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Ornithology > Chapter 4: Feathers > Flashcards

Chapter 4: Feathers Flashcards

1
Q

powder down

A

*quil continously growing and disintegrating, creating powdery substance

*barbs disintegrate, providing a fine powder thought to aid in preening and waterproofing the other feathers

*only feathers that grow continuously, never molted

*most prominent on breast/belly of herons and bitterns (family Ardeidae)

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2
Q
A
  1. capital
  2. humeral
  3. alar
  4. femoral
  5. crural
  6. spinal
  7. caudal
  8. ventral
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2
Q
  1. lateral branches from rachis
  2. smaller projections from barbs
  3. hooks that interlock to hold #1 in place
A
  1. barbs
  2. barbules
  3. baricels
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3
Q

shrike-thrushes (New Guinea forests)

hooded pitohui (Pitohui dichrous)

A

*secrete poisons from their preen gland (similar to the alkaloids produced by poison arrow frogs)

*produces a particularly large amount of these poisons

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4
Q

*quil continously growing and disintegrating, creating powdery substance

*barbs disintegrate, providing a fine powder thought to aid in preening and waterproofing the other feathers

*only feathers that grow continuously, never molted

*most prominent on breast/belly of herons and bitterns (family Ardeidae)

A

powder down

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5
Q

*caused by the physical alteration of incident light

*result from scattering of short wavelengths of incident light (blues) by small melanin particles in the feather barbs

*structural blues converted to greens and violets when combined with carotenoid pigments

A

Structural colors

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7
Q

body feathers (contour feathers)

A

*long central shaft w/ broad flat vane on either side

*vane base fluffy for insulation

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7
Q

plummage replaced following breeding (succeeds prebasic molt)

breeding plummage with brightly-colored feathers (succeeds prealternate molt)

A

basic (main) plummage

alternate plummage

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8
Q

*simplified feathers with sensory function; consist of a stiff rachis with a few basal barbs

*found mostly on head; also found on the knees of bristle-thighed curlews and on the toes of some owls

A

Bristles

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9
Q

uropygial (preen) gland

preening

A

*located on rump; secretes waxy/oily substance; some protect against bacteria, fungi, and ectoparasites (lice)

*grooming with beak + feet

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9
Q

basic (main) plummage

alternate plummage

A

plummage replaced following breeding (succeeds prebasic molt)

breeding plummage with brightly-colored feathers (succeeds prealternate molt)

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10
Q

*hairlike feathers that monitor movement and position of adjacent vaned feathers; might also have an ornamental function for displays (e.g. sage grouse)

*those associated with: flight feathers aid in aerodynamic adjustments; body contour feathers might help to monitor airspeed

*distributed inconspicuously throughout the plumage, but most numerous near moveable feathers

*fine rachis that terminates with a tuft of 1 to 6 short barbs with barbules

A

Filoplumes (absent in penguins, ostriches, and other flightless ratites)

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11
Q

natal down

second partial molt

A

replaces first molt with relatively normal assortment of feather types

mostly coat feathers; for adjusting coloration

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12
Q

coverts

A

*smaller feathers overlapping the bases of the remiges; covers gaps between remiges

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12
Q

*inner remiges attached to are bone (ulna)

*range from 6-40

A

secondaries

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13
Q

*secrete poisons from their preen gland (similar to the alkaloids produced by poison arrow frogs)

*produces a particularly large amount of these poisons

A

shrike-thrushes (New Guinea forests)

hooded pitohui (Pitohui dichrous)

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14
Q

Structural colors

A

*caused by the physical alteration of incident light

*result from scattering of short wavelengths of incident light (blues) by small melanin particles in the feather barbs

*structural blues converted to greens and violets when combined with carotenoid pigments

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16
Q

Bristles

A

*simplified feathers with sensory function; consist of a stiff rachis with a few basal barbs

*found mostly on head; also found on the knees of bristle-thighed curlews and on the toes of some owls

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17
Q

*acts to hide the birds outline

*dark dorsal surface absorbs light while the light underside reflects light, minimizing a shape-defining shadow

A

Counter shading (light ventral surface, dark dorsal surface)

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18
Q

(definitive down)

*soft and fluffy

*distribution can be continuous or restricted

*generally lack rachis (except waterfowl)

*Flexible barbs and barbules extend directly from the calamus (don’t interlock)

*They provide insulation by trapping air next to the skin

A

down feathers (in adults?)

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19
Q

down feathers (in adults?)

A

(definitive down)

*soft and fluffy

*distribution can be continuous or restricted

*generally lack rachis (except waterfowl)

*Flexible barbs and barbules extend directly from the calamus (don’t interlock)

*They provide insulation by trapping air next to the skin

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20
Q
  1. grays, blacks, browns, and buff colors; found in all birds
  2. yellows, oranges, reds, some blues and greens
  3. bright brown and green + unique magenta; unstable so do not last as they can be destroyed by sunlight; most often found in new feathers; structure related to hemoglobin
A
  1. melanins
  2. carotenoids
  3. porphyrins
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21
Q

*long central shaft w/ broad flat vane on either side

*vane base fluffy for insulation

A

body feathers (contour feathers)

23
Q

feather tracts VS skin regions (lacking in penguins, screamers, and mousebirds)

feather tracts

A

pterylae VS apteria

8 used to distinguish avian taxa; arrangement related to efficiency of muscle movement of feathers, wing movements, and thermoregulation

