Birds General Info
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Complete list of Terms and Definitions for Birds General Info

Terms Definitions
Benefits of flocking Information center, selfish herd, warmth, multiple eyes
straight commissure Just what it means, no curves.
Charadriiformes Jacanas (Jacanidae)
Lice Any of numerous small, flat-bodied, wingless biting or sucking insects of the orders Mallophaga or Anoplura, many of which are external parasites on various animals, including humans.
Crop Burn Crop burn is a serious problem that results when chicks are fed food that is too hot.
hyperpallium Unique to birds and linked to intelligence
Gular Feathers The small feathers beneath the bird's eyes.
Upper Tail Coverts Contour feathers that cover the base of the Tail feathers (Retrices).
Calamus Alternate name for a quill, i.e., the bare portion of the feather where it is attached to the wing.
White-winged Dove Soft hooting "who-hoo-who-hoo-oo"
Swollen Bill The sides are convex, as in a Tanager
High body temperature Enhances reflexes, endurance but is energetically costly
Weaned Bird A bird that is out of the nest, and eating on its own.
nectar, fruit, insect- eating birds get water from _______ Food
Barb Feathery branches growing out of each side of the shaft of a feather. The barb is attached to the Rachis, i.e., these constitute the first branches off the main trunk of the feather.
Overgrown Beaks Beak that is too long requiring trimming or filing.
bristles contour feathers without vanes - only a whiskey central rachis. Mostly around the eye for protection, the lores, the nostrils and the rictus of the mouth
Vane (a.k.a. Vexillum) The web-like part of a feather.
primary coverts Feathers protecting and covering the primaries
Cycle 2: Step 3 on second inhalation O2 depleted air moves to anterior airsacs
Runaway selection Trait is reinforced generation after generation until it becomes so exaggerated it could become a dangerous burden
Countercurrent Heat-Exchange System - Artery and Vein flow next to each other in countercurrent - Artery heats cooler veins - Circular muscles (sphincters) divert blood as needed
Crop Thin-walled, elastic sac in the Esophagus where food is temporarily stored prior to passage into the main digestive organs and can be regurgitated to feed chicks. In parrot chicks that have just been fed, the crop is an obvious rounded, distended pouch.
Granivorous Animals that eat grain and seeds.
Scheduling activities Avoid overlapping high cost efforts, self-maintenance a priority, generally breed, then molt, then migrate
Microchip An electronic chip the size of a grain of rice that contains a unique number to identify the bird. For birds it is usually inserted into the breast muscle. Once in place, it can be read with a handheld scanner.
Egg Binding Egg binding is a hen's inability to pass an egg.
TAG Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Timneh African Grey.
Interramal Space The cavity in the lower mandible where the tongue is located.
Abdomen Ventral part or belly of the bird.
Taxonomy The way bird scientists classify bird species based on their similarities to or differences from one another.
Reticulate Feet small, irregularly arranged granular scales, found in parrots and charadriidae, plovers, among other groups
Feather Mites Feather mites are normally scavengers feeding on feather fragments and lipids, scaly skin debris, and feather fungi and algae.
natal down baby birds
SM Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Scarlet Macaw.
Cycle 2: Step 4 on second exhalation CO2-rich air expelled through nostrils
Red-eyed Vireo Broken series of slurred notes where each phrase ends with an upswing or downswing, as if the bird asks a question, then answers it, again and again, also a cat-like "myaah"
Urine One of the three components of the bird's excreta (droppings). Often a clear liquid (also see Urates and Feces).
Leaf Bathing Bathing on wet leaf matter that may contain specific oils that assist in cleaning or preening.
RV2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Red Vented Cockatoo.
Flight feathers Specialized contour feathers on the wings and tail
Reasons for bird spp decline • Loss of habitat • Fragmentation, forest, prairie • Cowbirds • Pollution • Exotics • Kitty
Oscine Also known as a songbird, any bird of the suborder Passeres (order Passeriformes), which includes all songbirds. A bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of Passeriformes (ca. 4000 species), in which the vocal organ is developed in such a way as to produce various sound notes, commonly known as bird song.
Cooperative Breeding Fitness of helper = direct fitness (RS of own offspring)+ indirect fitness (RS of aiding relatives in producing offspring)
respiratory system to obtain oxygen
Median Secondary covert The next row of Coverts up from the Greater Secondary Coverts that cover the Secondary flight feathers.
Lack hypothesis clutch size is adjusted by natural selection to maximize the number of nestlings parents can feed and nourish
Respiratory system most efficient in vertebrates lungs - small, dense tissue
RM Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Ruby Macaw.
Umbie Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Umbrella Cockatoo.
Population size is driven by annual recruitment, which in turn is mainly driven by annual fluctuations in food supply
Diastataxic Featheration Wings (of all parrots) have a small gap between two of their secondary flight feathers while they still have a matching fifth secondary covert feather (also see Eutaxic).
Ethmomandibularis muscle Unique to parrots, this muscle controls the Prokinetic Upper beak.
Management manipulation of populations or habitats to achieve desired goals (e.g. increase, decrease, remove & replace (hunting)
Down Excellent lightweight insulation
Behaviorism A school of psychology that confines itself to the study of observable and quantifiable aspects of behavior and excludes subjective phenomena, such as emotions or motives. Also called behavioral psychology.
American Crow Series of loud scratchy caws
Passeriformes Shrikes (Laniidae)
Avain airflow is ___-_______ uni-directional
Magnum The second segment of the oviduct where most of the egg white is added to the egg as it moves down the duct.
tidbitting offer a potential mate a juicy morsel - a nuptial gift
auricle region feathers covering the opening of the ears
Pneumatisation of Bone Hollow bones that contain air sacs lined with Epithelium.
Lamellate Bill Sieve-billed, as in swans, geese, ducks, flamingos
Ala Membrana The membrane on the aft portion of the wing from which the remiges feathers grow.
Event Marker A signal to indicate exactly what behavior is being reinforced. A Clicker is used in Clicker training as an event marker.
Ribs Characteristics - Hinged for greater movement/breathing
promiscuity males mate indiscriminately with any female and no pair bond is formed (6%)
Maxillary Rostrum Upper beak.
GCC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Gold Capped Conure.
Niche depends not only on where it lives but also on what it does. By analogy, it may be said that the habitat is the organism's "address", and the niche is its "profession"
Beak The bill.
Uterus The fourth segment of the oviduct. This is where the shell is added to the egg.
NDV See Newcastle Disease Virus.
Greater Secondary Covert The feathers that overlap the Secondary flight feathers.
Spotted Towhee "drink-your-tea" repeated 2-8 times, sound of rubber band being plucked
Bird brains larger than similar sized reptiles well developed mid- and forebrain
egg tooth calcarius project on end of bill, Drops off after hatching, or can be absorbed (calcium useful)
Posterior Thoracic Sac Two air sacs located in the thoracic region.
Continuous Breeders Birds such as Chickens that breed throughout the year (see also Opportunistic Breeders).
hatching muscle located at the back of the neck 0 gives the weak and tiny chick the extra power it needs to break through the shell
Tibia The segment of leg that protrudes from feathers, above the 'ankle'.
Protodeum This is the exterior opening of the cloaca, or the anal vent.
sternum large breastbone that provides a site for muscle attachment; provides support for the thrust and power produced by birds as they generate motion for flight.
standard foot Posterior toe, or hallux, is 1, innermost forward toe is 2, middle toe is 3, outermost toe is 4.
Killdeer High, plaintive "kill-deer" or "kill-deer-deer" lasting 0.5 seconds, sharp "dee" that can intensify into a bubbling trill
calls short and simple noise used to signal alarm or distress
mature egg ovum attached to a supply of yolk, encased in vitelline membrane
hollow bones, strong chest muscles, wings, air sacs, and feathers What are the 5 adaptations that birds have for flight?
Papillae Protuberances in the mouth and on the tongue.
Crural Feathers The feathers covering the bird's legs.
Tetracycline An antibiotic.
ruffs fringe of feathers growing on the neck
Apodiformes Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Bald Eagle High-pitched whistling or piping
Crop where food is moistened and soft
Anseriformes Ducks, Geese, and Swan (Anatidae)
Alular (AKA Alula) Small bone in the wing protruding from the Carpometacarps bone. Sometimes referred to as the thumb. The Allula (or Alula) feathers are attached in this region.
Skeleton Highly modified to reduce mass
Height Dominance The theory that we have much more control over our companion parrots if we are always taller than they are.
When are polygyny and polyandry expected to occur When either sex is able to monopolize mates; When either sex is able to monopolize critical resources that mates need
fecundity average number of offspring produced per female per breeding season or age interval
rachis central shaft
Epithelium Membranous tissue composed of one or more layers of cells separated by very little intercellular substance and forming the covering of most internal and external surfaces of the body and its organs.
semipalmate foot Half-webbed; anterior facing toes are joined by webbing, but the webbing only extends part way along the toes (avocet).
New World Birds Species of birds that are native to North, Central, South Americas and the Caribbean. This includes the families of macaws, Pionus Parrots, Amazon Parrots, caiques, conures, and others.
Incubator A chamber used for hatching eggs whereby both temperature and humidity are controlled.
culmen The ridge on top of the upper mandible. It extends from the tip of the bill to where the feathers begin.
PVD See Avian Polyoma Virus.
adapted nasal chambers conserve _______ water
osprey have sharp, hooked beaks for tearing flesh, and claws for grasping. They hint during daylight hours.
Scutellate-reticulate Feet Both scutes, rectangular scales, and reticulate scales on tarsus and foot. Pigeons and doves.
What explains the evolution of clutch size variation between temperate and the tropics? Food limitation hypothesis; predation hypothesis; seasonality hypothesis. The more babies the less likely the parents are to survive.
zugunruhe migratory restlessness
types of bowers cleared area with decorations; mat of lichens with decorations; avenue bowers; maypole bowers
Homogeneous Chains Behavior Chains in which the same behavior is repeated over and over again.
scapulars the feathers covering the shoulder of a bird
Great horned owl also a bird of prey, but hunts at night
Ambient Attention Attention given to a parrot while they are in their cage and you are in the room with them.
Dispersal Movement of a young bird from the site where it hatches to the site where it breeds.
Clicker Training It is a method of Operant Conditioning based on the work of B.F. Skinner. The process of using a clicker to mark a desired behavior in animal training. It was originally used in training animals for which traditional methods of obedience training weren't useful, such as dolphins in wild-animal shows or carrier pigeons used for specific military purposes.
Structural coloration Nanostructure of barbs reflects specific wavelengths of light and may also have an UV component
Auricular Region Region posterior to the orbital region on the side of the head.
throat the area between the bill and the breast
Preening The process in which birds use their beaks to rub their feathers with oil
Rhamphotheca The horny covering of the bill of birds.
Photoperiodism When the length of the day triggers the seasonal responses of animals.
A feather structure is made primarily of Keratin(a protein)
corprolite dinosaur poop
rump the part of a bird's back nearest the tail
Mosaic A mosaic is an animal in which the embryo develops from two or more different genetic stocks within the ova.
Asynchronous Hatching A hatching that does not occur at the same. It may take place over two to three calendar days. Parrots hatch Asynchronously while ducks and chickens hatch Synchronously.
Zygodactyl Feet Two toes in front, one and the hallux behind, as in a woodpecker
Sleeping Tube. A tube like fabric product that hangs in the bird's cage which provides privacy and a sleeping area.
lateral line system line of fluid filled canals running along the sides of a fish that enable the fish to detect movement and vibrations in the water
an endothermic vertebrate with feathers and a four chambered heart bird
Molt Periodic shedding of feathers that are subsequently replaced by new one.
Radius The inner bone of the forearm.
Annual cycles To survive, birds have to adapt appearance, physiology, behavior, anticipate changes in environment, prepare for unpredictable and use environmental and social cues
Migration Requires enormous preparation, physiological change, an increase in endogenous resources - 'fuel up', a carefully timed departure and navigation
Decurved Bill Bill curves downward, as in a Brown Creeper
Karyotyping A method of sexing which is non-invasive. A drop of blood is taken from the bird, usually by pulling out a blood feather. The number of chromosomes then is looked at to determine the sex of the bird. A male bird has two Z chromosomes and a female one Z and one W.
Powder Down Specially modified down feathers that grow continually during a bird's life, the outer edge disintegrates into a fine talc-like powder.
Luring Term used in Clicker Training. Enticing an animal to offer a behavior using a lure such as a food treat or Target (also see Capturing and Modeling).
pterylae dense concentrations of feather attachments or feather tracts
Apodiformes Swifts (Apodidae)
polygyny one male mates with several females, while each female only mates once (2%)
Blood Feather A new feather that is emerging from its follicle and is still growing and being supplied with blood.
Feather Destructive Behavior Any feather destructive behavior such as feather plucking, feather shredding, feather pulling, and feather snipping.
Aspergillosis An infection or disease that is caused by fungi of the genus Aspergillus.
notched tomium A slight nick in one or both mandibles, usually near the tip; e.g., a thrush.
Feral Population An animal, usually domestic, that reverts to living in a wild state.
nictitating membrane eye lid thing
Ex situ Kept in captivity.
Feather Sexing A method of sexing which is non-invasive. A drop of blood is taken from the bird, usually by pulling out a blood feather. The chromosomes are used to determine the sex of the bird.
small intestine rest of digestion occurs
Evaporative Weight Loss During the incubation and development of the chick, the egg slowly loses weight due to the evaporation of water.
carrying capacity The theoretical maximum number of individuals that can be supported taking into account the availability of resources that limit population size.
Acute Feet the nails are extremely curved and sharp-pointed, as in a woodpecker.
Diurnal Birds Birds that are active during the day and roost at night. Most parrots are diurnal.
Order Coraciiformes Family Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
Ethogram A complete list of all the different kinds of behaviors an animal species can exhibit.
Chlamydia Psittaci See Chlamydophila Psittaci.
promiscous males mate with any available female, but females still choose their mates carefully
Humerus Bone in the arm connected to the body.
What do ichnologists study? footprints, burrows, fossilized dung, gastroliths
two structures that muffle sound Barbs on leading edge of primaries are long, curved, and shaped to reduce air turbulence Unusually long barbules help minimize rubbing of overlapping feathers
peak load reduction hypothesis parents spread out offspring so that their individual peak demands for food will not coincide as they grow
Drawdown Change in the air cell portion of the egg shortly before the chick begins hatching. It results when the chick breaks the inner shell membrane.
Modified feathers are important for swimming, sound production, hearing, protection, water repellency, water transport, tactile sensation, support,
graduated tail Retrices shorten abruptly from distal to proximal (Greater Roadrunner).
beak What is adapted to quick and efficient eating on a bird?
Interference A form of competition that involves a fight or other active interaction among organisms
Eutaxic Featheration Wings that have no gap in secondary feathers. All parrots have a gap (also see Diastataxic).
songs more complex noise used for ownership of feeding territory and courtship
Order Podicipediformes Family Grebes (Podicipedidae)
What are the four basic mating systems? Monogamy; polygyny; polyandry; promiscuity
highly developed _______ resolution temporal
Proventricular Dilation Disease (a.k.a. PDD) A virus that progressively destroys the nerve supply to the proventriculu.
Premaxilla The bone in the upper beak.
Mule Hybrid offspring produced from mating of a canary with a British finch.
Tibiotarsus (a.k.a. Crus) The lower leg sometimes referred to as the shank or 'drumstick'.
Epigamic Display The term for the behavior of birds making sexual displays. It is used to attract a female or to repel a competing male.
Air Sac Functions/Benefits - Keep air moving - "Cushion" moving parts during flight - Increase bouyancy - Cools the body - Serve Displays, threats etc. (for puffing up)
Ratite Sternum The sternum of flightless birds such as the ostrich.
population number of conspecific individuals in a given area = density
adult down provide insulation - against the body
Orientation and balance important sensory capability. Semicircular canals attached to ear. The size of these organs related to flight performance.
Opportunistic Breeders Birds such as parrots that breed according to a yearly cycle or when there are favorable conditions (compare to Continuous Breeders).
How do you get young out of a nest? Reduce amount of food; stop feeding altogether; hold food outside of the nest; call to young to entice them out; continue to feed only those young that have left the nest
Booted Feet Several long, continuous platelike scale covering the tarsus. Thrushes.
Passeriformes Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)
Eye Pinning The dilation and contraction of a parrot's pupil as a sign of excitement and in some cases aggression.
Circulatory system High demand for energy created a large, 4 chambered heart.
rectrices large, vaned flight feathers of the tail
Prehensile To have one or more appendages, such as a hand, claw, or tail, that is designed for grasping or holding objects.
Alimentary Canal - A widened Esophagus to accomodate food storage/digestion - Can have outpockets for displays, sound making etc.
Pygostyle This is the last bone in the bird's spinal column. It is the result of the fusion of the last few vertebrae.
Eggshell The calciferous outer casing of the egg that protects the embryo during incubation.
Communal breeding may be driven by?: distirbution of resources; mates or territories or resources are scarce or resources are highly unpredictable
Gruiformes Creepers (Certhiidae)
Precocial mobile and able to find food shortly after hatching
Preen gland Secretes oil that is used in preening
Kin selection hypothesis hypothesis that natural selection will favor helping close relations because doing so will ensure the success of a certain percentage of your own genes
Struts Internal supports for hollow bone
Steps to good field study • Clear and testable hypotheses • Consulting a statistician before gathering data (do a trial, know the assumptions of your analysis) • Making consistent observations over time • Replicate across years if possible • Reducing as many sources of variation as possible
Click and Treat (a.k.a. C&T) In Clicker training it is the 'click' of the clicker followed by the giving of a 'treat'.
