Chapter 20

Question 1

Acute

Answer 1

A sudden onset of pain or illness that is often characterized by sharpness or severity. A form of beak and feather disease that is seen in young birds as they are getting their first adult feathers. Developing feathers begin to appear deformed, break easily, or molt early.

Question 2

Aviculture

Answer 2

The raising and caring of birds.

Question 3

Barbs

Answer 3

Individual strands of feather material extending laterally from the rachis. They are attached to each other with barbules.

Question 4

Barbules

Answer 4

Small branches of feathers with hooks that link the feathers in the vane of a bird’s feather.

Question 5

Blood feathers

Answer 5

A bird’s body feathers that still have a blood supply in the shaft because they are still growing.

Question 6

Bristle feathers

Answer 6

Short, stiff, hair-like bird feathers that lack barbs and are found most commonly on the head. They may protect the bird’s eyes and face.

Question 7

Calamus

Answer 7

The base of the feather that attaches to the body.

Question 8

Cere

Answer 8

The soft, fleshy, bare patch at the base of the upper mandible (upper beak) of a bird.

Question 9

Charm

Answer 9

A group of finches or a group of hummingbirds.

Question 10

Choana

Answer 10

An opening that connects a bird’s nasal cavity with the mouth (buccal) cavity and the throat (pharynx).

Question 11

Chronic

Answer 11

Continuing or occurring repeatedly for an extended time. A form of beak and feather disease that develops in adult birds. When molting, the feathers are abnormal, and beak deformities occur after the changes in feathers.

Question 12

Clutch

Answer 12

Turtle or tortoise eggs in a nest. The number of eggs a bird lays within several days.

Question 13

Coccidiosis

Answer 13

An infection caused by a coccidium parasite.

Question 14

Cock

Answer 14

A male bird

Question 15

Contour feathers

Answer 15

Flight feathers that develop on the wings and tail to assist with flight. These feathers give the bird its shape.

Question 16

Coverts

Answer 16

Contour feathers on a bird’s wing that smooth over the region where the flight feathers attach to the bone.

Question 17

Crop milk

Answer 17

A semisolid excretion that is high in fat and protein, and is fed to newborn pigeon and dove hatchlings. Both female and male birds produce and regurgitate this from their crops.

Question 18

Down feathers

Answer 18

The small insulating feathers found close to the body that help keep a bird warm.

Question 19

Drove

Answer 19

A group of birds.

Question 20

Ear coverts

Answer 20

The small feathers that cover a bird’s ear openings.

Question 21

Egg-bound

Answer 21

A condition in which a female will have one or more eggs stuck inside her. This can be fatal if it is not resolved. Causes of egg binding include cold weather, low levels of calcium, obesity, and a lack of muscle tone.

Question 22

Filoplume feathers

Answer 22

The small, hair-like feathers that are used for making small flight adjustments and repositioning other feathers. These occur among the contour feathers.

Question 23

Fledgling

Answer 23

A newly hatched or very young bird that has not left the nest.

Question 24

Flight

Answer 24

A group of birds.

Question 25

Flight feathers

Answer 25

The big, stiff feathers on the wings and tail.

Question 26

Flock

Answer 26

A group of birds or a group of pigeons.

Question 27

Hen

Answer 27

A female bird.

Question 28

Keel

Answer 28

An extension of a bird's breastbone (sternum), which provides a type of anchor for the wing muscles.

Question 29

Molting

Answer 29

The natural feather replacement that birds experience once or twice per year.

Question 30

Nares

Answer 30

A bird's external nostrils.

Question 31

Nestling

Answer 31

A newly hatched or very young bird that has not left the nest.

Question 32

Nonpasserines

Answer 32

Birds that are not in the Order Passeriformes.

Question 33

Passerines

Answer 33

Birds with straight beaks and four toes, with three pointing forward and one pointing backward.

Question 34

Pecking order

Answer 34

A hierarchy established by birds. The most dominant birds typically rest on the highest perches.

Question 35

Peracute

Answer 35

A form of beak and feather disease that occurs on chicks and may not exhibit any signs except for death.

Question 36

Preening

Answer 36

The action of a bird when it is working oils from its uropygial gland into its feathers. A bird also rearranges its feathers in the correct shape and order.

Question 37

Primary feathers

Answer 37

The outermost feathers on a bird.

Question 38

Rachis

Answer 38

The center, hollow shaft of a feather.

Question 39

Rectrices

Answer 39

The larger feathers in a bird's tail that are used for steering in flight. Most birds have 10 to 12 rectrices.

Question 40

Remiges

Answer 40

The flight feathers on a bird's wing. These feathers make up all of the flight feathers, including the primaries, secondaries, and tertial feathers, that make up the trailing edge of the wing.

Question 41

Secondary feathers

Answer 41

The smaller feathers that begin halfway down the wing.

Question 42

Semiplume feathers

Answer 42

Feathers similar to down feathers that occur between the contour feathers, provide insulation, and increase a bird's buoyancy in water.

Question 43

Sour crops

Answer 43

This occurs when candidiasis infects a bird's crop. Also referred to as crop stasis.

Question 44

Squab

Answer 44

A juvenile pigeon.

Question 45

Squeaker

Answer 45

A juvenile pigeon.

Question 46

Tertial feathers

Answer 46

The innermost flight feathers. They are attached to the humerus bone in the bird's upper arm. There are usually three to four tertials.

Question 47

Uropygial gland

Answer 47

A gland at the base of a bird's tail that produces oils that are used for preening. Birds work the oils into their feathers with their beaks.

Question 48

Vanes

Answer 48

The flat areas of feathers on either side of the rachis. They are made up of many small side branches that are linked together by smaller branches with hooks called barbules.

Question 49

Ornithophobia

Answer 49

Fear of birds