Birds 1

Question 1

What is the kingdom, phylum and class of birds?

Answer 1

Animalia
Chordata
Aves

Question 2

What are the smallest and largest birds?

Answer 2

Bee humming bird

Ostrich

Question 3

Give 5 examples of the categories of birds

Answer 3

Passerines (songbirds)
Psittacines (parrots)
Raptors (birds of prey)
Poultry and waterfowl

Question 4

How many toes do passerines have? What are these birds also known as?

Answer 4

4 - one fancying backwards

Song birds

Question 5

What are the 2 groups of poultry and waterfowl? Give examples

Answer 5

Anseriformes - ducks/geese/swans

Gulliformes - chickens/turkeys

Question 6

Describe the skin on birds

Answer 6

Thin, inelastic

Modified on limbs

Question 7

Describe which glands are present and absent in birds

Answer 7

No sweat or sebaceous

Uropygial gland, auditory canal and sometimes cloacal gland present

Question 8

What is the uropygial gland? What does it do? Which birds lack it?

Answer 8

Preen gland at base of tail
Produces lipid secretion to waterproof and maintain feathers
Ostrich, emu, some parrots and pigeons

Question 9

What are pterylae? What are the areas of bare skin (lacking pterylae) called?

Answer 9

Areas where feather follicles grow

Apteria

Question 10

What are the 5 areas of a feather?

Answer 10

Vane (curve)
Rachis (middle part)
Barb (edges)
Afterfeather
Calamus (hollow shaft)

Question 11

What are the two types of feather? (Birds can have one or the other, or both)

Answer 11

Plumulaceous

Pennaceous

Question 12

Describe plumalaceous and pennaceous feathers

Answer 12

Plumalceous - soft, downy

Pennaceous - stiff, closely knit

Question 13

What are the 4 main types of feather?

Answer 13

Contour feathers
Semi plumes
Down feathers
Powder down feathers

Question 14

What are contour feathers? What are the 3 types of contour feathers?

Answer 14

Outermost feathers - colour, contour and protection

3 types: coverts (small contour), remiges (large contour, flight) retrices (tail)

Question 15

What are the semiplume feathers?

Answer 15

Under contour feathers

Loose, provide insulation

Question 16

What are down feathers? What part of a normal feather do they lack?

Answer 16

Very loose, provide insulation

Lack barb

Question 17

What are powder down feathers? What is different between them and normal down feathers? Which birds commonly have these?

Answer 17

Specialised down feathers
Tips of barbules disintegrate during preening
Birds lacking uropygial gland

Question 18

What are blood feathers?

Answer 18

Growing feathers

Have nerve and (large!) blood supply

Question 19

When are damaged feathers replaced?

Answer 19

Next malt

Question 20

How often does malting tend to be? What difference in energy does this require? What affects malting? When do plucked feathers grow back?

Answer 20

Yearly
Requires increased energy
Temperature, season/photoperiod, nutrition
Immediately

Question 21

What is wing clipping?

Answer 21

Clipping contour feathers (remiges) to reduce ability for vertical lift when flying

Question 22

Describe how the skeletal system in a bird is adapted for flight

Answer 22

Lightweight - fused bones, small skull, no teeth.

Pneumatic bones - hollow air sacs

Question 23

How are pneumatic bones strengthened?

Answer 23

Internal struts

Question 24

The skeletal system provides attachment for flight muscles. What is the keel? Is it present in all birds?

Answer 24

Extension of sternum/breastbone

Not present in flightless birds

Question 25

What is the coracoid in birds? What is its function?

Answer 25

Paired bone, part of shoulder | Supports wing and counteracts flight muscles to prevent chest compression

Question 26

How is the skeletal system of a bird adapted to aid egg production?

Answer 26

Medullary bones | Provide calcium source during peak egg production

Question 27

What supports the eye of a bird?

Answer 27

Sclerotic rings

Question 28

What are the 2 types of specialised bones in birds?

Answer 28

Medullary bones | Pneumatic bones

Question 29

How many cervical vertebrae can be present in birds?

Answer 29

11-25

Question 30

The thoracic vertebrae in birds are fused. What is this fused system called?

Answer 30

Notarium

Question 31

The lumbar, sacral and caudal vertebrae are fused in birds. What is this called?

Answer 31

Synsacrum

Question 32

The last few vertebrae in a bird provide what? What is this unit called?

Answer 32

Attachment for muscles and feathers | Pygostyle

Question 33

Describe the differences in the major bones of the forelimb of a bird

Answer 33

Ulna larger than radius Ulna supports secondary flight feathers Radial and ulnar carpals support primary flight feathers Humerus is a pneumatic bone - if broken can lead to subcutaneous emphysema

Question 34

What is the carpometacarpus of a bird?

Answer 34

3rd part of the wing | Supports the 2 digits

Question 35

What is the name of the 1st digit/thumb? Where is it attached to?

Answer 35

Alula | Carpometacarpal joint

Question 36

The hindlimb of a bird is similar to most mammals. Which bones are fused in the bird?

Answer 36

Tibiotarsus | Tarsometatarsus

Question 37

What makes up the pectoral girdle? What is its function?

Answer 37

Scapula, fused clavicles, coracoid and sternum | Supports large flight muscles

Question 38

What makes up the pelvic girdle?

Answer 38

Fused ilium, ischium and pubis and synsacrum

Question 39

What are the main flight muscles in a bird? Which muscles are wing depressors and elevators?

Answer 39

``` Large pectorals Pectoralis major (wing depressor) and supracoideus (wing elevator) - use pulley system ```

Question 40

Birds who fly less have more powerful leg muscles. When giving IM injections, which muscles should be used? Which birds are the exceptions to this?

Answer 40

``` Pectoral muscle Except ratites (emu, ostrich) and nestlings (babies) ```

Question 41

Why can’t birds receive IM injections in the thigh/leg?

Answer 41

They have the renal portal system - could be nephrotoxic and would be excreted