Falconiformes Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies (Accipitridae)
ectotherm animal that has a variable body temperature and derives its heat from external sources
serrate tomium Saw-like, when it has many teeth; as in the motmot or Collared Aracari.
unihemispheric sleep allows vigilance and 'sleep on the wing'
Roundworm Unsegmented worms with elongated rounded body and pointed at both ends. Includes both free-living and RS.
Z chromosome If a chick receives a W and a Z chromosome from its parents it develops into a female. If it receives two Z chromosomes it becomes a male.
short, rounded wings fast take off - grouse
Order Gaviiformes Family Loons (Gaviidae)
Dropping This is the common name for the bird's excreta. Droppings are composed of three different excretions: Urine, Urates, and the Feces.
Mandibular Prognathism Crooked beak. When the upper beak deviates from the center causing the lower beak to protrude.
Type II high survival rate early on, and then constant after taht
Birding The field activity of observing birds.
1/4 of its body weight What amount of a birds body weight does a bird eat each day?
Chalazae These are the two spiral strands of denser albumin that serve to hold the yolk in position in the egg.
Complete Blood Count (a.k.a. CBC) A blood test that includes measurements of white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelets, and possibly others (also see Baseline CBC).
_______ can produce different feathers over a lifetime Follicles
Barbs themselves also have tiny branches called _______ Barbules
Crown The top of the head of a bird; the area between its forehead or back of the head. In some birds, such as the Blue Jay, it can be called the crest.
Air Sac Most birds have air sacs that connect to the lungs. They have one interclavicular and one clavicular air sac, and pairs of the cranial, thoracic, and abdominal air sacs.
Exploitation A form of competition that revolves around the superior ability to gather resources rather than an active interaction among organisms for these
Ciconiiformes Bitterns, Herons, and Allies (Ardeidae)
Syrinx The vocal organ of a bird, consisting of thin vibrating muscles at or close to the division of the trachea into the bronchi.
Hypotheses for evolution of bower building protection from pedators; nest building; protect females from copulations
Pygostyle The terminal fused vertebrae of the spine
lek an arena in which females gather to watch males perform
Syndactyl 2 & 3 are fused part of the way down - kingfishers
Palmate Completely webbed (3 toes connected).
kiwi flightless bird found in new zealand
Distal barbules Have tiny hooks and are towards the feathers tip
Gular Sac Bill Like a pelican.
Psittacosis (a.k.a. Parrot Fever) A curable infectious bacterial disease of birds marked by diarrhea and wasting. Also known as 'parrot fever', 'chlamydiosis', and 'Ornithosis'. Infected birds can be cured with tetracycline or another broad-spectrum antibiotic. Psittacosis can be passed to humans where it results in flu- or pneumonia-like symptoms.
Red Gape & BARS Results exp major incr in feeding rate w/ red food coloring application. little change w/ yellow or blue. SRBC injected chicks had major reduction in feeding rate. Chicks with SRBC and fed lutein had high feeding rate compared to infected chicks w/o anything or with just oil. Lutein has carotenoids and restores red gape
Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (a.k.a. RFLP) A method used for sex determination. This method is based on the size of the genomic DNA fragment left after cleavage with an enzyme called a restriction enzyme that only cuts DNA within a specific sequence of nucleotides.
Claw A pointed horny cap over the distal phalanx.
Follicles Tiny pits in the skin from which the feathers develop
clutch all the eggs laid at one time
Order Psittaciformes Family Parrots (Psittacidae)
Isthmus The third segment of the Oviduct. At this point in the egg's journey down the oviduct, the membranes form and calcification starts.
Trichomonas This is a protozoan parasite called trichomonas gallinae and causes the disease trichomoniasis.
Neophobia Literally 'fear of the new'. Most parrot species exhibit a marked hesitation in accepting new additions to their cage and new foods.
Furcula Wishbone
Rhinorrhea A discharge from the nasal mucous membrane, especially if excessive Rhinotheca.
END See Exotic Newcastle Disease.
heterodactyl toe arrangement Toes are paired like a zygodactyl foot, but in this case the third and fourth toes are in front and the hallux and second toe point back. Found in the order Trogoniformes.
Remiges The flight feathers on the wing. These include both the Primaries and Secondaries.
sibilicide any behavior by siblings or half sibs that contribute directly to eh death of a sibling or half sib
Digital Feathers (a.k.a. Digitals) Feathers borne on the wing digits.
Palmate only 2, 3 and 4 are included in the webbing - the halex is not
convex bill Similar to depressed, but means that the sides of the bill are pushed outward; also called stout (tanager). Appears to have a slight bulge on the sides when looked at from head on.
Cost of parenthood to female • Egg production and incubation • Feeding young • Protecting young from elements and predators
Spinose Feather the shaft of the contour feather is prolonged distally without barbs, as in the rectrices of the Chimney Swift.
Hearing simple, inconspicuous ears that lack external pinnae
Hand Fed Bird (a.k.a. Hand-Reared or Hand-Raised) The babies are taken from parents and fed by people.
Tarsus Lowest segment of leg, before toes.
DYH Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Double Yellow Head Amazon.
Pectinate Feet the nails have serrated edges, as the middle nail of a heron
Characteristics of Skull - Large Orbits (eye cavity) - Movable Upper Jaw (unlike human) - No teeth - Hidden ear opening
Ovary The usually paired female or hermaphroditic reproductive organ that produces ova. However parrots have only one ovary, usually on the left side.
ear coverts the small feathers that cover the area of the ear; sometimes distinctively colored.
zygodactyl toe arrangement Toes are paired; the second and third toes are in front and the hallux and fourth toe point back. Found in the order Piciformes (woodpecker).
Unipedal Posture The ability to stand on one foot for extended periods of time.
Body heat generated from energy in food
mimetic eggs eggs that mimic the size/shape/coloring of host egg
diaphragm in mammals, the sheet of muscles located beneath the lungs that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity; expands and contracts the chest cavity, which increases the amount of oxygen entering the body
Barbule Smaller branches of the feather's Barbs. Barbules are attached to the Barb and provide the rigidity to the vane by cross hooking with another barbule on the adjacent barb.
What drives the choice of altricial vs precocial Food supply? Atricial birds grow up to eat insects - other prey that has to be hunted and captured
Incubation or brood patch Highly vascularized area on ventral side to aid heat transfer to egg, 5.6oC hotter than plain skin, Bare, loose thick skin (increases surface area), lots of blood flow, Prolactin: causes feather to drop out, Estrogen: causes skin to vascularize (always exception: waterfowl pluck out down)
Lesser Primary covert The next row of coverts up from the Median Primary Coverts that cover the primary flight feathers.
Evolution of feathers stage III Planar feather with unbranced barbs fused to a central rachis
Ambivalent behavior A distracting behavior exhibited by birds when they plan an attack.
Stomach partially digested
Altricial This term refers to chicks that hatch with their eyes closed, with little of no down, and are totally dependent on their parents.
Naris (singular of Nares) A nasal opening.
spinal tract Extends from the back of the capital tract to the upper tail coverts; it generally follows the length of the spine, hence the name.
Cloacal Pertaining to the cloaca.
Urinary System - Uses Uric Acid to save energy, water - NO Bladder - Waste is all comined into semisolid white paste
Ambiens Muscle The tendon of the Ambiens Muscle passes obliquely over the knee joint It assists in the control of the bird's toes.
OWA Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Orange Winged Amazon.
commissure The line where the tomia come together, i.e., the gape. Used to describe the shape of the bill along its length.
Schizorhinal Nares Term applied to nostrils in the shape of slits (compare to Holorhinal Nares).
Consequences of competition Character displacement, Non-overlapping ranges, Hutchinsonian ratios, Altitudinal replacements, Andes and Islands, Habitat specialization, Microhabitat specialization
Order Pelecaniformes Family Tropicbirds (Phaethontidae) Boobies/Gannets (Sulidae) Pelicans (Pelecanidae) Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae) Anhingas (Anhingidae) Frigatebirds (Fregatidae)
Gravid Heavy with young or eggs.
Occiput Area posterior to the crown (i.e. back of the head).
Life table records of births and deaths - can be constructed from many types of information such as population census, skull measurements of dead animals, birth adn death rates on tombstones
What are birds? warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
Raptorial characterized by long, strong digits arms with heavy claws
Feathers provide insulation, aerodynamics for flight, and color for communication & Camouflage
Conjunctivitis Inflammation of the tissues inside the eyelid.
GCP Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Grey Cheeked Parakeet.
Clicker A small plastic box that makes a distinctive click-click! Sound when you depress and release the metal strip inside it.
Karen Pryor A scientist with an reputation in, marine mammal biology and behavioral psychology. Through her work with dolphins in the 1960's she pioneered modern, force-free animal training methods. She is a founder and leading proponent of Clicker Training.
How do we measure trackways Distance between each footprint, and the distance between alternate prints of the same foot - estimate height, stride length, speed, normal gait
Avian senses extremely acute senses - vision, hearing, olfaction also have large brains and cognitive skills that rival primates
Cycle 1: Step 2 on first exhalation air moves through lungs
Hook Bill Maxillaor upper mandible) longer than lower mandible, and bent over the tip, as in a hawk
brain, eyes, hearing What are the 3 things that are well developed in a bird?
cap a distinctively colored crown
Sympatry The occurrence of organisms in overlapping geographical areas, but without interbreeding.
Pileum Top of the bird's head including forehead, crown and back of head.
MGM Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Miligold Maca.
Humeral Feathers The flight feathers on the fore-limb of the wing.
Square Tail Retrices all of the same length, as in the Sharp-shinned hawk
Flight Central avian adaptation that drives overall body design and limits size and mass, also has a high initial energetic cost
Avain vision Large, powerful eyes with great color vision. Used to search for and identify food and complex behavior and courtship
Breeding Plumage The colorful plumage that the males of many species acquire for the breeding season.
Feathers are like... hair, made of 'dead' cells
Mandibular Rhamphotheca The horny covering of the Lower beak.
Birdhouse Another name for a nest box, or a home for a bird.
Pamprodactyl first and fourth digits pivot freely forward and backward - chimney swift
Vagina The fifth segment of the oviduct and the lower part of the female reproductive tract.
Flooding An outdated technique for dealing with fear in animals that involves immersing the subject suddenly and totally in whatever he fears.
down Like semiplumes in that they lack hooklets and are for insulation. The shaft is shorter than the longest barbs. Very soft feathers.
Factors that affect species-specific growht rates abundance and distribution of food; local temp and rainfall
how give the female basis for mate choice courtship displays; quality of males territory
pointed wing The primaries are longest at the end of the wing (gulls).
Aviculture The keeping, breeding, and all other aspects of bird husbandry.
terminal band stripe at tip of tail
give shape to birds; help steer and provide balance during flight What do contour feathers do for a bird?
Displacement Behavior When an animal is motivated to perform two or more behaviors that are in conflict with each other (e.g. approach-withdrawal, greeting but fear of being punished). The inability to perform both of the strongly motivated behaviors can lead to conflict resulting in the performance of a displacement behavior. This is usually a normal behavior shown at an inappropriate time, appearing out of context for the occasion. Grooming, yawning, circling, and vocalizations may be performed in stressful situations as displacement behaviors.
Manus Latin for hand, but for birds refers to the wing.
Propatagium The triangular fold of skin on the leading edge of the wing. This is where the bird is often tattooed after its sex is determined. If it is a male the Propatagium of the right wing is tattooed and if it is a female the Propatagium of the left wing is tattooed.
Chuck-will's-widow Loud repetitive "chuck-will's-widow" with the first "chuck" being very quiet
Carina The sternum of flying birds.
Hand Reared Bird (a.k.a. Hand-Fed or Hand-Raised) The babies are taken from parents and fed by people.
Where do dominant birds sit in a roost in the center - significantly reduces the risk of nest predation
caudal tract Includes the retrices and the upper- and under-tail coverts; also includes the circle of feathers around the vent.
Geophagy The eating of dirt.
Aviary bird A bird kept in a very large enclosure and seldom handled by anyone.
Carnivorous Birds Flesh-eating birds.
BC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Blue Crown Conure.
lamellate tomium Transverse tooth-like ridges just inside, as in the Northern Shoveler.
sympatry the occurrence of organisms in overlapping geographical areas, but without interbreeding
Pigeon Lung Disease See Allergic Alveolitis.
Bird & Fat Elevated Risk/Bully Hypothesis •Birds returned to feeder sooner after bottle than hawk (whew) •Birds carried significantly less fat when there was elevated risk - supports notion that being fat entails escape risk •At risk, dominant birds (ad males) carried relatively less fat •Ad males responded more to changes in risk perception than subordinates, as the latter are restricted to foraging opportunities by the former
Non-annual cycles Some species follow different cycles. In tropics, some breed twice a year. Large species often have extended breeding periods
Crop milk Nutritious milk-like fluid secreted by the crop in the order columbiformes
Cavity nesting birds These are bird that nest in cavities (see also Excavators and Adopters).
Displaced Aggression The term for aggression toward an object, person or another bird due to an inaccessible stimulus.
primaries Flight feathers attached to the "hand."
cainism killing of a nesting bird by a nestmate - always the first and oldest bird
Laterality The favoring of one side of the body over the other.
Avian Polyomavirus Disease (a.k.a. Budgerigar Fledgling Disease). Avian Polyoma Virus (APV) was first discovered in 1981 in Budgies and was called Budgerigar Fledgling disease. Avian Polyoma virus is a wide spread virus found in different degrees throughout the world.
Supracoracoideus Muscle that pushes wings up -Rests under the Pectoralis
forked tail Retrices increase abruptly in length from the middle to the outermost pair (Forster's Tern).
Dueting When two birds, usually mates, sing a duet.
Anthropomorphic Ascribing human attributes to a non-human creature.
BSL Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Blue Streak Lory.
philopatry returning to the same territory year after year
Endostyle ciliated, glandular groove on the floor of pharynx(which turns into thyroid gland in vertebrates)
incumbent hallux One that is at ground level.
Red-tailed Hawk Hoarse, screaming "kee-eeeee-arr" lasting 2-3 seconds
pamprodactyl toe arrangement All four toes may point forward, but the fourth toe can point either behind or forward (swifts).
Down This is a collective term for the short fluffy, unzipped feathers closest to the body or the fuzzy feathers on a chick just after hatching.
Pinioning A method of rendering a bird flightless. This is usually accomplished by clipping the outer Primary Feathers.
Primary feathers (I-X) attach to hand bones
Northern Bobwhite Loud, shrill, ringing "bob, bob WHITE!"
Bower building is an example of good gene model - indicator hypothesis, marker hypothesis, sexy son hypothesis, truth in advertising
Prealternate molt Bright feathers and adornments for breeding
lobate foot A foot adapted for swimming, with a series of lobes on the sides of each toes (American Coot).
Vasa diferentia Small tubes in the male which sperm passes through on its way to the male's cloaca
Evolution of feathers stage V Closed assymetrical vane (resembling modern flight feathers)
Frugivorous Birds that feed primarily on fruit.
the type of mating system practiced by any species is an adaptation to the distribution of mates and resources; the ability of either sex to monopolize mates or resources
LCA Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Lilac Crowned Amazon.
Cryptic Coloration (a.k.a. Crypsis) Birds that have coloration that allow them to conceal themselves are cryptically colored.
Sentinel Birds Birds within a flock who stand guard while other birds forage.
Rounded Tail Retrices are longest in the middle, and slowly shorten from the inside to the outside, in slight gradations, as in a red-tailed hawk
Courtship Dancing Elaborate displays, most often performed by the males of certain species in an attempt to attract a female mate.
Nares (plural of Naris) The pair of nasal opening.
Coelom A cavity that occurs in higher animals between the intestine and the outer body wall. In the last few days before hatching, chicks draw the remaining yolk into this cavity. This enables them to survive their first few days of life without food.
nostrils Two holes at the base of the upper mandibles. The olfactory lobes of the brain are small in birds, but smell may be an important sense, at least in some species. In some species, they are feathered.
Plainhead A bird without a crest, in cases where crests normally occur.
Avain respiratory system has No diaphram, series of airsacs and a two cycle process
semiplumes intermediate form b/w the controu feathers and the down feathers - insulate and form smooth aerodynamic body contours
rictal bristles Some birds (e.g., flycatchers) have bristles (stiff feathers) located on rictus.
Depressed Bill Bill wider than it is high, as in a duck
Carotenoids Any of a class of yellow to red pigments, including the Carotenes and the Xanthophylls. These are a set of pigments that impart the bright yellows, oranges, and reds to the feathers, skin, egg yolk and eyes of many bird species.
Ornithosis See Psittacosis or Parrot Fever.
Barbs the branches of vanes
gibbous bill A hump occurs at the base of the upper mandible (male Black Scoter).
Night Frights Unexplained thrashing in the night that is sometimes seen in cockatiels and some other companion birds.
Crus (a.k.a. Tibiotarsus) The lower leg sometimes referred to as the shank or 'drumstick'.
