bills adapted for?

A

filter feeding/ mud sifting

- staining/filtering feature of bill

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9
Q

Osprey bills are adaptded for?

A

fish

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10
Q

What protein are feathers made from?

A

Keratin

- modified scales

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11
Q

What are the 3 primary adaptive significance of feathers and what is the lesser 4th?

A

Thermoregulation
Display behavior - colouration, length, shape
Camouflage - opp. of display
Flying last (started for gliding and quick bursts, eventually selected for better and better)

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12
Q

What 3 parts is a feather composed of including the 2 parts of the shaft?

A

Rachis - Main shaft
Calamus - Quill
Vane - off the shaft

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13
Q

What are the vanes of a feather composed of and how do they work together?

A

Many barbs that branch into barbules that have hooklets that hook together the barbules in a tight network

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14
Q

What does preening do for feathers?

A

Re-hooks the hooklets and barbules

Re-zips the feather back together

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15
Q

Why do feathers need to be preened?

A

makes sure the feather acts as a single unit as air flows over it

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16
Q

What has happened to an ostrich’s feathers?

A

Lost the interlocking system of barbules and hooklets

  • evolution can work backwards
  • not selected for anymore, no negative effect of losing feature
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17
Q

What are the 4 main types of feathers?

A

Flight feathers (primaries - hands, secondaries - forearm, tail)
Contour feathers
Down feathers and semi-plumes
Filoplumes

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18
Q

What is the function of contour feathers?

A

cover the body for warmth

cover base of major flight feathers

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19
Q

What are 2 features of a contour feather?

A

may have an aftershaft - plume-like feather at base for extra warmth?
may lack hooklets at base (downy-like)

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20
Q

What is a feature of a down feather/ semiplume feather? What is the purpose?

A

have barbules but lack hooklets

provide insulation under feathers

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21
Q

What is a filoplume feather and what do they do?

A

hair or pin feathers
can be found among flight feathers
attached to sensory receptors in skin

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22
Q

When does molting occur?

A

A certain life stage - juvenille to adult

Seasonal

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23
Q

2 main broad types of molting

A

Complete - all tracts replaced in a short time

Partial - parts of tracts replaced piecemeal; primaries and/or tail often retained

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24
Q

What is the prebasic molt?

A

A typically complete molt that results in the basic plumage that occurs for most N.A. birts in late summer/fall

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25
What is the prealternate molt?
A second partial molt resulting in alternate plumage (breeding or camouflage) that occurs in spring prior to mating
26
What is Eclipse plumage?
Short lived basic plumage during the prebasic molt of male ducks (drakes) that renders them flightless - drab looking
27
When do drakes undergo prealternate molt and why?
Undergo in late fall instead of spring to attain breeding plumage and make pair bonds in winter
28
What is the advantage of colourful plumage for a male duck?
Mate choice outweighs predator attraction
29
Flight evolved in many different creatures, not just birds. What kind of evolution is this?
Convergent rather than divergent
30
Aerodynamics: what is lift?
air flowing over an air foil creates lift | both wings and individual feathers act as airfoils
31
Aerodynamics:what is drag?
reduces lift by slowing air moving over an airfoil (friction/turbulence) - air doesn't flow smoothly
32
What is an airfoil?
structure that creates lift (suction upwards) | both wings and individual feathers act as airfoils
33
What is an alula and what is the function?
wing slots that direct fast moving air over wing surface to reduce turbulence
34
What is wing loading?
body/weight unit area of wing
35
What is high wing loading?
wings small relative to body mass | rapid flapping flyers
36
What is low wing loading?
Wings large relative to body mass | slow, long flyers, soarers
37
What is aspect ratio?
ratio of wing lenght to width
38
What is high aspect ratio?
long narrow wings - maximum lift and minimum drag, low turbulence - albatrosses and swallows
39
What is low aspect ratio?
similar wing length and width - good control at low speeds, maneuverability (in shrubs and trees) - many passerines (perchers)
40
4 main wing types
elliptical high speed dynamic soaring high lift
41
Describe elliptical wings
High wing load and Low aspect for high maneuverability at low speed, rapid take-off large wing slots and alulas to reduce drag at low speed - sparrow, owl, dove
42
Describe high speed wings
High aspect ratio, high wing load lack wing slots and alulas tapered wing tips to reduce drag at high speed - swallow, hummingbird, falcon
43
Describe dynamic soaring wings
high aspect (high lift) and low wing load lack wing slots or alulas use wind shear above ocean - albatross, frigate
44
Describe high lift wings
Low aspect and low wing load use thermal winds/ updrafts wing slots and alulas for increasing lift at low speeds - hawk, eagle, vulture
45
How are bird bones adapted to reduce weight?
Hollow, often with struts cross-stabilization so can get even hollower and thinner many bones are fused, reduced or missing
46
What is the furcula?
fused clavicles that make the wishbone
47
What don't birds have teeth? What do they have in place of teeth?
reduce weight | horny ridges instead and tiny rocks in gizzard that mill food to break it down
48
Why do birds have such large keel bones on sternum?
to hold flight muscles (similar to bone crest on snake skull that holds jaw muscles)
49
What are uncinate processes?
bone hooks that join ribs
50
What is the synsacrum?
pelvis + 3 lumbar and 6 tail vertebrae
51
What is the pygostyle?
fused tail vertebrae to which tail feathers attach
52
Why are flight muscles attached to the keel?
convenience and the fact that a low center of mass is important for flight
53
Why do birds have numerous neck vertebrae?
results in greater neck flexibility
54
What are red and white muscle fibres for?
red - aerobic activity, sustained flight, walking | white - anaerobic activity, explosive flight
55
Why do bird feet have so many diverse shapes?
adapted diversity based on lifestyle (walking vs. flying vs. perching vs. swimming vs. prey capture
56
Describe 4 features of lower limbs and feet
possess bones, tendons, skin, scales lack muscles resistant to cold and freezing locking mechanism when perching and grasping prey
57
What part of the body do birds walk on?
toes
58
What are 4 main parts of a bird leg?
knee, ankle, tibia, tarsus
59
Name and describe 3 types of feet with respect to toes?
``` Anisodactyl - 3 toes forward, 1 back (passerines, hawks, eagles) Syndactyl - 3rd and 4th does fused (belted kingfisher) Zygodactyl - 2 forward, 2 back (woodpeckers, flickers, nuthatches, parrots) ```
60
What are osprey feet adapted for?
long curved talons for catching fish can be aniso or zygodactyl spikes on bottom of feet
61
Why band hummingbirds?
they are important pollinators (warm-blooded - all year) monitor population increase and decrease find migration patterns learn about longevity, physiology, range, fidelity (go back to same places), breeding

Vertebrates Quiz 1 (16 decks)

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