24
feather protein
beta-keratin
25
retrices (tail flight feathers)
\*attached to the fused caudal vertebrae (pygostyle) \*used for turning and breaking during flight \*most birds have 12 (anis and grouse have 18) (snipe have 24) \*also contains coverts (tail coverts)
25
\*located on rump; secretes waxy/oily substance; some protect against bacteria, fungi, and ectoparasites (lice) \*grooming with beak + feet
uropygial (preen) gland preening
26
male Scarlet Tanager 1. 0-1 month; prejuvenal molt; green & brown 2. 1-3 months; first prebasic molt; green & brown 3. 8-10 months; first prealternate molt; red & brown 4. 1+ years; second prebasic molt; green & black 5. 1+ years; second prealternate molt; red & black
male Scarlet Tanager 1. juvenal plumage 2. basic 1 3. alternate 1 4. basic 2 5. alternate 2
27
\*smaller feathers overlapping the bases of the remiges; covers gaps between remiges
coverts
28
starting with innmost to last on tip/outer
primary/tail feather replacement
28
\*result from interference with light that reflects off stacks of melanin (the larger the stack the more intense the iridescence) \*must be viewed at the proper angle to be seen otherwise the feathers appear black
Iridescent colors
30
Filoplumes (absent in penguins, ostriches, and other flightless ratites)
\*hairlike feathers that monitor movement and position of adjacent vaned feathers; might also have an ornamental function for displays (e.g. sage grouse) \*those associated with: flight feathers aid in aerodynamic adjustments; body contour feathers might help to monitor airspeed \*distributed inconspicuously throughout the plumage, but most numerous near moveable feathers \*fine rachis that terminates with a tuft of 1 to 6 short barbs with barbules
31
cryptic
blend into background (some birds change color seasonally, e.g. ptarmigan)
32
Reverse counter shading (light on top, dark below) signal patches
makes a bird more conspicuous used to call specific attention to movements during displays (e.g. red-winged blackbird)
32
replaces first molt with relatively normal assortment of feather types mostly coat feathers; for adjusting coloration
natal down second partial molt
33
calamus/quil rachis
hollow base of countour shaft; achors feather in follicle (below skin) rest of the shaft; supports the vane
34
blend into background (some birds change color seasonally, e.g. ptarmigan)
cryptic
36
primary/tail feather replacement
starting with innmost to last on tip/outer
36
1. melanins 2. carotenoids 3. porphyrins
1. grays, blacks, browns, and buff colors; found in all birds 2. yellows, oranges, reds, some blues and greens 3. bright brown and green + unique magenta; unstable so do not last as they can be destroyed by sunlight; most often found in new feathers; structure related to hemoglobin
37
male Scarlet Tanager 1. juvenal plumage 2. basic 1 3. alternate 1 4. basic 2 5. alternate 2
male Scarlet Tanager 1. 0-1 month; prejuvenal molt; green & brown 2. 1-3 months; first prebasic molt; green & brown 3. 8-10 months; first prealternate molt; red & brown 4. 1+ years; second prebasic molt; green & black 5. 1+ years; second prealternate molt; red & black
38
primaries
\*remiges attached to the hand bone \*most birds have 10 (some songbirds have 9) (storks, flamingos, grebes, and rheas have 11) (ostriches have 16) (flightless Kiwis have 3-4)
40
\*broad, flat, stiff vane to form air foil
remiges (flight feathers)
41
Counter shading (light ventral surface, dark dorsal surface)
\*acts to hide the birds outline \*dark dorsal surface absorbs light while the light underside reflects light, minimizing a shape-defining shadow
41
\*attached to the fused caudal vertebrae (pygostyle) \*used for turning and breaking during flight \*most birds have 12 (anis and grouse have 18) (snipe have 24) \*also contains coverts (tail coverts)
retrices (tail flight feathers)
43
pterylae VS apteria 8 used to distinguish avian taxa; arrangement related to efficiency of muscle movement of feathers, wing movements, and thermoregulation
feather tracts VS skin regions (lacking in penguins, screamers, and mousebirds) feather tracts
44
disruptive coloration
\*reduces contrast between bird’s shape and background (e.g. some plovers (e.g. killdeer) have bold striping that separate the outline of their head from their body; bold coloration of warblers helps them blend with leaves and twigs)
45
secondaries
\*inner remiges attached to are bone (ulna) \*range from 6-40
47
Iridescent colors
\*result from interference with light that reflects off stacks of melanin (the larger the stack the more intense the iridescence) \*must be viewed at the proper angle to be seen otherwise the feathers appear black
48
hollow base of countour shaft; achors feather in follicle (below skin) rest of the shaft; supports the vane
calamus/quil rachis
49
beta-keratin
feather protein
50
Semiplumes
\*intermediate in structure between down and contour feathers: large rachis with loose and flexible vanes \*rachis distinguishes semiplumes from down \*provide insulation, fill out aerodynamic contours of body plumage, and form courtship ornaments
51
\*reduces contrast between bird’s shape and background (e.g. some plovers (e.g. killdeer) have bold striping that separate the outline of their head from their body; bold coloration of warblers helps them blend with leaves and twigs)
disruptive coloration
52
\*remiges attached to the hand bone \*most birds have 10 (some songbirds have 9) (storks, flamingos, grebes, and rheas have 11) (ostriches have 16) ( \*flightless Kiwis have 3-4)
primaries
54
\*intermediate in structure between down and contour feathers: large rachis with loose and flexible vanes \*rachis distinguishes semiplumes from down \*provide insulation, fill out aerodynamic contours of body plumage, and form courtship ornaments
Semiplumes
55
makes a bird more conspicuous used to call specific attention to movements during displays (e.g. red-winged blackbird)
Reverse counter shading (light on top, dark below) signal patches
56
1. barbs 2. barbules 3. baricels
1. lateral branches from rachis 2. smaller projections from barbs 3. hooks that interlock to hold #1 in place
57
remiges (flight feathers)
\*broad, flat, stiff vane to form air foil

Ornithology (11 decks)

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