The Breathing Process (4 steps) 1. Inspiration- abdominals and sternum muscles contract, pushing air through to posterial air sacs 2. Expiration- Air from posterials fills lungs 3. Inspiration # 2- Same air is pushed to anterior air sacs, while new air comes in 4. Expiration # 2- Finally the air is exhaled from anteriors
Factors that keep population size below upper bounds -Food supply -Habitat - Diseases (house finch below) -Social factors (min territory size) - remember dickcissel and territory size
Gruiformes Wrens (Troglodytidae)
Wingspread Distance from tip to tip of the longest primary feathers of the outstretched wings.
Bipedal Standing on two (bi) rather than four (quad) legs.
T2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Triton Cockatoo.
Imprinting A rapid learning process by which a newborn or very young animal establishes a behavior pattern of recognition and attraction to another animal of its own kind or to a substitute.
Proventricular Hypertrophy See Proventricular Dilation Disease.
upper tail coverts Feathers covering upperside of base of tail.
Ethology The study of animal behavior.
Monitoring day length Neural and physiological events translate day length
Proventriculus The glandular first portion of the stomach of birds, in which food from the crop is mixed with peptic enzymes and passed to the gizzard.
rictus The fleshy part of the mandibles where they come together at the back, i.e., the "corner of the mouth."
Blue Jay Soft, whispering conglomeration of clicks, chucks, whirrs, whines, liquid notes, and elements of other calls, also a loud "jeer", can mimic hawks
Celeration A measure of the rate of learning over time.
Secondary Coverts Contour feathers that cover the base of the Secondary feathers.
recruitment through survival of young of the year, through immigration from other local populations
Toxicosis Illness caused by exposure to toxic substance usually by ingestion.
crest a projection or tuft on the head often brightly colored as cardinals
Alar Related to the wing.
Learned Helplessness If an animal is taught to avoid an aversive stimulus and is then put in a situation where it is impossible to avoid the aversive stimulus it will gradually give up trying to avoid the stimulus.
Crest The long feathers on the head that raise or lower according to mood. Cockatiels and cockatoos are the best known examples of parrots with crests.
mandibular ramus When the lower mandible is viewed from below (ventrally), you can see two prong-like projections of the bill extending to the posterior on each side of the jaw. In people, is the posterior portion of the jaw that curves up to articulate with the skull. In birds, do not curve, but extend straight back.
Florida Scrub Jay exp newly grown jays cannot get breeding area, so stay at parents nest to help. Breeders with no helper raise on average 1.59 young/nest • Breeders with a single helper raise on average 1.94 young/nest, an incr of .35 • But helper shares only 1/2 of genes with sibling so the net benefit is 0.35*0.5=0.18 • Novice breeders produce 1.24 young/nest so the net benefit is 1.24*0.5=0.62 bc share 1/2 of genes Breeding should be better right? •Survival is higher for individuals that remain on their natal territory •The survival of the helpers parents and kin are enhanced thereby enhancing their inclusive fitness even further. •Male helpers enhance their chances of obtaining their natal territory or budding off a new territory by remaining on their natal territory. Survival highest nearest home, not as much effort to defend against parents
Vitelline Membrane The membrane surrounding the egg yolk.
Avian Leukosis A division of the RNA tumor viruses that causes a group of transmissible diseases of poultry. Also called avian leukosis-sarcoma virus.
Totipalmate Feet Fully webbed, as in a cormorant
Syndactyl An animal, especially a bird or mammal, that has two or more fused digits.
Cerebellum -brain part for coordination - very developed, unlike Cerebrum (reasoning part of brain)
MSC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Medium Sulphur Crested Cockato.
Down feathers Soft, fluffy, and provides an insulating layer next to the skin of adults and cover the bodies of the young birds, and help insulate birds
Amazon Foot Mutilation During certain times of the year, some Amazons pick at their feet and legs until they become raw and bloody.
pyriform pear-shaped
Prebasic molt Feathers grown after breeding
Maxilla Short for Maxillary Rostrum, i.e. the upper beak.
C2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Citron Cockatoo.
How has the importance of food supply to reprodiuctive success been demonstrated? manipulating brood size, removal of mates or helpers, artificial food supplementation
RB2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Rose Breasted Cockatoo.
lower mandible Lower part of the bill
Probiotic A non-pathogenic bacterium fed to animals, including birds, as a way to prevent colonization by pathogenic bacteria.
Classical Conditioning Conditioning in which the Conditioned Stimulus (as the sound of a bell) is paired with and precedes the Unconditioned Stimulus (as the sight of food) until the conditioned stimulus alone is sufficient to elicit the response (as salivation in a dog) (compare with OPERANT CONDITIONING).
Auricular Feathers The feathers covering the bird's Meatus or ea.
Feathers also have... Downy basal part, asymmetrical vanes, strong, flexible surface
crossed bill The tips of the mandibles are crossed over each other, bill must be hooked on both mandibles to do this (Red Crossbill).
Order Taxonomic group above the level of family but below that of class Orders are composed of one or more families.
Order Passeriformes Family Flycatchers, Vireos, Shrikes, Jays/Crows Larks, Swallows, Bulbuls Kinglets/Thrushes, Starlings, Mockingbirds/Thrashers Nuthatches, Creepers, Wrens Pipits/Wagtails, Finches, Weaver Finches Blackbirds, Orioles, Warblers, Tanagers, Cardinals, Buntings, Sparrows, Grosbeaks, Towhees Bananaquits Chickadees/Titmice Waxwings, Silky-Flycatchers
culmen the entral midline ridge running from the tip of the upper bill back to the base of the bill
Psittacine Of or relating to parrots.
Knemidocoptes Scaly-Face mites.
Proventriculitis This is an enlargement in the digestive canal between the crop and the gizzard. You may think of it as another stomach and it is sometimes called the 'fore stomach'.
Piciformes Woodpeckers and Allies (Picidae)
Flight Feathers Specialized contour feathers found on the wings and tail. Long, primary flight feathers are attached to what would be the equivalent of a human hand area.
Target An animal is trained to touch a target (such as a pole, hand, etc). Then, by moving the target around and getting the animal to go and touch it, you can elicit new behaviors.
Imping A procedure where feathers are spliced into the wing. Often done in falconry to improve flight.
Furcula Commonly referred to as the 'wishbone'.
Bill Sweeping A display in which a pair of birds sweep their bills back and forth over the bark near their nest hole. Often the birds have crushed insects in their bills.
Oropharynx The part of the pharynx between the soft palate and the epiglottis.
false True of False. There is mixing of blood in a bird's heart.
Canyon Wren A musical descending cascade of liquid notes, also a loud, metallic buzz
Tomium Proper The hard cutting edge of the mandible.
Environmental Enrichment A term used for anything that is done to make the environment of your bird more interesting. Enrichment is critical to the mental health of all parrots.
Galliformes Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys, and Old World Quail (Phasianidae)
Order Caprimulgiformes Family Goatsuckers (Caprimulgidae)
Techniques for Temp. Regulation -Panting - Gular Fluttering - Torpor (state of decreased physiological activity, like sleep)
back upper surface
Digestive system specialized (no teeth!), chemical digestion begins in proventriculus
Wood Thrush Series of yodeled phrases with a pause in between each phrase, and complex flutelike notes: "ee-oh-lay", "pit-pit-pit"
Red Gape and Barn Swallows Exp • Experimentally manipulated gape color with food coloring...and measured parental feeding rate • Experimentally challenged chicks with a novel antigen to simulate infection (sheep red blood cells, SRBC)...and measured gape redness • Gave SRBC challenge with or without supplemental lutein (a carotenoid)...and measured gape redness
PBFD Abbreviation for Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease. An infectious virus that strikes mainly young parrots and kills the cells of the feather and beak. Infected birds grow deformed feathers and often succumb to secondary infections.
Health Certificate A form signed by a veterinarian, certifying that our pet is healthy and doesn't carry any communicable diseases.
Aflatoxin A kind of toxin or poison produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus. It is a particular problem for stored grain and peanuts. It is toxic to both birds and humans.
Egg Dumping When a female lays her eggs in the nest of another bird, sometimes creating very large clutches.
Class of Birds- Kingdom, Phylum k-anamalia, P-Chordata
Purple martin mating system Older males arrive first in migration, settle on upper floors - young males arrive later in the season - older males have a special song to lure in younger males. Females appear to be willing participants - if paired with a young male will readily accept EPCs
Slots in primaries increases... lift, allows greater control
Newcastle Disease Virus See Exotic Newcastle Disease.
Bird Breeding Survey results • Viewed as a whole, averaged over large areas, Neotropical migrants generally remained stable, esp in western NA • Some forest-dwellers are declining steeply in most regions (wood thrush, cerulean warbler) • In some regions, many or most birds declining (Adirondacks, Gr. Smokies) • Grassland birds hard hit • Some species, expected to be declining, have remarkably stable populations
breast Front part of the chest
Short Bill Bill much shorter than head, as in redpoll
Passive immunity Immunity due to immune cells or antibodies received by artificial injection or from the parent.
polygyny also makes sense if little effort is needed to raise the young
Examples of life history traits size; rate of growth and development; age at first reproduction; reproduce all at once or in a series of events; have many small offspring; reproductive effect; longevity; dispersal ability
Quarantine A period of isolation required for new or imported birds.
Optimum flock size for Yellow-eyed juncos represented a balance between 1) time spent feeding; 2) time spent scanning for predators; 3) time spent fighting as flock size increases
LSC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Lessor Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.
counter adaptations of host birds against parasitic birds Selection of nest sites: some birds select those nest sites which are difficult to parasitize.• Egg ejection • Early incubation: some host females are already sitting on the nests when parasites visit them early in the morning, so in this case the parasites can not replace their eggs with host eggs. • Aggregative territorial defense: birds nesting in aggregations can also benefit from group defense.
Substratum The material placed in the bottom or the bird's cage or play are to contain messes and droppings.
Metabolism in Birds - higher metabolism, higher temp, faster heart rate - Faster, more efficient...due to better reperatory system.
Scapula The bone that connects the humerus (arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone).
Reinforcer Anything that, occurring in conjunction with an act, tends to increase the probability that the act will occur again.
Craw A pouch in many birds and some lower animals that resembles a stomach for storage and preliminary maceration of food.
Air Sac Mites Blood-sucking parasites (Sternostoma tracheacolum) that live in the respiratory tract (trachea, lungs, air sacs) of the bird.
Cere Waxy or fleshy protuberance at the base of the bill of some birds.
Crossed Bill The tips cross each other, as in a crossbill
Filoplumes Lean, wispy, hair-like feathers that grow at the base of each contour feather.
CAS (a.k.a. Certified Avian Specialist) A pet industry designation for someone who has taken a class and an open book test on bird husbandry.
Behavioral Environment Behavioral conditions, especially redundant behaviors including habits, present in the bird and in individuals around the bird.
Semipalmate small web present between the anterior digits - sandpipers and plovers - three toes but not all the way
Pied A bird showing abnormal areas of light plumage, mixed with normal dark coloration.
Sternum The keel shaped bone in the bird's trunk. In flying birds, such as parrots, it is a bony keel-like structure and is called a Carina.
Mite Tiny eight-legged animals, some of which burrow into the skin, some feed on blood, or feathers.
Dystocia Egg binding.
Endo-parasite Internal parasite such as a Fluke or Filarid (roundworms).
M2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Moluccan Cockatoo.
transfer effect bowerbird species that build the most elaborate bowers are dull in color?
Minor Wing Coverts The next row of Coverts up (toward the body) from the Median Wing Coverts.
conical bill Like a cone, round in cross-section and tapering gradually toward the tip (goldfinch).
Difference between yolk and egg white Yolk consists of 16-22% protein and 21-36% lipids with water makin gup the rest - yolk is the food supply. Albumen is 10% protein and 90% water - albumen provides water, protects the yolk from mechanical shocks, and buffers the egg against sudden temperature changes;
Phenotype The observable traits or characteristics of a bird, for example color, weight, or the presence or absence of a disease. Phenotypic traits are not necessarily genetic.
Cuculiformes Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis (Cuculidae)
Melanism Birds that are a dramatically darker color than normal.
insurance hypothesis second or late offspring are an insurance policy - differs from lack as later offspring are an insurance again lsot, rather than against uncertain food supplies
Gruiformes Larks (Alaudidae)
Synchronous Hatching Hatching that occurs at the same time or nearly the same time, usually within one calendar day (compare to Asynchronous Hatching).
Evolution of feathers stage II Tufts of unbranced barbs attach to calamus
Lipochromes Any of several yellow pigments resembling Carotene and Xanthophyll.
Pecten Unusual structure in the eye, possibly provides oxygen to the eye
square tail All retrices are the same length, so the end of the tail is flat (trogon).
Darwins claimed that animal reproduction was shaped by 1) competition between males, 2) female choice
supracoracoideus Tendon that acts as a pully
PCR A 'biological copy machine'. A method for making many copies of a specific DNA base sequence.
Hutchinson's ratio size differences between similar species when they were living together as compared to when they were isolated. He concluded that various key attributes in species varied according to the ratio of 1:1.3
contour and down feathers What are the two types of feathers that birds have?
Choana The slit in palate of the bird's mouth.
crown the top of the head
Olfactory Lobe of Brain - Sense of Smell - Generally small/weak (with some exceptions like the kiiwi)
Order Anseriformes Family Waterfowl-Ducks, Geese, Swans, Stifftails, Mergansers (Anatidae)
Adaptive Behaviors Learned behaviors that increase the bird's chances of survival.
Trumpeter Swan Hollow, nasal honking
U2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Umbrella Cockatoo.
Psittacofulvins The set of pigments that impart yellow, orange and red to the feathers of parrots. Unlike, Carotenoid pigments in the feathers of many bird species, Psittacofulvins appear to be synthesized by the parrot.
Uricotelic Excreting uric acid as the chief component of nitrogenous waste. All birds are Uricotelic.
MM Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Military Maca.
Aerie Lofty nest of a bird of prey.
Bacterial Culture An intentional growth of a bacteria in a Petri dish taken from a sample. This sometimes makes it possible to identify the bacteria.
Membrana Putaminis The inner most membrane of the egg that is in contact with the Albumin.
vertebrate an animal with an endoskeleton and a backbone
Molt occurs... Regularly based on age and season
rounded tail Retrices shorten slightly toward the outside (jay).
Open Band A band that is squeezed shut around the bird's leg is indicative of an imported bird.
Backcross The pairing of a chick back to one of its parents (see Inbreeding).
Similarities between coloniality and flocking Increased predator vigilence, potentila role of colony as information center
Pamprodactyl Foot structure in birds in which all toes point forward Parrots are not among these. Examples include emus and some woodpeckers.
Conical Bill Bill is cone-shaped, as in a Sparrow
hollow, lightweight, and strong Fill in the blanks. Bird's bones are _______, _______, and ________.
Pip To break through (the shell) in hatching.
Uric acid This is the end product of protein metabolism for birds. In contrast, the end product for humans and mammals is urea.
All-in-one excretion urine produced by kidneys mixes with feces in lower intestine for further water re-absorbtion. uric acid becomes highly concentrated
Down feathers feathers for insulation
Elevated Feet the hallux is higher on the metatarsus so that its tip does not reach the ground, as in a rail.
Why are birds prone to brood parasitism? Little selective pressure on being able to discrimate their own eggs as eggs of birds rarely leave the nest; same lack of pressure on being able to identify their own nestlings - perhaps weakening this hard wired response is far more damaging to the continuate of the species than occasional attacks by parasites.
Pinning (a.k.a. Flashing) Commonly used to describe the rapid alternate shrinking and dilation of a parrot's pupils when it sees something highly interesting.
MM2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Major Mitchell (Leadbeater) Cockato.
Strigiformes Fringilline and Cardueline Finches and Allies (Fringillidae)
Most distinctive feature of birds feathers
Fundamental niche an organisms adaptations to persist in a given abiotic environment
Clutch size, bottom line • Clutch size = Maximum number of high quality young can raise, given the appropriate reproductive effort (parental effort) set by the life history schedule (smaller in long-lived species), modified by nest predation rate (smaller where predation rate higher) • Clutches larger where a given effort results in more young raised - Higher where more food available, such as seasonal environments high elevations, latitudes
Histopathology The study of diseased tissue and cell samples under a microscope.
Scaly face Inflammation and rough, scaly growths caused by a parasitical mite that burrows under the skin around the beak, eyes, and occasionally on the legs and toes.
Thoracic Vertebrae The thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae.
Coprophagy Eating of feces or dung.
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (a.k.a. PBFD) Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) is a contagious, fatal viral disease that affects the beak, feathers, and immune system of birds belonging to the Psittacidae family. There is no specific treatment for PBFD.
ContraFreeLoading Researchers have coined the term contrafreeloading to describe the phenomenon that animals choose to perform a learned response to obtain reinforcers even when the same reinforcers are freely available.
Taste/Touch - poorly developed taste, few tastebuds - touch seems best developed in bills for manipulating seeds and feeling heat, vibrations etc. (ex. ducks)
Green Egg A freshly laid egg that has not been incubated and, therefore, the embryo has not begun to develop.
Preening The oil conditions the feathers helps make them water repellent
Lengthened Feet the nails are rather straight and elongated but sharp-pointed, as in the hallux nail of the Horned Lark.
