Week Two: Avian Nursing Part 1

Question 1

What is the purpose of primary feathers?

Answer 1

Feathers for flying. “Flight feathers”

Question 2

What are the only feathers we trim on a bird?

Answer 2

Primary feathers

Question 3

What are secondary feathers?

Answer 3

Flight feathers along the radius and ulna

Question 4

Where are contour feathers found?

Answer 4

Along the body

Question 5

What are down feathers and what are the two types?

Answer 5

Fluffy feathers; oil or powder

Question 6

What are the main parts of a feather?

Answer 6

Rachis (hard spine), barbs (feathery big parts that stick out), and barbules (soft feathery small parts)

Question 7

What is the difference between the pterylae area and the apterylae areas?

Answer 7

Pterylae- feathered places

Apterylae- spots that do not have feathers (like around eyes and beak)

Question 8

What is the keel?

Answer 8

The breastbone on flight birds

Question 9

What are some examples of fused bones on birds?

Answer 9

Synsacrum and pygostyle

Question 10

Where is the synsacrum found? Where is the pygostyle found?

Answer 10

Synsacrum- around pelvis area

Pygostyle- fused coccygeal area; tail area

Question 11

What are the hollow bones on a bird called and where are they found?

Answer 11

Pneumatic bones; femur and humerous

Question 12

What is the difference between cere and operculum?

Answer 12

Cere- around the nares

Operculum- flappy thing over the nares

Question 13

What is different about birds’ tracheal rings?

Answer 13

The are complete rings

Question 14

What is different about avian’s breathing mechanisms?

Answer 14

They have no diaghragm

Question 15

What is a syrinx?

Answer 15

Voicebox of avians

Question 16

What do air sacs hold? (be specific, don’t just say air!)

Answer 16

Warm air

Question 17

Why is an understanding of the renal portal system important when dealing with drugs in avians?

Answer 17

If we give drugs on the bottom half of an avians body, the drug will go through the kidneys before it reaches the heart

Question 18

What is the difference between urine and urates?

Answer 18

Urine- urine

Urates- Whity, chalky pee

Question 19

What is the coelomic cavity?

Answer 19

Thoracic and abdomen cavity of avians (both together)

Question 20

What is the crop?

Answer 20

Pouch in the avian’s esophagus that has food in it

Question 21

What is the proventriculus of an avian?

Answer 21

the narrow glandular first region of a bird’s stomach between the crop and the gizzard

Question 22

What is the ventriculus of an avian?

Answer 22

Gizzard, grinding of the food happens here

Question 23

Male avian sex organs are _____

Answer 23

Internal

Question 24

How do you determine the sex of an avian?

Answer 24

Visual, surgical (using an endoscope), or blood tests

Question 25

Avian's RBCs are _____

Answer 25

Nucleated

Question 26

What does polychromasia mean?

Answer 26

Many colors

Question 27

Heterophils are equivalent to what?

Answer 27

Neutrophils

Question 28

What are thrombocytes?

Answer 28

Nucleated platelets

Question 29

What is the difference between molting and preening?

Answer 29

Molting- new feathers coming in | Preening- fixing feathers

Question 30

What are some normal parrot behaviors?

Answer 30

Bathing and preening, playing, sleeping, regurgitation if they like you, pinning (flashing), shivering and fluffing, vocalizing

Question 31

What is pinning/flashing?

Answer 31

Pupil changes size rapidly

Question 32

What are some abnormal parrot behaviors?

Answer 32

Feather destruction, sitting on the cage floor, fluffed feathers, regurgitation and vomiting, sudden friendliness, no poop, mouth breathing, falling

Question 33

What are some normal cockatoo behaviors?

Answer 33

Biting (they find it funny), talking, being curious/destructive

Question 34

What are some common breeds of cockatoos?

Answer 34

Umbrella, Moluccan, Rose-breasted, Sulphur-crested, Goffin's

Question 35

What are some normal behaviors for Budgerigar's?

Answer 35

Very social with other birds, preening, food sharing, being flighty around humans

Question 36

What is some normal traits of Eclectus?

Answer 36

Sexually dimorphic (males are green, calmer, and less aggressive while females are red and mean like in real life), generally quieter and less active

Question 37

What are some traits of cockatiels?

Answer 37

Sweet, feisty, social, vocal (good at whistling and singing)

Question 38

What are some traits of African Greys?

Answer 38

Extremely intelligent, they don't have a preen gland which means they have powdered downs, great vocalizers, cautious, prone to feather destruction under stress or boredom, dusty

Question 39

What are some common species of African Greys?

Answer 39

Congo (black beaks and bright red tails), Timneh

Question 40

What are some traits of lovebirds?

Answer 40

Likely to whistle or sing, more people-friendly when housed alone, protective of cage mates

Question 41

What are some traits of Macaws?

Answer 41

Largest of the commonly owned parrots, loudest birds, active and vocal, can learn words, stress leads to feather plucking, LARGE amounts of poop, very strong beaks

Question 42

What are some traits of Conure?

Answer 42

Smaller parrots, active and vocal, very close with owners but can nip and bite

Question 43

What are some common species of Conure?

Answer 43

Sun, Green-cheeked

Question 44

What are some traits of Amazons?

Answer 44

Big-bodied (chubs), good talkers, need interaction and toys