Call Convergence When the vocalizations of a pair of birds or nearby flocks approach similarity or converge.
Pelecaniformes Frigatebirds (Fregatidae)
Pointed Tail Also called "acute", middle retrices much longer than others, as in a pheasant
GE Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Grand Eclectus.
retrices Flight feathers of the tail Attach to pygostyle (fused caudal vertebrae) Usually 12 Function primarily in steering and braking
Pelecaniformes Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae)
YCM Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Yellow Collared Macaw.
Incumbent Feet the hallux is inserted on the metatarsus at the level of the other toes.
Dertrum The tip of the upper bill.
Ad Libitum Literally means At liberty. When used in reference to animals it means the animal is free to eat whenever it wants.
Pterylosis The pattern of feather distribution.
Papillomatosis Disease (a.k.a. Papilloma Virus) An infectious, herpes-like virus that usually appears as a pink, proliferative, vascular wart-like or cauliflower-like growths of epithelium.
Strigiformes Cardinals, Saltators, and Allies (Cardinalidae)
Allopatric Species When two or more species, arising from a common ancestor, occupy different geographic areas.
Why can birds lay eggs in drier places than reptiles because bird eggs use a more fatty yolk, the embryo's metabolism generates a larger amount of metabolic water
Proximal barbules Curled and flanged edge and are towards the body
Egg tooth A small raised point along the top of the Maxilla used as an aid to breaking open an egg during hatching.
Superciliary Area The area just below the forehead and crown and above the eyes.
Whooping Crane Loud single bugle-like note
Olive-sided Flycatcher Three-note whistled "quick-THREE-BEERS", call is three evenly spaced "pip" notes
Flashing (a.k.a. Pinning) The rapid alternate shrinking and dilation of a parrot's pupils when it sees something highly interesting.
Gliding/soaring Exploits air currents e.g. rising warm air (thermals), or deflected air (cliffs, waves)
Tube Feeding (a.k.a. Gavage Feeding) Feeding by inserting a tube down the throat and into the crop.
Gizzard The muscular portion of the stomach which kneads and crushed the food
Ratites Don't have a Keeled Sternum
Nestling A young bird that has not left, or abandoned, the nest.
Greater Primary Covert The feathers that overlap the primary flight feathers.
Replacement rate net reproductive rate - r = lxbx, summed over all age interavlas
Lore The narrow area between the maxilla and the eye.
Vent The external opening of the cloaca.
Populations age structure determined by the number of individuals of each sex in each age class
How do we think nests evolved? Primitive nests were probably simple depressions scraped in the earth; scraped depression evolved to lined depressions to shallow woven cups to mroe elaborate roofed cavities
Pinfeather A growing feather still enclosed in its horny sheath, especially one just emerging through the skin.
Meatus The external opening to the ear.
flank Area between the belly and the wings, more posterior
What temps do eggs nee dto be kept at? 37-38 C - can't go above 40 or below 35
Gram's Stain Laboratory staining technique that distinguishes between two groups of bacteria by the identification of differences in the structure of their cell walls.
acute bill Tapers to a sharp point (warbler).
How do competitive disparaties between nestlings happen? asynchronous hatching, hormonal manipulation
Primary Coverts Contour feathers that cover the base of the Primary feathers.
density dependent Effect depends directly on number of individuals
E2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Eleanora Cockatoo.
Recurved Bill Bill curves upward, as in an American Avocet
Ways to get around the predator problem and nests? lichen to camouflage; nest near raptors or stinging insects; scoop nests out of termite mounds; nest near crocs; build a dummy nest; be sneaky about returning to nest; lay eggs in a large mound covered by vegetation;
Anchylosed Fusion of bones, usually during the development of the animal.
W chromosome The chromosome that determines the sex of birds. If a chick receives a W and a Z chromosome from its parents it develops into a female. If it receives two Z chromosomes then it becomes a male.
Chap Either the upper or lower part of a bird's bill.
Distal Barbules have barbicels that hook on the next higher inner barbules Surface of feather is thus interlocking and flexible
Gruiformes Mockingbirds and Thrashers (Mimidae)
Incubation Like pregnancy, but some advantages, Both sexes, Can escape without burdened down, Hormonally promoted, very strong urge, Tactile stimulus can initiate, Incubating birds become very secretive, Shift from incubating to feeding stimulated by begging babies
Patterning A process that involves learning through repetition.
Visser and Lessells Great Tits Results exp females that laid, incubated, fed x + 2 had lowest fitness, survival. fem given 2 eggs, medium survival. fem given 2 young highest rate of survival. THEREFORE Production and incubation of add'l eggs has negative effect on female fitness by reducing survival
Emarginate Tail the retrices increase in length successively from the middle to the outermost pair, in slight gradations, as in a finch.
Enteritis Inflammation of the intestine.
Breeding seasons generally timed to match suitable conditions & adequate food supplies
Strigiformes Barn Owls (Tytonidae)
Cervical Air Sac Two air sacs located in the cervical region.
raptorial foot Toes deeply cleft, strong and large with sharply curved talons (hawk, owl).
Chick Feeding Cues redness of gape, carotenoids needed for red mouth and are also used by the immune system during infectious challenges. Could be a limited resource.
Charadriiformes Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae)
Negative Reinforcement In training it is something the subject wants to avoid such as a blow, a frown, or an unpleasant sound.
Shaping (a.k.a. Successive Approximation) In training this consists of taking a very small tendency in the right direction and shifting it, one small step at a time, toward an ultimate goal.
Allergic Alveolitis Allergic reaction of the body that causes an inflammation in the inner part of the lungs. This ailment is also known as 'Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis', 'Parakeet Dander Pneumoconiosis' and 'Pigeon Lung Disease'.
Structure of eye Variation in shape and a large conspicuous lens
Rectricies (plural for Rectrix) The long flight feathers of the tail. Parrots have 12 rectricies.
Positive Reinforcement A reinforcer that the subject wants, such as food, petting, or praise.
mammary gland modified sweat glands in female mammals, which produce and secrete mild to feed their young
cere A fleshy patch at the base of the upper mandible; not always distinct. The nostrils are on the cere in some species (Pigeon).
MRHA Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Mexican Red Head Amazo.
Salt excretion Through salt glands
Lack's brood reduction hypothesis the quality and quantity of food brought to the nest is the critical factor in maintaining nestlings - gives older chicks the advantage
bloodstream nutrients are obsorbed
Crow Flocking Exp Ignorant hooded crows follow knowledgeable roost-mates to food: support for the information centre hypothesis
Juvenile Bird An immature bird that feeds independently, but has not developed it's first winter plumage.
Totipalmate all four digits included in the webbing - cormorants, pelicans
clutch size the number of eggs laid per nest by a given species
Brood patch Featherless patch of skin on the abdomen that the parents sit on the eggs with to warm them
Warbling Vireo Rapid jumble of rising and falling notes, usually ending in an accented, higher pitched note: "If I sees you, I will seize you, and I'll squeeze you till you squirt!"
Nectivorous Birds that feed largely on the nectar of flowers or the juices of fruit.
Psittaci The order of birds which comprises the parrots.
vanes There are two to a feather, one on each side of the rachis; made up of a series of smaller interlocking units called barbs, barbules, and hooklets.
Culmen The dorsal ridge of the beak from the forehead to its tip (i.e. upper ridge of the Maxilla).
Schwabl and Canaries Exp Hatch asynchronously, causing age/size dominance, Female canaries "put" maternal testosterone (from inner cells of follicles) into eggs, It was shown, that this increases competitiveness of the last-hatched (smallest) chicks Female can influence competitive ability of young and potentially improve her fitness
linear nostrils Opening appears as a slit (gull).
Hen A female bird of any species.
what are the sex chromosomes of birds? Female birds are WZ and male birds are ZZ
alar tract Includes the remiges and all the wing feathers, except those of the humeral tract.
Two cycle process Replaces all air in the lungs
monotreme subclass of mammals that have hair and mammary glands but reproduce by laying eggs
Marginal value theorem of foraging birds should leave a patch when foraging rate drops below average rate in all patches. therefore, Spend less time in bad patch than good
Long Tail Decidedly longer than trunk, as in magpie
Ovocentesis Treatment for Egg Binding that involves inserting a needle into the egg and removing the egg's contents. This makes the egg smaller and easier to pass (also see Cloacal and Percutaneous Ovocentesis).
BE2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Bare Eyed Cockatoo.
Latency The name given to the period of time which elapses between the presentation of a stimulus and the occurrence of a response.
grinds food what does the gizzard do in a bird?
Hamuli The hooklets on the feather Barbules that link the feather vane together.
Aging progressive loss of function over time • Decrease physiological vigor (nerve, cardiac, kidney functions all deteriorate) • Reproductive ability diminishes (only prostate gets bigger!) • Probability of dying increases
Jacobson's organ in snakes, a pit-like sense organ on the roof of the mouth that picks up and analyzes airborne chemicals
Brachium Elbow.
Barbules The projection of barbs
Talon The claw of a bird.
Extrinsic Cause originating outside the body.
totipalmate foot Fully webbed; all toes face anteriorly and all are webbed for their entire length (cormorant).
Chisel-like Bill The tip of the bill is beveled, as in a woodpecker
wing strip paler area at base of flight feathers
Eyas A nestling usually applied to falcon chicks.
Cervical Vertebrae Characteristics - Many cervical vertebrae (14-15 in most birds) - Atlas/Axix- first and second cervical vertebrae after skull - They are Coupled for flexibility
Zoonotic A disease that can be transmitted from other animals to humans.
parent and chick relations Offspring selected to demand more from parents than parents should be willing to give to maximize parent's LRS
Chick A young or new born bird.
The Crop - A permanent enlargement in some galliformes, columbiformes etc. - Can be used to begin digestion by fermentation - Ex. Goldfinches or Hoatzin that "ferment" their food in the crop before fully digesting it.
Inbreeding Mating together of closely related birds, such as mother and son, usually carried out to emphasize desirable traits.
Feather coloration Play an important role in avian ecology e.g. visual display or camouflage can be pigmented or structural
Syrinx - Flexible Cartilage, muscles that alter shape and tension to alter sounds. - Allows for Vibrations of Different Frequencices
gonys Ridge of the lower mandible, analogous to the culmen on the upper mandible.
Desmognathous Palate Unlike mammals, the bird's palate does not completely separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
Scutellate Feet rectangular scales in overlapping rows along the anterior edge of the tarsus and foot. Found in most passerines
Endothermic metabolism 104-106 degrees; supplies energy needed for flight
brood parasites can evict eggs/nestlings; kill nestling directly; monopolize parental feedigns
energy drain of eggs on females 13-16% additional daily energy needs for altricial birds; 51-70% for precocial birds
Ornithologist Biologists who study birds
Counter Shading Birds that are shaded dark on their backs and light on the breasts.
Bird Watcher Person who identifies and observes birds in their natural habitat as a recreation.
filoplumes Long shaft with only a few barbs at the tip of the rachis. Usually accompany other feathers and may be sensory in function.
Closed Band A completely closed ring of metal that can only be put on a bird within a certain time of hatching, usually from 8-10 days in a small bird and up to four weeks in the larger species of birds.
Budgie Short for budgerigar, the technically correct term for the bird commonly referred to as the parakeet.
Rigid Many fused bones for better flight and landing - wrist,palm,hand,vertebrae are all more rigid or fused in birds
rachis The section of the shaft from which the vanes arise.
Regurgitation Food already swallowed is ejected from the mouth.
Negative Punishment When the trainer subtracts ('subtracts'='negative') something the animal likes in order to make it stop doing something. In training jargon it is an attempt to decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future by the removal of a stimulus.
Order Apodiformes Family Swifts (Apodidae) Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Xanthochroism Abnormal coloration of feathers in which yellow replaces the normal color. It is commonly due to lack of the dark pigment which with yellow forms green.
Pacheco's Disease Virus This is a viral infection caused by the Herpes Virus.
chin the area around the bill
Monomorphism Birds which you cannot determine their sex by their appearance alone (also see Dimorphic).
Beak Tough horny sheath
Feathers grow from _______ Follicles
median secondary coverts Feathers overlying bases of greater secondary coverts
Self-mutilation The gouging of skin, most often on the upper chest in Cockatoos.
Leucocytozoon Blood parasite.
Old World Birds Species of birds that are native to Africa and Australasia. This includes Eclectus Parrots, African Greys, Poicephalus, Umbrella Cockatoos, Citron.
Alveolitis An inflammation in the inner part of the lungs.
Alveoli Small air sacs in the lungs.
Digitals (a.k.a. Digital Feathers) Feathers borne on the wing digits.
Feathers Made of keratin; essential for flight; insulate
Scutes (a.k.a. Scales) The overlapping plaque-like sheets of horny Epithelium that covers the Crus and feet bare.
Proximal and distal barbules _______ _______ _______ _______ Hook togeather like velcro
toothed tomium Has a single tooth, as in a falcon.
Hatching Synchrony Mallard young all hatch within a twohour
Breathing rate Rapid, 7-150x per minute, inflight it increases 12-25 times
40 degrees Celsius birds body temperature
Synchronous Nesting Nesting by a local population in which breeding pairs initiate egg laying within a relatively short period of time.
Involution A change in a body organ that occurs with age that does not allow it to perform its original function.
_______ releases hormones that affects the activity of gonads and the timing and control of molt pituitary
Penguins use wings to swim under water
Field Mark A characteristic or combination of characteristics such as color, shape, or specific marking (eye rings, wing bars, breast stripes), by which a species of bird can be distinguished from other species.
Oviparity Amniotic eggs encased in a hard, calcium-containing shell
Falconiformes Caracaras and Falcons (Falconidae)
scales thin bony plates that come in a variety of shapes and sizes formed from the skin of many fishes and reptiles
depressed bill Bill that is wider than high (duck).
Isofluran Used to cause general anesthesia (loss of consciousness) in birds during surgery. Replaced with Sevoflurane in modern anesthesiology.
Auditory Meatus Ear openin.
Direct Instruction A method of instruction that is explicit, intensive, and teacher-directed. This method is based on a careful analysis of different content areas to determine the sequence of skills and concepts needed to master a wide variety of academic subjects.
Tapeworm Parasite worm that lives in the intestinal tract of birds.
Nidicolous Remaining in the nest after hatching until grown or nearly grown. Also sharing the nest of another species of animal such as Nidicolous mites (compare to Nidifugous).
Holorhinal Nares Nostrils that are round as is the case for parrots (also see Schizorhinal).
Precision Teaching A scientific system of strategies and their tactics for the monitoring of learning and for making data-based decisions about instruction, using the Standard Celeration Chart to chart frequencies and celerations.
Coraciiformes Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
Periophthalmic skin The featherless skin area around some bird's eyes.
Albinism A true albino lacks any pigment from both its plumage and iris It may also be partial and the bird may appear pied.
Mourning Dove Soft "coo-oo" followed by two or three louder coos
Jackpot In training, it is a reward that is much bigger (maybe 10 times bigger) than the normal reinforcer.
Antigen A protein that when introduced into the body stimulates the production of an antibody. Antigens include toxins, bacteria, foreign blood cells, and the cells of transplanted organs.
What are fossilized trackways informative for? Data on speed, gait, behavior
Scapulars The group of feathers arising from the shoulder and proximal part of the upper arm.
Carotenes Pigment The term carotene is used for several orange pigments having the formula C40H56.
Yellow-breasted Chat A collection of whistles, cackles, mews, catcalls, caw notes, chuckles, rattles, squawks, gurgles, and pops, also a sharp "chuck"
metabolic water derived from... the oxidation of organic compounds, like fat
Barbule cross branches
Aerodynamics Air moves faster under wing. Air deflected up and over wing moves slower and generates lift
Auriculars Loose-webbed feathers on the sides of a bird's head and overlying its ear openings. These feathers are also called "ear coverts".
covert The short feathers that cover the bases of the Remiges (flight feathers) and project out over the quills.
Kentucky Warbler Loud series of seven "chuuree" notes, also a smacking "chip"
Why has the giant cowbirdf evolved two egg types? nestlings of host species are often attacked by botfly maggots - baby cowbirds pluck these maggots from the hosts bodies and eat them so these brood parasites are tolerated. so giant cowbird has mimetic egg which it places in nests of birds immune from botflies, and a plain egg that it places in nest subject to botfly
Hallux The one toe that points posteriorly (if there is one toe pointing posteriorly).
Egg Bound Potentially fatal condition in which a hen is unable to expel an egg that has become lodged in lower oviduct or cloaca. Poor nutrition, stress or laying too young are thought to be possible causes.
Giardia This is a single-celled opportunistic protozoan that is commonly found in untreated water.
chisel-like bill Tip of the bill is beveled like a chisel (woodpecker).
Secondary feathers (1-15) attach to arm bone (ulna)
throat & crop a pouch in the throat of many birds in which they store food before regurgitating it to feed their young
Crop Milk 'Milk' that is produced in the crop by epithelial cells that swell and burst.
density independent Effect independent of density of individuals, changes which occur regardless of population size but which affect population size
Order Galliformes Family Curassow (Cracidae) Pheasants (Phasianidae) Quail (Odontophoridae)
Gruiformes Dippers (Cinclidae)
Rachis central support of feather
Nape The back part of the neck. In a bird, the nape is the part of the hind neck just below the back part of the head.
Characteristics of siblicidal bird species competition for food; provision of food in smal units; possession of suitable weaponry; competitive disparaties among nestlings; spatial confinement in the nest
Order Falconiformes Family Vultures (Cathartidae) Ospreys (Pandionidae) Hawks, Kites, Buteos, Eagles, Harriers (Accipitridae) Falcons, Caracaras (Falconidae)
Frightmolt When frightened or attacked some birds will molt their tail feathers and other feathers. The feathers actually appear to be let loose from the follicles all at once.
Insectivorous Birds that eat mainly insects.
Apterium Unfeathered area between feather (Pterylae) tract.
External Acoustic Meatus The passage between the ear opening and the middle ear.
Keratin The substance that feathers are composed of. It's a protein molecule manufactured by skin cells.
Major Digit Bone at the tip of the wing where some of the primary flight feathers are attached.
Pathogenicity The ability to cause disease.
Theories for why females make their choices Good genes model (trait positively correlates with fitness); handicap model (trait negatively correlates with fitness; runaway selection;
Step-Up The practice of giving the step-up command with the expectation that the bird will perform the behavior and step up onto something such as a hand, finger, or perch.
SIE Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Solomon Island Eclectus.
Describe the process of fertilization eggs are fertilized within 2-3 days; eggs take 24 hours to develop; egg then moves down the oviduct, with each new layer added as it passes along the coiled tube; nshell formation in the uterus the final stage, takes about 20 hours
Process of breaking out of an egg? First pierce the inner membrane at the blunt end of the egg with the egg tooth; then break into the air cell that forms as the water supply in the egg is reduced; then must bump its head against the insde of teh shell to gradually weaken it
decurved commissure Bill curves downward (ventrally) (thrasher).
Gruiformes Nuthatches (Sittidae)
Lobate 2,3, and 4 are lobed
Genus A taxonomic category ranking below a family and above a species and generally consisting of a group of species exhibiting similar characteristics. In taxonomic nomenclature the genus name is used, either alone or followed by a Latin adjective or epithet, to form the name of a species.
Ramus The central shaft of feather Barbule. The Ramus is attached to the Rachis and the dozens of small Barbicels are attached to the Barbule.
Vexillum (a.k.a. Vane) The web-like part of a feather.
sides belly under wings
Semipalmate Feet Half-webbed, as in a plover
Barbules project off the ramus some are simple
Sprouting Seeds When viable seeds absorb water, a chemical reaction takes place that cause the seeds to sprout. As the seeds swell, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements are released. This is a source of nutrition for birds.
Atavism A trait in an individual presumed to have been present in a past ancesto.
Antebrachium Forearm.
Urates One of the three components of the bird's excreta (droppings). Often a white pasty substance (also see Urine and Feces).
semiplumes Small and white, usually hidden beneath the body feathers. A lack of interlocking barbules gives them a downy texture. They are primarily for insulation.
Yolk This is the yellow nutrient containing sac in the egg that directly supports the growth of the embryo.
Flecking Unwanted darker markings on the head, typically associated with Budgerigars.
Red-breasted Nuthatch Series of nasal, hornlike notes that sound like "yank-yank"
Torticollis The involuntary turning of the neck to one side.
Mantle A term for the plumage of the back of a bird and the wing coverts on the top of its wings, especially applied to hawks and gulls; specifically the feathers of the back and the folded wings.
Challenges to Bird Population health and long-term survival habitat loss, residential and commercial development, agriculture, energy production and mining, natural resource use, pollution, climate change
obligate brood parasites interspecific form of brood parasitism
Major source of mortality for eggs predation followed by starvation, dissertion of thenest; failure of the eggs to hatchl bad weather
hatching asynchrony - take advantage of unusually abundant resources by raising an extra (last - hatched) offspring, and/or - provide replacements if any core offspring fails to survive or happens to develop poorly.
Ornithology The science of birds.
Evolution of feathers stage IV Closed pennaceous vane (hooklets on one barbule attach to grooves on barbules of adjacent barb)
rounded wing Middle primaries are the longest and the remaining are graduated (hawks).
Gruiformes Chickadees and Titmice (Paridae)
Asymptomatic Having a disease without manifestation of symptoms.
GC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Green Cheeked Conure.
Columbiformes Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae)
humeral tract On each wing and extending from the anterior part of the shoulder along the brachium, to the bend of the wing; these feathers are scapulars.
Wing Quivering One of the physical signals used by chicks to beg for food.
Gerontology The study of aging in people or pets.
Bird Fancier's Lung An allergic disease called hypersensitivity pneumonitis that develops in a small portion of bird owners. There may be few or no symptoms in its early stages. One cause of the disease is inhalation of dried bird droppings.
WF Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for White Faced Cockatiel.
Patagium The fold of skin that extends from the upper arm along the entire lower arm to the wrist.
Realized niche often smaller than the fundamental niche due to
B&G Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Blue and Gold Macaw.
lift to stay in the air
Results of Schwabl and Canaries Exp Testosterone: accelerated post natal growth Treated birds reached 50% of mass at 3.4 days after hatch, controls 4.3 days (sexes same), 1. Incr testosterone might incr metabolism causing more aggressive begging 2. Longer more persistent begging 3. Better motor control, if incr testosterone accelerate motor neuron development
feathers that trap heat and keep a bird warm down feathers
Scales (a.k.a. Scutes) The overlapping plaque-like sheets of horny Epithelium that covers the Crus and feet.
shaft The central tube or "axis" of feather; consists of two parts, the calamus and the rachis.
hooklets Small hooks usually found on the distal barbules (farthest from the rachis). These hold the barbs together.
Babby The word coined by Sally Blanchard to describe a baby companion parrot.
Upland Sandpiper Long series of mellow notes starting with a gurgling rising trill and ending with a long descending whistle
Wings attached to powerful chest muscles
Gruiformes Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers (Sylviidae)
pterylae Feathers arranged in distinct areas on bodies called tracts.
HMC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Half Moon Conure.
Allopreening One bird preens another.
Percutaneous Ovocentesis Treatment for Egg Binding that involves inserting a needle through the skin into the egg and removing the egg's contents. This makes the egg smaller and easier to pass (also see Cloacal Ovocentesis).
Modification of Lack's hypothesis clutch size = maximum number of high quality young adults can raise and that survive to enter breeding population, Nest predation may select for clutch size smaller than maximum can raise, Interaction with environment reduces reproductive effort, Smaller broods may be less conspicuous
Ecdysis The shedding of plumage during molt (see also Endysis).
Binocular vs. monocular vision Ex: American woodcock (more mon.) vs. Screech Owl (more bin.) -monocular- sight using one eye -binocular- sight using two eyes
Beak Grinding Parrots often grind their upper and lower beak together as they relax to go to sleep.
Filoplumes Hairlike, they monitor movement, especially flight feathers
Colony A group of birds nesting together in close association.
RLA Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Red Lored Amazon.
Flapping Rapid forward motion via thrust from wing beats
Tomia The cutting edge of the bill of a bird.
G2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Goffins Cockatoo.
Order Procellariiformes Family Albatross (Diomedeidae) Shearwaters/Petrels (Procellariidae) Storm Petrels (Hydrobatidae)
Vision Characteristics - Better color specrum than humans (UV) - Acute vision -reduced eye movement, but more neck movement
Songbird Also known as a Oscine, See Oscine above
Vaned feathers Contour and flight feathers. They are overlapping and smooth so that they are aero-/hydro-dynamic
emarginate tail Retrices increase slightly in length from the middle to the outermost pair. Has a notched appearance (Purple Finch).
Shaft Emerges form the follicle
insulation; keep bird warm What are down feathers used for in a bird?
Postpatagium The membrane of skin formed in the 'V' of the humerus and the radius/ulna bones on the forward edge of the wing.
Barred Owl "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all"
Wing loading Relationship between wing area and body mass
Serological Assays Serums (often blood serums) are used to measure a bird's antibody levels to help identify the historical presence of an ailment.
delicate physiological balance maintains _______ _______ _______ high body temperature
Operant Conditioning Conditioning in which the desired behavior or increasingly closer approximations to it are followed by a rewarding or reinforcing stimulus (compare with CLASSICAL CONDITIONING).
air sacs increase the amount of oxygen a bird can take in, and also can make the birds lighter
SID Used in prescribing medications it means once a day. Literally Latin for semel in die.
Raptorial Feet Deeply curved talons, toes are deeply cleft, as in owls and hawks
Abandonment The feeling of being left behind and out of the flock.
Co-parenting When a person assists a pair of birds in rearing their chicks.
Taste and smell limited sense of taste with few taste buds but olfactory senses in some species very acute
shoulder part of wing nearest to the body
Manteling Stretching a wing and a leg on the same side of the body.
VE Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Vosmaeri Eclectus.
Calamus Hollow lower quill
Migration An extended journey a bird makes from one place to anothe.
Keet Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Parakeet.
Timing of Migration Intrinsic circannual rhythm controlled by hormones, but fine tuned by external cues; primarily photoperiod
APV See Avian Polyomavirus Disease.
Coracoid Clavicle A beak-shaped bone articulating with the scapula and sternum in most lower vertebrates, such as birds and reptiles.
gland in mammals, a cell or group of cells that secretes fluid
Northern Mockingbird Series of varied phrases, with each phrase repeated 2-6 times before shifting to a new phrase
Cognition and intelligence perception, learning, memory and decision-making. Also display complex social interactions
Tarsometatarsus A compound bone between the tibia and the toes of a bird's leg, formed by fusion of the tarsal and metatarsal bones.
Intermittent flight Reduces energy requirement: flap-glide (large birds, slow speed) flap-bound (small-medium sized birds, fast speed)
Mandibular Rostrum Lower beak.
under tail coverts Feathers covering underside of base of tail.
Avian physiology highly evolved internal systems
Psittacosis Antigen Test A laboratory test that is designed to detect the presence of antigens for the Psittacosis Virus.
bristles Usually fringe the rictus in flycatchers, poorwills, and other aerial insectivores; just a short, stiff shaft, black or dark brown in color, with only a few barbs at the base of the shaft. These are probably sensory in function.
polygynous males form a temporaray pair bond, and make at least some contribution if only to defend the territory while the females raises the young
Contour Feathers basic vaned feathers of body and wings - including remiges and rectrices - smaller contour are symmetrical
Contact Call The word or sounds the bird greets all 'flock members' with such as 'hello' with a companion human or a 'chirp with a companion bird.
Herbst's Corpuscles Encapsulated nerve endings which occur in a bird's leg joints and other parts of the body. These bundles of nerves are thought to be used as vibration detectors.
infanticide any behavior by parents that contribute directly to the death of a chick
round nostrils Opening is circular (falcon).
Agonistic Behavior Behaviors such as attacking, fleeing, threatening and submission.
Downy Plumage Refers to the plumage of a chick upon hatching.
What is the ultimate cue for site fidelity? Previous nesting success
Birds consume _____-_____ times more energy than similar-sized reptile 20-30
Rhinolith A calculus present in the nasal cavity. For birds, a mass of dried material that develops in the bird's nasal passage that may affect the bird's breathing.
Excavators Birds, such as woodpeckers, that make their own cavity to nest in (see also Adopters).
Allofeeding Allofeeding occurs when a bird feeds or simulates feeding of another adult bir.
Baltimore Oriole Series of rich whistled notes interspersed with rattles, also a chatter
swim bladder thin-walled interal sac found just below the backbone in bony fishes; helps fish control their swimming depth
ventral tract Extends from the mandibular ramus back to the feathers around the vent; divided in the middle by a mid-ventral apterium.
Abdominal Air Sac Two air sacs located in the abdominal region.
Charadriiformes Lapwings and Plovers (Charadriidae)
Greater Roadrunner Soft downward-slurring "co-coo-coo-coo-cooooo"
Greater Prairie-Chicken Booming "whooo-doo-doooh"
wood duck have webbed feet for swimming
Barbering Feather chewing. This refers to an obsessive behavior of the bird chewing on its feathers without plucking them out.
PC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Painted Conure.
Notched Feather a vane of the contour feather is incised toward the end, as in the proximal vanes of the outer primaries of the Broad-winged Hawk.
Weaning A process in which an animal learns to find and eat foods on its own.
Angle of attack Angle affects balance of forces, slight increase improves lift, greater increase causes drag, further forces stall
Bill Tip Organ An organ that the bird uses to sense vibrations and food. It consists of a bundle of highly sensitive nerve endings. In parrots it is more developed in the lower beak than in the upper.
Pneumatic Means that bones have hollow spaces for less weight (These spaces often connected to air sacs/respiration)
Furcula -Wishbone -2 fused Clavicles
Salt Excretion - Efficient Kidneys to Retain water - Salt gland (tube nose) for excretion
Sigel-Causey and Kharitonov stages of evolution of coloniality 1) birds are solitary nesters; 2) birds move to habitats inaccessible to terrestrial predators; 3) true colonies form when resources become variable and unpredictable.
Polygyny threshold the minimum differneces between the quality of male territories - if the territory quality is great enoguh the female will be better off sharing a male in a better territory than pairing with an unmated male on an inferior territory
Macaw Wasting Syndrome See Proventricular Dilation Disease.
Serum Chemistry Panel A set of tests that evaluate the level of chemical components (e.g., glucose, albumin, enzymes, electrolytes) in the serum (i.e. the portion of blood without cells).
Marginal covert Coverts above the row of Lesser Coverts.
Thermal regulation Done by adjusting plumage, behavior, stance, or orientation to save or lose heat
Hyoid Apparatus Bone structure that supports tongue - woodpeckers have long ones
The physical structure of a feather strong an flexible bc of keratin
Nictitating membrane -thin protecitve covering over eye
Graduated Tail Retrices shorten from inside to outside, in steep/abrupt gradations
Tiel Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Cockatiel.
lower _______ connected to pituitary gland hypothalamus
Mallard Loud series of quacks
Self-rewarding Behavior An activity that is enacted solely for the pleasure of doing it.
barbs Individual structures that arise from the shaft and interlock making up a vane. One function of a birds preening behavior is rejoining these.
Alula (AKA Allula) A small wing-like group of feathers at the bend of the wing (covering the pollex), supported by the anterior most digit. They are thought to help regulate flight.
Molts happen when... Feathers wear and must be replaced with two basic plumage's; basic (non-breeding) and alternate (breeding)
Heterochroism Plumage coloration that is aberrant to that of the predominant wild form.
Ruffed Grouse Drum with wings to produce series of deep thumping sounds that increase in tempo
Excretion nitrogenous waste excreted as uric acid
Synsacrum The fused part of a bird's vertebral column (backbone) between the thoracic vertebrae and the caudal vertebrae (the pelvic region near the base of the tail). The synsacrum is composed of fused vertebrae, including some thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and caudal vertebrae. The number of vertebrae in the synsacrum varies from species to species.
Interclavicular Sac Air sac located between the clavicles.
Area-sensitive species species that respond negatively to decreasing habitat patch size
Flock A group of birds that keep in close proximity with each other.
blood with oxygen is kept apart from blood without oxygen what is the relationship with blood and oxygen?
pointed (acute) tail Middle retrices are much longer than the others (pheasant).
Scat Fecal material.
Adaptations of parasitic birds mimetic eggs, Short incubation, Rapid growth all give a Head Start in Life
Benjamin The smallest and usually the youngest chick.
seasonality hypothesis (ashmole's hypothesis) populations are regulated by resource levels in the non-breeding season - difference between resource levels in breeding vs. non-breeding season represent surplus resoruces - can be allocated to reproduction
Leucism A dilution in pigmentation of the plumage.
Metatarsal (a.k.a. Digital Pads) The scaly mounds that protect the bottom of the foot.
Bent Bill Bill deflected at an angle, usually midpoint and downward, as in a Flamingo
endotherm animal that maintains a constant body temperature and is not dependent on the environmental temperature
Notocord dorsal stiffening rod
serial monogamy monogamous to different mates in different seasons
Ulna The outer bone of the forearm.
Skeletal modifications hollow bones and unusual joints, fused bones in wing
BP2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Black Palm Cockatoo.
Softbills A family of birds that includes lories, mynah birds and toucans. The name refers to their diet and has nothing to do with their beak which is hard.
Eumelanin Melanin The dark pigment in the bird's feathers that imparts black and dark brown coloration.
nostril External naris
Secondary Feathers (a.k.a. Secondaries or Secondary Remiges) The inner set of flight feathers on the wing between the body and the bend in the wing (forearm or ulna area). Parrots have between 8 and 14 Remiges.
Humphrey-Parkes terminology 1. Natal Down 2. Prejuvenal Molt 3. Juvenal Plumage 4. First Prebasic Molt 5. First Prealternate Molt 6. First Alternate Plumage 7. Second Prebasic Molt 8. and so on to "definitive" plumage.
Can use ________ _______ to anticipate storms Atmospheric pressure
crural tract The rest of the leg feathers; separated from the femoral tract by an apterium.
Bristles Specialized feathers with sensory and protected functions Consist primarily of a stiff, tapered rachis Found almost exclusively on the head of birds Sensory bristles have associated sensory corpuscle Eyelashes (e.g., ostriches) and nostril coverings (e.g., woodpeckers) are protective bristles Aerial insect eaters have bristles around their mouths Act as nets and as sensory structured
Contour feathers Typical body feathers Long central shaft with broad, flat vanes on either side Help to give birds their aerodynamic shape
Crop An enlargement of the esophagus that stores and moistens food
Palmate Feet Front toes are webbed, hallux is distinct, as in ducks and gulls
Birds immune to _______ Hyperventilation by rapid breathing or high altitude which expels large amount of CO2, can also increase pH of blood
Sleeping Tent A fabric ten like product that hangs in the bird's cage which provides privacy and a sleeping area.
Forage The search for and consumption of food.
Incompatible Behavior A behavior that is physically incompatible with another behavior. Sometimes used in training to eliminate an unwanted behavior.
Trade off between precocial and altricial Precocial: longer incubation; larger egg; higher yolk content balanced by the reduced maintenance cost after hatching; Altricial birds: less incubation time; eggs are energetically less costly balanced by higher maintenance cost after hatcing
spatulate bill Flattened and wide at the tip (shoveler).
Clutch The complete set of eggs laid and incubated by the hen.
large feathers that give shape to a bird's body and help with flying contour feathers
trailing edge of wing rear edge of wing
Order Passeriformes II Family Pipits/Wagtails (Motacillidae) Finches (Fringillidae) Weaver Finches (Passeridae) Warblers, Tanagers, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Towhees, Sparrows, Blackbirds, Orioles (Emberizidae) Bananaquits (Coerebidae) Chickadees/Titmice (Paridae) Waxwings (Bombycillidae) Silky-Flycatchers (Ptilogonatidae)
Quill The portion of the feather shaft that is near the skin or inserted into the skin.
Evolution of feathers stage I The first feather was a hollow cylinder
hippocampus important in spatial memory - seed caching species
Long Bill Bill much longer than head, as in hummingbird
cere Fleshy area between the beak and face
Operculum Literally it is a lid or flap covering an aperture. For birds, it is a swollen area of tissue that surrounds and caps each nostril in some species.
Jousting When two birds slap or grab each other's beaks. Often a playful sign but injury can result.
Gruiformes Vireos (Vireonidae)
Macaw Fading Syndrome See Proventricular Dilation Disease.
Bills Characteristics - Vary in size/shape by feeding strategy - Tongues vary too (ex. hummingbirds v. woodpeckers) - Salivary Glands- best develope in seed/insect eaters
power feathers special feathers with barbs that disintegrate into a fine powder and are though to aid the bird in grooming and waterproofing
Forked Tail the retrices increase in length successively from the middle to the outermost pair, in abrupt gradations, as in a tern.
Trogoniformes Trogons (Trogonidae)
egg tooth located at the top of the bill near the tip - tiny project
Trophozoite A protozoan, especially of the class Sporozoa, in the active stage of its life cycle.
Harris's Sparrow One to three pure notes on one pitch, also a loud "tchip"
How did brood parasitize evolve? Maybe from teh loss of synchronization of nest building and incubation - females may have opportunistically began dumping eggs in the completed nests of ther birds; or perhaps some females wanted an insurance gg in another nest in case their own nest was predated. Parasite is relieved of the burden of raising her own young and can use the additional energy to lay even more eggs
feed, protect Fill in the blanks. Parents ____ and _____ young birds.
Western Kingbird Series of "kip" notes followed by series of high-pitched mouselike fussy chittering notes
Domestic Bird A bird that has been bred within the country.
Precocial Birds born with fluffy down, open eyes, and the ability to run and forage for food. Chickens are Precocial.
Charadriiformes Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies (Scolopacidae)
Theory on the payoff for males in polyandry Ligon: maybe males hope to be able to increase their own reproductive success by ferilizing some additional eggs layed by females who are not tied down to nests
Dead In Shell (a.k.a. DIS) Dead-in-Shell When an egg embryo dies before it hatches.
stores food what does the crop do in a bird?
Digit Bone in the toes.
How are mating systems shaped? By the way in which resoucres and mates are distributed and exploited.
Biggest threat to nests? Predators - best response to predators is to locate the nest in an inaccessible place
Psittaculture A term that encompasses all aspects of the keeping of parrots.
Parrot Any member of the Psittaciforme family of birds (also see Psittaciformes).
Avian Influenza (a.k.a. Bird Flu) An infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. Bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.
Psilopaedic Having down upon the Pteryl[ae] only; -- said of the young of certain birds (compare to ptilopaedic).
compressed bill Bill higher than wide (loon).
Wattle An area of featherless skin.
Caudad Toward the rear.
Anisodactyl This term refers to having three toes forward and one back. This is the configuration of a parrot's feet immediately after hatching. However, within the first few weeks of development one of the toes rotates from the front to the back resulting in a Zygodactyl foot.
Anisodactyl Feet Hallux behind other 3 toes, all toes separated, as in a thrush
Ciconiiformes New World Vultures (Cathartidae)
Cloacal Ovocentesis Treatment for Egg Binding that involves inserting a needle through the cloacal into the egg and removing the egg's contents. This makes the egg smaller and easier to pass (also see Percutaneous Ovocentesis).
Viewpoints of why monogamy is so high in birds: Trad: because birds have such high energetic needs - female bird needs the full time hel of her mate to provide for their young; high parental investment
Three types of flight Flapping, gliding/soaring, intermittent
Annual Survival Mortality highest in the 1st year - High predation on nests and fledglings - Starvation after adult feeding ends
Syrinx The place where the bird's song is produced i n the back of the bird's trachea
Rictus The expanse of an open mouth, a bird's beak, or similar structure.
Ultraviolet Vision Some bird species, e.g., kestrels and zebra finches, have vision that extends into the near ultraviolet, a region that cannot be seen by humans.
BID Used in prescribing medications it means twice a day. Literally Latin for bis in die.
syndactyl toe arrangement The third and fourth toes are united for most of their length and have a broad sole (kingfisher, motmot).
Passerines A scientific classification that is made up of perching birds, and includes canaries, finches and backyard songbirds.
Anterior Sac Air sac group made up from interclavicular, cervicals, and anterior thoracics air sacs.
How did uric acid excretion probably evolve in adults? As a solution to nitrogen storage in a sealed reptilian age (nitrogenous waste can be stored in the shell in a non-toxic crystalline form
Crepuscular Being active at twilight or before sunrise like bats, some insects and birds.
Charadriiformes Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae)
Leutenizing Hormone (a.k.a. LH) This hormone stimulates ovulation.
Lactobacillus Preparation A preparation that contains a harmless bacteria that helps to reestablish the useful bacteria. Often used to treat or prevent diarrhea caused by an infection or by antibiotics.
Coprodeum Located inside the Cloaca, this is the terminus of the rectum.
Heart Characteristics - 4 chambers in thoracic cavity - no diapragm - relatively large heart with higher rate/sugar
internal What type of fertilization does a bird have?
Order Strigiformes Family Barn Owls (Tytonidae) Typical Owls (Strigidae)
Belted Kingfisher Loud, harsh rattle
Focused Attention In-your-face attention totally focused on your parrot.
Things that weigh in to parental effort and LRS Age 1st reproduction • # young/yr (clutch size) • Survival of young • Adult longevity
Humeral Patagium The membrane of skin posterior to the humerous extending from the upper arm to the trunk.
Brood patch free of feathers and functions ot convey body heat directly to the eggs
Gnathotheca The horney covering of the lower mandible of a bird.
Uropygium The posterior part of a bird's body, from which the tail feathers grow.
brooding sitting on chicks
DIS (a.k.a. Dead in Shell) Dead-in-Shell When an egg embryo dies before it hatches.
feather lightweight, modified scale found only on birds; provides insulation and enables flight
Erythristic Relating to or marked by Erythrism. Having a ruddy complexion and reddish hair or in the case of birds, red or reddish feathers.
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (a.k.a. ELISA) Test used for diagnosis of specific infectious diseases. An enzyme is used as the indicator system; when the enzyme and the antigen.
Zoonosis A disease of animals, such as rabies or psittacosis, that can be transmitted to humans.
Trichromatic Vision Humans are able to see 3 (Tri meaning three) primary colors which are Blue, Green and Red. Birds on the other hand can see 4 (Tetra) which includes Ultraviolet (UV).
Phalanges The toes (singular Phalanx).
Ilium (AKA Ileum) Bone in the pelvis region attached to the Synsacrum.
Cloaca This is the excretory vent of a bird. Inside this vent are three compartments: the Coprodeum, Urodeum, and Proctodeum.
Polyomavirus Disease See Avian Polyoma Virus.
Order Ciconiiformes Family Herons/Bitterns (Ardeidae) Ibises (Threskiornithidae) Storks (Ciconiidae)
Breastbone (AKA Sternum) is a long, flat bone located in the center of the thorax (chest).
claws, bills, and legs In addition to adaptations for flight, what are three other adaptations birds have for living in diverse environments?
Strigiformes Wood-Warblers (Parulidae)
Allergic Caused by the allergic reaction of the body to a specific substance or condition.
Phaneric Coloration The coloration of a bird that makes it conspicuous.
Axillaries (a.k.a. Axillary) Feather.
Homeothermic (a.k.a. Homoiothermic or Homothermic) Birds and mammals having a constant and relatively high body temperature.
Order Columbiformes Family Pigeons/Doves (Columbidae)
Behavior Chains A sequence of behaviors. Often referred to in training when teaching complicated behaviors that are made up of several less complicated behaviors in a sequence (also see Homogeneous Chains and Heterogeneous Chains).
Northern Cardinal Loud string of clear down-slurred or two-parted whistles, common song in Ohio
Allopatric occurring in different places; usually refers to geographical separation of populations (Ricklefs 1979:865). The populations may exhibit divergence in behavior, morphology, or genetic composition.
Threadworm Small threadlike parasitic worm.
oval nostrils Opening is elliptical, not round or linear, but in between (Cooper's Hawk).
BFD Budgerigar Fledgling Disease.
Extinction Bursts If an animal is reinforced for a particular behavior and then the reinforcement is removed, the animal will offer the behavior with a 'burst' of activity (faster, harder and/or with more intensity) prior to extinction of the behavior (also see Extinction).
Amniotic closure Term for the sealed eyes and ears of newly hatched chicks Anal Pteryla.
Sora Long, high, descending whinny, also an upward-slurring "sor-AH" call
material that helps to keep something warm insulator
Extruded Foods Sometimes called nuggets, these foods are bound under temperatures high enough to pasteurize them.
Demography The statistical study of populations especially with reference to size and density, distribution, and vital statistics
Exotic Newcastle Disease (a.k.a. END) A highly contagious disease that spreads rapidly and causes high mortality rates. END is so virulent that many birds die without showing any clinical signs.
GW Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Green Wing Macaw.
Melanin pigmet black, grey, browns. help reduce wear and resistance to bacteria
Secum Generally, any saclike cavity with only one opening. The large blind pouch forming the beginning of the large intestine. Also called blind gut.
Elizabethan Collar (a.k.a. E. Collar) A collar used by some veterinarians to prevent the bird from reaching it's feathers.
Cue A command given to elicit a response. A cue may be verbal ('sit') or non-verbal such as a hand signal or flash of a light.
Charadriiformes Auks, Murres, and Puffins (Alcidae)
Order Phoenicopteriformes Family Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae)
Black-billed Cuckoo Fast rhythmic series of 2-5 notes on same pitch, similar to "cu-cu-cu-cu, cu-cu-cu-cu!"
Pteryla (singular of Pterylae) These are well-defined symmetric tracts containing the contour feathers. Birds have seven such tracts of feathers.
Feather coat Can weigh 2-3 x skeleton and up to 20 % of body mass. Grouped on dense tracts
Fluency The number of corrects/in-corrects per a period of time. Note that this is a frequency measure and an accuracy measure.
Circadian _______ in retina, pineal gland, and hypothalamus receptors
Short Tail Decidedly shorter than trunk, as in the least sandpiper
How did dinosaurs nest like birds today? 1)returned to same location year after year (philopatry); 2) habitat is similar (in sheltered protected areas); 3) regular spacing of nests - just far enough; 4) some were precocial, some were altricial - evidence suggests they were primarily altricial
Punishment Is a consequence that follows an operant response that decreases (or attempts to decrease) the likelihood of that response occurring in the future.
Gruiformes Kinglets (Regulidae)
Scutellate-booted Feet Scutellate anterior edge and a single booted scale on posterior edge. Gray catbirds, mimidae
Red-winged Blackbird "Conk-a-ree"
Indeterminate Egg Layer (a.k.a. Double Hatching) Birds that can be induced to lay additional eggs by removing or destroying eggs they have already laid.
Gruiformes Swallows (Hirundinidae)
oology study of eggs
Habituation When a subject is exposed to an aversive stimulus that it cannot escape or avoid and which nothing it does has any effect on it will eventually stop reacting to the stimulus.
Determinate Egg Layer Birds that lay only one set of eggs and stop.
Why do birds in drier climates have shorter incubation times? Eggs lose about 15% of their water content during incubation
Pinions The outer Primary feathers of the wing.
Ovary - egg, usually the left is functional - know the "egg production" process
Albumin A class of simple, water-soluble proteins that can be coagulated by heat and are found in egg white, blood serum, milk, and many other animal and plant tissues.
other advantages of coloniality more potential mates; decreased predation due to predator swamping; social facilitation;
Carotenoid pigment yellows, oranges, reds. derived from diet
Candle (a.k.a. Candling) This is a technique used to follow the development of the chick embryo in the egg. A bright light capable of penetrating the shell of an egg is used in order to see development of the chick's vascular system and other organs.
Eye-ring Feathers immediately around the eyes that are distinctively colored in some birds.
Psittaciformes An order of birds including parrots, amazons, cockatoos, lorikeets, lories, macaws and parakeets.
capital tract A tract extending from the base of the upper mandible to where the head and neck join.
Malar Region The area of the head that would correspond to the human cheek, that is from the base of the lower bill to the angle of the jaw.
Baseline (a.k.a. CBC) An initial CBC usually taken from a healthy bird. The results can be used in the future when diagnosing an ailment. A comparison between the Baseline and another CBC can indicate a change in the blood which may be helpful to the veterinarian.
Two major ways birds could deal with ROS • Produce fewer ROS as result of more efficient mitochondrial electron transfer • Possess greater defenses against damage caused by ROS
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis See Allergic Alveolitis.
Shaft is rooted in a tiny follicle and receives nutrients from the birds blood.
Neonates A newborn, typically up to four weeks of age.
Porphyrin pigment brown, green. copper-based, rare found in new feathers, fades
bars that project off the rachis made up of the ramus and barbells
amniotic egg a complete environment for a developing embryo
Species This is a group of biological beings that are similar to each other and capable of breeding with one another. A species is a subdivision of a genus.
Infundibulum The first segment of the oviduct. The ovarian opening of a fallopian tube.
4 How many chambers does a birds heart have?
Parrot Fever (a.k.a. Psittacosis) A curable infectious bacterial disease of birds marked by diarrhea and wasting. Also known as 'Psittacosis', 'chlamydiosis', and 'Ornithosis'. Infected birds can be cured with tetracycline or another broad-spectrum antibiotic. Psittacosis can be passed to humans where it results in flu- or pneumonia-like symptoms.
Ova The female reproductive cell or gamete of animals or the egg.
Brood Parasitism laying eggs in nests of another species and then abandoning them to the care of the foster parents.
lesser secondary coverts Feathers overlying bases of median secondary coverts
Straight Bill The line along which the mandibles close is in line with the axis of the head, as in a Great Blue Heron
Heterodactyl (a.k.a. Zygodactyle) Any bird having the first and second toes directed backward the third and fourth directed forward. Most birds have four toes, three point forward and one aft. Parrots, cuckoos and woodpeckers are zygodactyle and have two toes pointing forward and two pointing aft.
Rectrix (singular for Rectricies) A tail feather.
Ischium Bone in the pelvis region.
Oology The study of bird's eggs.
Arterial/Venous Systems - They are separated, but operate close to eachother for better heat exchange
Skritch The way one scratches or pets a parrot. This often involves a deep, yet gentle, circular ruffling of the feathers to get to the skin.
Gruiformes Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae)
Vanes Develop from the shaft
Ptilopaedic Having nearly the whole surface of the skin covered with down; Dasyp[ae]dic; -- said of the young of certain birds. (compare to Psilopaedic).
Acropodium The dorsal (upper) surface of the toes.
syntropy occasional tendency of two organisms to coalesce into one
Some Barbules bear projections called barbicels
Endoscopy inspection of body organs or cavities using a flexible, lighted tube called an endoscope.
Antecedent The 'A' in the 'ABC's of behavior'. This refers to anything present in the animal's environment that evokes or facilitates a behavior.
Phalanx A toe (plural Phalanges).
Syndactyl Feet Hallux behind other 3 toes, front toes are united for most of their length, and share a broad sole, as in the Belted Kingfisher
How do Emlen and Oring define mating systems Behavioral strategies used to obtain mates, which include: number of mates acquired, way in which mate are acquired, formation and characteristics of pair, patterns of parental care.
Barbs the shaft of the feather that has many branches are called _______
Agonistic Threat Display This is the type of display birds make when they threaten combat.
Serve aerodynamic function- little insulation remiges serve how?
heart beat 1000 times in a minute
Wings Forelimbs; covered by feathers
marsupial subclass of mammals in which young develop for a short period in the uterus and complete their development outside of th mother's body inside a pouch made of skin and hair
Antifungal Treatments Oral or intravenous medications used to kill fungus such as Aspergillosis and Candidiasis.
placental mammal mammals that give birth to young that have delveloped inside the mother's uterus until their body systems are fully functional and they can live independently of their mother's body
PDV See Pacheco's Disease Virus.
Caprimulgiformes Goatsuckers (Caprimulgidae)
type of polygyny resource defense - common in birds with patchy resources and large differences in quality of male territories; harem defense - common in mammals; male dominance - lek
Remex (singular of Remiges) A large flight feather (Primary or Secondary).
Berger definition of colony group of birds nesting in close proximity, regularly interacting with one another and feeding outside the breeding territory
Circadian rhythm Adaptation to 24-hr cycle, an intrinsic rhythm around 23 hrs, also drifts unless synchronized by external cues
Another word for altricial nidicole or nidicolous
Anti-parasite Medication Medication designed to kill parasites.
Charadriiformes Stilts and Avocets (Recurvirostridae)
Peritoneal Membrane Membrane lining the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity.
provide additional storage of air What do air sacs do for flying in a bird?
Adaptations to diversify food niches Morphological (tongue, bill) coevolution with specific flowers (hummingbirds), evolve to get prey best (shore bird bill). Behavioral (seasonal variation in diet, food caching, feeding in flocks)
Stress Lines These are off colored lines across the width of a bird's feathers. Stress lines are an indication that the bird was under some kind of stress when the feather was formed.
Charadriiformes Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae)
Phaeomelanin One of the two kinds of melanin pigment of feathers. This form of melanin imparts red, light brown and yellow to the skin or feathers.
beak the hooked bill of a hawk or parrot
Contour feathers strong,lightweight, and give birds their coloring and smooth, sleek shape, and are also used for flight
Forces that limit the growth potential of bird populations climate, limited habitat, predation, diseases, accidental death and starvation
Feathers formed of _______-_______ beta-keratin
Common Raven Low, gurgling croak rising in pitch and seeming to come from the back of the bird's throat, harsh grating sounds, shrill alarm calls
oil glands uses it to care fore its feathers and is located just above the base of its tail
Pterylae are separated by regions of skin with few or no feathers called apteria This arrangement is not apparent externally because feathers spread out to cover body Functional significance is not known However, arrangement allows muscles that control feathers to be concentrated
Necropsy An examination of a dead body.
Minor Digit Small bone near the tip of the wing below the Major Digit.
Cognitive Functions Mental processes or faculties, such as awareness, perception, memory, reasoning, and speech that are controlled by the brain.
Allula (AKA Alula) One to several shortened, stiffened feathers that project from the thumb The purpose of these few feathers is to open a slot for air to be forced down over the top of the win.
Feathers Extraordinary evolutionary innovation with unique complex structure
What are the selfish aspects to monogamy Each partner seeks to maximize their individual reproductive success by mating with other partners
Predation hypothesis for clutch size variation Greater nest predation in the tropics forces birds to renest more often with consequently smaller clutches - or increased energy needed to defend larger clutches from predators - breeding season predation accounts for less than 25% of the observed variation
rhea they can't fly and they become fast runners
Adopters Birds that nest in pre-existing cavities (see also Excavators).
Long, narrow wings high speed gliding - albatross
Calcite Calcium Carbonate. The primary inorganic component of the egg shell.
Anisodactyl halex in back, three toes in front - most perching birds
Pelecaniformes Darters (Anhingidae)
Posterior Sac Air sacs group made up from posterior thoracics and abdominal air sacs.
Laparoscopy A surgical tool used for sexing a bird. The bird is anesthetized, and a small slit is cut into the bird's abdomen. The Laparoscope is inserted, allowing the vet to view the reproductive organs.
secondaries feathers that grow along the trailing edge of the inner segment of a bird's wing
Carpometacarpus Major bone in the wing located between the Radius/Ulna and the Major Digit.
Aratingidae Taxonomic family name for American parrots.
Order Gruiformes Family Rails (Rallidae) Limpkins (Aramidae) Cranes (Gruidae)
Parakeet Dander Pneumoconiosis See Allergic Alveolitis.
Brood A group of young animals such as birds in a nest, or the process by which the parent birds maintain the body heat of the young in a nest by sitting on or over the young.
Brood parasites rather than build their own nests, they simply lay their eggs in the nests of others
Filoplumes long hairlike feathers that monitor the positon of the pennaceous feathers such as those of the wing and tail
Spatulate Bill Also called spoon-shaped, depressed toward the end, as in a Shoveler
Sternal keel supports flight muscles
Urodeum The middle compartment of the Cloaca. This is where the Urates collect.
bent commissure Similar to decurved, but the bill is bent downward at its halfway point (flamingo).
How does climate change impose broad limits on ranges and population size? direcltyl through extremes of temp and rainfall; indirectly through the effects of climate on food supply
Lose heat by... ruffle plumage, droop wing, expose legs, pant
Fledge A bird fledges when it leaves the nest and has its first flight.
FIDS Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Feathered Kids.
upper mandible Upper part of the bill
Barbs branch off from _______ _______ Central shaft
Great Crested Flycatcher Strong rising "wee-eep", also a noisy grating call
Roost This is a place where birds sleep.
hooked bill Upper mandible longer than the lower mandible, dropping off sharply at end (hawk).
Infundibular Cleft The opening from the Oropharynx into the middle ear of the bird.
Median Primary covert The next row of Coverts up from the Primary Coverts that cover the Primary flight feathers.
Forced Weaning Depriving a parrot chick of food in an attempt to make him eat on his own.
Cooperative Breeding In some bird species, adults other than the parents assist in the rearing of the chicks.
Four tail modifications Flight, display, sound, support
Pubis Bone in the pelvis region.
Tail Feathers (AKA Retrices) Flight feathers on the tail. Unlike the Primary and Secondary flight feathers, the tail feathers are symetrical.
Endysis The replacement process after Ecdysis or molting (see also Ecdysis).
Pullus Term for a young bird that is not mature enough to fly.
Conditioned Reinforcers (a.k.a. Secondary Reinforcer) An initially meaningless signal (sound, light, motion etc) that is deliberately presented before or during the delivery of a Primary Reinforcer.
Graduated Feathers successively shorter from center to outside (tail).
Peritonitis Inflammation of the peritoneum (tissue that lines the abdominal wall and covers most of the organs in the abdomen). Peritonitis can result from infection, injury, or certain diseases.
Gonys Lower edge of mandible.
Piscivorous Fish-eating birds.
polyandry one female mates with more than one male, while each male only mates once (1%)
Contour feathers Give birds their stream-lined shape and provide coloration
Chlamydiosis Any infection or disease caused by species of Chlamydia. See also Chlamydia Psittaci.
Semiplumes Intermediate between down and contour feathers Usually covered by contour feathers Provide thermal insulation and fill out aerodynamic contours
Surgical Sexing A way to tell the sex of one bird from the other is to do it surgically, using a method called Laparoscopy. The bird is anesthetized, and a small slit is cut into the bird's abdomen. The Laparoscope is inserted, allowing the vet to view the reproductive organs.
MBC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Maroon Bellied Conure.
Altricial The young birds hatch naked, blind, and helpless
Strigiformes Blackbirds (Icteridae)
Altricial helpless and dependent on adults, Seem to have hatched prematurely
Tertials Flight feathers attached to the upper arm (Humerus).
WFA Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for White Fronted Amazon.
broad, slotted wing soaring - hawk
Great blue heron long legs for wading
Why birds should NOT live as long as mammals Metabolic rate 2X mammals • Body temp: 3o - 4o C higher • Blood glucose 2-4X higher •High oxygen use
Oil Gland A gland that secretes an oily substance such as the Uropygial Gland in birds.
Rehabilitation Organization An organization that operates a place of refuge where abused, neglected, unwanted, impounded, abandoned, orphaned, or displaced exotic animals receive care until they can be adopted out or released back to their natural habitat.
slim, unslotted wing fast & efficient - falcon
Nictitating Membrane The 'Third Eye-lid' or translucent membrane on the nasal side of each eye between the cornea and the eyelid that is pulled obliquely across the eye for protection.
Gaviiformes Loons (Gaviidae)
Retain heat by... fluff plumage, tuck head and legs, huddle
Pectoralis Muscle that pulls wings down -Strongest muscle with Supracoracoideus -acts like a pulley system
Several primary uses of feathers Insulation, flight, communications, camouflage
Melanin The dark pigment in the bird's feathers. There are two types of Melanin (see also Eumelanin Melanin and Phaeomelanin Melanin).
Tread When a male bird copulates with a female bird.
secondary coverts Feathers protecting and covering the secondaries
Carolina Chickadee A four note whistle, "chick-a-dee-dee"
spurred wing A claw-like structure occurs at the bend of the wing (Jacana).
GSC Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Greater Sulphur Crested Cockatoo.
ostriches and rheas balance with their wings while walking or running
Ileum (AKA Ilium) Bone in the pelvis region attached to the Synsacrum.
another word for preococial nidifuge or nidifufous bird (nest fugitive)
Protoavis two characteristics of birds; hollow bones and a well-developed breastbone with a keel, and lived about 250 million years ago.
Brooding When adult birds sit on the young to keep them warm.
Order Charadriiformes Family Plovers (Charadriidae) Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) Stilts/Avocets (Recurvirostridae) Sandpipers/Phalaropes (Scolopacidae) Gulls, Terns, Skimmers, Jaegers, Skuas (Laridae) Auks [or Alcids] (Alcidae)
pigmentation Produces colors orange, yellow, black, gray, brown, and some non-iridescent greens and reds. Produced by absorption and reflection of certain wavelengths of light.
Parasite An organism that relies on another living thing for its survival but contributes nothing to the host organism.
Rachis (a.k.a. Rhachis) The feather shaft, particularly that part to which the Vexillum is attached.
What are the altruistic aspect of monogamy? Pair cooperates to rear all the young regardless of parentage - males are unable to monopolize females so much cooperate with a mate to ensure their own reprodcutive success
Cage Bound A bird that is so fixated on an unchanging environment that any change stimulates either aggression or fearfulness in a captive bird.
highly evolved internal systems allow... birds to utilize many different environments and habitats from hot arid deserts to frigid high mountains
Companion Bird A bird that lives compatibly with humans.
Down Soft and fluffy feathers Typically lack a rachis Insulate by trapping air next to the skin
barbules A barb subunit; each barb is like a small feather with a central shaft and these (instead of barbs) arising from it.
Alternative to lack's hypothesis predation hypothesis; insurance hypothesis; peak-load reduction hypothesis
toe digit attached to the feet
Rescue Organization An organization that takes abused, neglected, unwanted, impounded, abandoned, orphaned, or displaced exotic animals and attempts to find new, caring homes for them.
thrust go forward
Type III fish and most inverts
Reflective Interference This is what usually imparts the blue color of the feather. In combination with Melanin and Lutin it produces green and other shades. It is also what gives the feathers their iridescence. This coloration is produced by the same phenomenon that gives color to a film of oil on a water surface.
Coverts Smaller feathers that cover gaps in flight feathers
it helps the bird feed quickly and efficiently Why is the shape of a bird's beak important?
Hearing Characteristics -Abilities vary in birds -Passiformes (song birds) hear higher frequencies than other orders
Skinner B.F. An American psychologist who was the leading exponent of the school of psychology known as behaviorism, which explains the behavior of humans and other animals in terms of the physiological responses of the organism to external stimuli. Like other behaviorists, he rejected unobservable phenomena of the sort that other forms of psychology, particularly psychoanalysis, had studied, concerning himself only with patterns of responses to rewards and stimuli. Skinner maintained that learning occurred as a result of the organism responding to, or operating on, its environment, and coined the term operant conditioning to describe this phenomenon.
Feathers generally cover the entire body of birds However, they are not attached to the skin evenly
Positive Punishment When the trainer adds ('add'='positive') something in order to make the animal stop doing a behavior. In training jargon, it is an attempt to decrease the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future by the presentation of an aversive stimulus.
Ingluvius (a.k.a. Ingluvies) The bird's crop.
Acute Bill Bill tapers to a sharp point, as in a Warbler
Oviduct A tube through which the ova pass. There are five segments to the oviduct. These are the Infundibulum, Magnum, Isthmus, Uterus, and Vagina. The oviduct ends in the Urodeum.
nuthatch have long pointed beaks for boring into wood to find insects
Some species have traded flight for ______ and ______ Swimming, Size
HM Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Hahns Macaw.
Proximate cues for feeding young brightly colored mouths of birds; begging calls
Advantages of Feeding in Flocks Predator Avoidance, Information Transfer, Collaboration in acquiring food
Fledgling Young bird that has feathered but is still being fed by its parents.
Heterogeneous Chains Behavior Chains consisting of various different behaviors that are reinforced only when the last behavior is completed.
American Bittern Deep, pumping "oong-ka-choonk"
Sanctuary An organization that operates a place of refuge where abused, neglected, unwanted, impounded, abandoned, orphaned, or displaced exotic animals receive care for their lifetime or until they can be released back to their natural habitat.
ichnology study of fossil tracks and traces
Stereotypy The repetition of movements over and over again in a compulsive manner.
hollow bones are thin cross braces of bone inside for stregnth support
Precocial Means the young birds are active as soon as they hatch
DAP Dead after Pipping. This is when a chick dies just after breaking the shell in the hatching process.
Ramus main branch off the rachis
incubate parents keep egg warm
What are lizards? relatively long-bodied reptiles with usually two pairs of legs, external ears, and a tapering tail
Nidifugous Leaving the nest a short time after hatching. (compare to Nidicolous).
Yawning Parrots yawn both for physiological reasons and as a comfort behavior.
BFA Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Blue Front Amazon.
Breeding Cycle Time period from nest building through egg laying and raising young to the point of independence.
Gruiformes Cranes (Gruidae)
Gamosematic Individual characteristics in appearance or behavior that allow members of a pair to find one another.
Avian Polyoma Virus See Avian Polyomavirus Disease.
Body Language Facial expressions and the movement of the body and feathers to communicate a parrot's mood and/or intentions.
Anterior Thoracic Sac Two air sacs located in the thoracic region.
Carotid Arteries A pair of arteries on opposite sides of the neck that carry blood to the head and brain. This is the case for most parrot species, but not all. For example, Cockatoos only have only a left Carotid artery.
Zygodactyle (a.k.a. Heterodactyl) Any Zygodactylous bird which has the first and second toes directed backward the third and fourth forward. Most birds have four toes, three point forward and one aft. Parrots, cuckoos and woodpeckers are Zygodactyle and have two toes pointing forward and two pointing aft.
Carpus The cluster of bones in the wing between the radius and ulna and the metacarpus.
Modeling Term used in Clicker Training. The trainer shows the animal what to do or how something is done such as the trainer shaking his/her head (also see Capturing and Luring).
Dyspnea Difficulty breathing or labored breathing.
Strigiformes Tanagers (Thraupidae)
Gibbous Bill Bill has a pronounced hump, as in a Scoter
Bursa of Fabricus An organ that is similar to the spleen in humans. It produces immune cells called 'B cells' that make antibodies.
Prokinetic Maxilla A movable upper beak independent of the skull.
Sternum Breastbone
PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene. This material is used to coat non-stick pans and other items subject to high heat. It is sold under several brand names including Teflon, Hostaplon, and CuFlon. If PTFE is overheated, it releases toxic fluorine containing gases that can kill birds.
LRS Lifetime reproductive success (LRS), or Fitness, of an individual is the total number of the individual's offspring who themselves survive to reproduce. It can be seen as the extent to which an individual successfully passes on its genes to the next generation.
Stout Bill Bill both conspicuously high and wide, as in a gray partridge.
Pollex The 'thumb' on the bird's wing. It is sometimes called the 'spurious wing'. It is also sometimes called the 'first digit' since because it is thought to be a vestige of the digits of a front foot.
Full Spectrum Light A light source that emits both visible and ultraviolet wavelengths of light.
Commissure This is where the upper mandible (Maxilla) meets the lower mandible (Mandibular).
Filoplumes Hair-like sensory feathers Monitor movement and position of adjacent feathers Distributed throughout plumage but concentrated near mechanically active feathers Flight feathers may be surrounded by 8-12 filoplumes Each filoplume has a sensory corpuscle at its base Aid aerodynamic adjustments Monitor airspeed Absent in penguins, ostriches, and other ratites
Avian Botulism (a.k.a. Western Duck Sickness) One of the three most important disease problems of wild migratory birds caused by exposure to a toxin produced by the botulinum bacterium.
pollinate flowers, eat pest animals, are food for animals, provide bedding/clothing, and carry the seeds of plants to new places List 5 reasons why birds are important to life on earth?
Order Cuculiformes Family Cuckoos/Roadrunners/Anis (Cuculidae)
Carinates Have a Keeled Sternum...all flying birds have it
Uropygial gland Also referred to as the 'preen' or 'oil' gland. It is the Papilla on top of Uropygium. This gland secretes oil-like substances that the bird spreads over its feather.
palmate foot Front toes joined by large amounts of webbing that extends to the tips of toes (duck).
Raptorial Feet with long, strong toes and long, sharp, curved claws.
Turacoverdin Feather pigment that produces various shades of green.
Serrate Bill Tomia is saw-like, as in a merganser
Acuminate Feather the contour feather ends in a sharp point, as the retrices of woodpeckers.
hatching asymmetry differing sizes of chicks due to being born at different days. Schwabl found that canaries fixed this with testosterone
Torpor State of decreased physiological activity, like sleep
Sevoflurane Used to cause general anesthesia (loss of consciousness) in birds during surgery.
Addled Egg A disruption in the egg yolk vitelline membrane that allows the yolk to mix with the white.
mantle a group of feathers located on the mid-back of a bird
Preening The process by which a bird cleans, arranges, and cares for its feathers, usually by using its bill to adjust and smooth feathers.
close to the body temperature of the adult bird At what temperature will bird eggs develop?
Wick Feather a feather near the preen gland that helps brin the gland's oils to an accessible location.
Longevity: generalities • Large birds live longer than small birds • Tropical birds are assumed to live longer than temperate zone birds (limited data) • Fledgling survival is half that of adults • Males live longer than females • It is not clear what proportion of birds "die of old age"
Preservation let nature take its course
Prolapsed Cloaca The pushing or extension of the cloacal tissue out of the vent.
Molt New feathers push out old feathers
Plumaceous The downy portion at the base of some feathers.
Disadvantages of coloniality Clononies attract more predators; more competition for nest sites and materials; more competition for mates; more time spent mate guarding once pair bonds are established; more competition for food.
Terete Bill Bill has a circular cross-section, as in a hummingbird
Immunostimulants Medications used to enhance the immune response.
Herbivorous Birds that eat primarily plants.
Brood Reduction Birds sometimes do not feed all the chicks that hatch. They spend most of their efforts feeding the oldest chick(s). Younger chicks are allowed to die.
Feather coat Consists of thousands of feathers A swan has 25000 feathers Songbirds typically have 2000 to 4000 The feather coat typically weighs 2 to 3 times as much as the skeleton Plumage of the bald eagle weighs ~700 g (17% of total mass) Skeleton of bald eagle weighs 272 g (<7% of total mass)
Interrupted foraging hypothesis should be fat with higher predation because it allows you to survive less predictable feeding times. dominant birds should carry less fat because they have more predictable access to food ("bully hypothesis") and subordinate birds more fat
Cyanism A mutation resulting in a blue coloration of the plumage.
Common Pauraque Loud burry whistle, "purr-WEEE-eer"
What regulates populations of most species of birds? Density dependent factors - such as resources and predation, and density independent factors like sunshine and rainfall
Poikilothermic This refers to chicks that cannot maintain their body temperature after hatching. Generally it refers to any organism, such as a fish or reptile, having a body temperature that varies with the temperature of its surroundings.
Feather Plucking (a.k.a. Feather Picking) Removal of feathers by the parrot, usually attributed to boredom, stress or dietary deficiencies.
Order Passeriformes I Family Flycatchers (Tyrannidae) Vireos (Vireonidae) Shrikes (Laniidae) Jays/Crows (Corvidae) Larks (Alauidae) Swallows (Hirundinidae) Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) Kinglets/Thrushes (Muscicapidae) Starlings (Sturnidae) Mockingbirds/Thrashers (Mimidae) Nuthatches (Sittidae) Creepers (Certhiidae) Wrens (Troglodytidae)
tertials of, relating to, or designating the third row of flight feathers on the basal section of a bird's wing
Dimorphic A species is dimorphic when there are distinct visual characteristics between the sexes. (also see Monomorphism).
Line-breeding The practice of pairing related birds together, but not birds showing a direct relationship, e.g. hen-son, which is Inbreeding.
Membrana Testa The outer most membrane of the egg closest to the egg shell.
Toweling A safe, humane way to restrain a bird by wrapping a towel around the bird. Often used in cases of emergencies to prevent the bird from hurting itself, the veterinarian, or to prevent further injury to itself.
Cock The male bird of a species.
Ciconiiformes Ibises and Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)
why most productive clutch is not the mean clutch size • In 50% of years, mean = 10, but over 15 yrs, mean is 8.5, birds err on side of caution • Large clutches more vulnerable • Maybe maximum only attainable in great territories • Tradeoff? Better to live longer and have slightly fewer offspring?
predation hypothesis seeks to explain asynchrony as an adaptation where nest predation is heavy - speeding up the fledging process minimizes the impact of predation
Casual Attention The time spent with parrots while we participate in other activities such as reading or watching TV.
Lungs Characteristics - Smaller, but efficient - Have 9 Air Sacs, filling various spaces (surface area) - Exchange gas on exhalation - Interconnected system of Parabronchi that allows "continuous" flow of air
Budgerigar Fledgling Disease (a.k.a. Avian Polyoma Virus) Now called Avian Polyoma Virus (APV). It was first discovered in 1981 in Budgies and was called Budgerigar Fledgling disease. Avian Polyoma virus is a wide spread virus found in different degrees throughout the world.
zeitgebers time-givers, primarily influenced by photoperiod (day length) and informs onset of breeding condition, molt, and migration
Proctodeum The last part of the Cloaca just inside the vent. This is an inward fold on the surface of the embryonic ectoderm that develops into part of the anal passage. This compartment contains the avian phallus, if one is present.
Primary Reinforcer Often a reinforcer that directly affects survival; e.g. food, water, or sex. In training terms, this is anything the animal likes (without having to learn to like) and will work to earn such as food, tug-of-war, or petting.
Muscularia Complexus The 'pipping' muscle. This is a very obvious strong muscle in the back of a hatching chick's neck that aids in the opening of the egg.
Stimuli Anything that causes some kind of behavioral response.
Visser and Lessells Great Tits exp Created three experimental groups: - Females that laid, incubated and fed x + 2 - Females that were given 2 eggs (free eggs) - Females that were given 2 young (free young)
Gruiformes Jays and Crows (Corvidae)
Bird Banding Bird Banding is the process by which birds are 'banded' or braceleted by a small metal ring on their leg that has an identifying serial number unique in the world.
Red Blood Cells Larger and more numerous than in humans
Flight feathers of the wing, large & stiff remiges
Toenail Chewing A common behavior with some parrots. It may be to trim the toenails or it may be a nervous Displacement Behavior.
Coracoid - most important flight bone - takes all the force of flight in center of body
Hormones of egg production As days begin to lengthen, photoperiod induces the hypothalamus to secrete hormones;
What do eggshells do Retain fluids but porous enough to allow for respiratory gas exchange by diffusion, allow excess water vapor to escape
1 ear bone Columella in middle ear
Coccygeall Vertebrae Vertebrae located near the bottom of the birds vertebrae.
Spray millet Branch of a small-seeded grass often sold as a bird treat.
Conflict of parental care Time spent foraging for young must be balanced against time spend guarding the nest - lowers the provision rate so decreases survival of both parents and chicks
Avian Tuberculosis This is a bacterial disease that has zoonotic potential.
HYM Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Hyacinth Macaw.
gastrolith dinosaur stomach stones
Ovipary Related to eggs in which the embryo develops outside the body such as in birds.
tubular nostrils Openings of the nostrils are at ends of short elongations of the base of the upper mandible (Northern Fulmar).
Whip-poor-will Emphatic "Whip-poor-will," with the accent on the first and third syllables
Capturing Term used in Clicker Training. If you witness an animal behavior that you would like to train, you Click & Treat to capture the behavior (also see Modeling and Luring).
Successive Approximation (a.k.a. Shaping) In training this consists of taking a very small tendency in the right direction and shifting it, one small step at a time, toward an ultimate goal.
Mimetic Relating to, characteristic of, or exhibiting mimicr.
CAG Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Congo African Grey.
terete bill Circular, but not stout, because the bill is narrow (robin). There is no bulge in the direct view.
Brown Thrasher Series of not-very-pretty varied phrases, with each phrase repeated 2-3 times before shifting to a new phrase
Belly Or abdomen. That part of the undersurface of a bird's body from the breastbone to the vent or to the opening of the digestive tract.
Salmonellosis This is a bacterial disease that has zoonotic potential.
Cloaca - The opening on the rear end of a bird - disposes of waste, serves in reproduction, - passes sperm to egg during copulation
Grit Small pieces of rock, shell, or other hard substances that birds eat to help them digest other foods. Grit helps grind up coarse vegetable matter.
cartilage tough flexible material making up the skeletons of agnathans, sharks, and their relatives as well as portions of bony-animal skeletons
Gruiformes Thrushes (Turdidae)
Primaries Feathers of the outer portion of the wing Attach to hand bone Provide forward thrust Most birds have 10 Barbules- reduce slippage and separation of feathers during flight
Bridging Stimulus The Clicker in Clicker training is used to bridge the time between the behavior being reinforced and the reinforcer.
Secondaries Inner flight feathers Attach to ulna 6 in hummingbird- 40 in albatrosses Provide most of the lift
Femur Major leg bone located near the body.
Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior Shaping the absence of a behavior.
Meroblastic Embryonic Development Embryonic Development of bird eggs proceeds through stages that consume part of the original supply of nutrients of the eggs. (also see Holoblastic Development).
Red Mites A parasite, Red Mites can be found on the skin or feathers usually at night. The head and vent are usually the infested regions.
tomium The cutting edges of the bill. Have edges that may not be straight.
Vitellus The yolk of the egg.
Extinction A behavior that dies down by itself for lack of reinforcement (also see Extinction Burst).
Flight Response Instinctual automatic reaction to real or perceived threats.
Strigiformes Typical Owls (Strigidae)
Conservation implies sustainability & protection - save for future
Ascaridia Intestinal roundworms.
Heterodactyl Feet Like zygodactyl, except the inner toe is reversed. Only found in Trogons.
Overgrown Talons Talons that are too long requiring trimming.
Glottis The air passage at the back of the base of the tongue just below the food canal or esophagus.
Pelecaniformes Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
Axillary Area Ventral area between the body and the wing.
lore the area of a bird's face between the bill and the eye
Gape The open mouth of a chick seeking food.
Nocturnal Used to describe birds that are active at night.
nape the back of the neck
Where do many polygynous birds live? In marsh habitats
Too Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Cockatoo.
Omnivorous Birds that eat anything that is considered digestible or edible.
Red-throated Loon Simple wail covering a wide range of pitches, and a complex, unnerving "roll-growl"
Cleidoic Related to eggs completely enclosed in a shell.
Ornithilogy the study of the biology of birds
When does spermatogenesis take place in birds at night when body temp is lowest because heat kills sperm
American Robin String of 10 or so clear whistles assembled from a few oft-repeated syllables: "cheerily, cheer up, cheer up, cheerily, cheer up"
Barbicels Tiny fibers attached to each Barbule.
Xanthophylls Pigment Xanthophylls (originally phylloxanthins) are yellow pigments from the carotenoid group.
Scansorial Bird Adapted to or specialized for climbing.
remiges flight feathers of the wing - primaries, secondaries and tertiaries - asymmetrical
Tooth Bill Upper mandibular tomium has a "tooth" as in a falcon
Tufted Titmouse Fast-repeated, clear whistle, "peter-peter-peter-peter"
Galliformes New World Quail (Odontophoridae)
Gruiformes Waxwings (Bombycillidae)
Lesser Secondary covert The next row of coverts up from the Median Secondary Coverts that cover the secondary flight feathers.
CM Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Catalina Macaw.
Primaries (a.k.a. Primary Feathers) The 9-10 or more outermost flight feathers, attached to the 'hand'.
Obtuse Feet the nails are less curved and have rather blunt points, as in a ruffed grouse.
false True of False. Birds have teeth.
Clever Hans Any circumstance where an amazing behavior is actually consciously cued by the experimenter. Clever Hans was actually a horse in Germany at the turn of the 20th century that was thought to have amazing math skills but was actually being cued by his trainer and other observers.
Hand Raised Bird (a.k.a. Hand-Reared or Hand-Fed) The babies are taken from parents and fed by people.
Gymnorhinal Nares (nasal openings) that are exposed and not covered by feathers.
Compressed Bill Bill higher than it is wide, as in a puffin
Abundance Weaning Theory of handfeeding developed by Phoebe Greene Linden that states that baby parrots are far more secure and likely to eat on their own when they are fed often and abundantly.
Ecto-parasite External parasites such as mites, fleas, etc.
elevated hallux One that is above ground level.
perching foot No webbing; three toes forward, one back, with a tendon arrangement that increases toe grip as the knee is bent (robin).
Polyuria Excessive urination.
Ventriculus This is another name for a bird's gizzard. It is sometimes called the 'true stomach.
Auscultation Listening to body sounds with a stethoscope.
Care of feathers Feathers are dead and become brittle without care Birds apply secretions from their uropygial gland (preen gland) to maintain feathers Contains waxes, fatty acids, fat, and water
Angulated Commissure Bill The commissure forms a sharp angle at the point where the tomium proper meets the rictus, as in an Evening Grosbeak
femoral tract A narrow tract on the outer surface of each thigh, from the knee to the vent.
apteria Places where contour feathers do not occur.
Archeopteryx oldest fossils thought to be birds, and are a 150 years old
PDD See Proventricular Dilation Disease.
Brood Reduction • Adult coots practice infanticide • Hatching asynchrony: incubation begins with laying of first egg • Young compete for resources from parents, which are limited • Young often engage in Facultative siblicide, Obligate siblicide
fin in fishes, fan shaped membranes used for balance, swimming and steering
incubating sitting on eggs
Food limitation hypothesis for clutch size variation food limitation during the non-breeding period regulates population through adult mortality - days are longer in the temperate zone so temperate birds had more daily foraging time, could find enough food to feed extra chicks - works for many birds but not owls.
endotherm, vertebrate, feathers, four-chambered heart, and shelled eggs What are 5 characteristics that all birds share?
Crissum The feathers or area under the tail of a bird surrounding the Cloacal opening.
Ataxia Loss of muscle coordination or balance.
egg dumping the facultative intraspecfic form of brood parasitism
Oxygen needed to convert food to energy
Immunofluorescence Any of various methods that use antibodies chemically linked to a fluorescent dye to identify or quantify antigens in a tissue sample.
Passeriformes Shearwaters and Petrels (Procellariidae)
Attenuate Feather the contour feather is long and extremely narrow, as the outer rectrices of the Barn Swallow.
Hospital cage Relatively small, temporary, specially-equipped box to isolate and warm a sick bird.
Candidiasis A fungous infection caused by a species of Candida, especially Candida albicans, that can involve various parts of the body, such as the skin and mucous membranes. Also called Moniliasis.
Contour Feather Predominate feather type found on the body, wings, and tail of the bird.
seed-eaters usually need _______ _______ Direct source
recurved commissure Bill curves upward (dorsally) along its length (Avocet).
Podicipediformes Albatrosses (Diomedeidae)
ear tufts projections near ear region as horned owls
Order Piciformes Family Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Chlamydophila Psittaci An obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen. It is the cause of Ornithosis or Psittacosis. Formerly known as Chlamydia Psittaci.
Strigiformes Silky-flycatchers (Ptilogonatidae)
Proventriculus The first chamber of the two-part stomach
operculum soft, fleshy structure at the base of the bill in pigeons and such other birds as stalings that covers the external naris
Brood patch An area on the breast of the female bird that often becomes thickened, more vascularized, and feathers lost during the brooding period Brooder A heated chamber used to keep young chicks warm.
Pubic Symphysis The bones of the pelvic girdle that have fused to form a large single bony structure.
Preen Gland Oily gland at the base of the tail that a bird 'dips into' during preening to oil its feathers.
Zygodactyl X - woodpeckers, owls and cuckoos
Type I survivorship like humans - log
Cycle 1: Step 1 inhalation through nostrils, air drawn into posterior airsacs
wingpit ventral area between the body and the wing
structural Blue; produced by reflection of light due to shape of barbules and presence of melanin granules (e.g., Western Scrub-Jay). Some greens and reds (Anna's Hummingbird). Produced by reflected light only.
Larynx - Used for singing, NOT the voicebox - Regulates air flow into trachea (windpipe)
Alula "bastard wing", maintains airflow over wing for minimal thrust and extra lift also produces a greater angle of attack without stalling
Indigo Bunting musical series of warbling notes, each long phrase given in twos, also a high buzz, also a sharp, thin "spit"
Western Meadowlark Rich flutey repetitive whistles, also a sharp "chupp"
Gizzard small stones and grit get grinded and crush other seeds and other foods.
Dermanyssus Gallinae Red mite.
Graph of optimal flock size optimal flock size increases as predator number increases
Muscular gizzard Grinds food
YNA Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Yellow-naped Amazon.
Oviduct A long funnel shaped place where ovaries release eggs
Function of nests Protect eggs from bad weather; from predators; supply a platform to support eggs and young; satisfy deep instinctual urges; strengthen pair bond, prepares mates for laying and incubation; provides a suitable microclimate for incubation
Preen gland At base of tail, produces waxy oil that waterproofs and maintains feather flexibility. May also deter bacteria and fungi
Feces One of the three components of the bird's excreta (droppings). Often brown or green and shaped like a worm (also see Urine and Urates).
Gavage Feeding (a.k.a. Tube Feeding) Feeding by inserting a tube down the throat and into the crop.
calamus The lower part of the shaft without vanes.
ansiodactyl toe arrangement The "standard" arrangement, with he hallux behind and three toes facing forward; for perching on small branches.
D2 Abbreviation (often found on the Internet) for Ducorps Cockatoo.
Great Horned Owl Deep hooting "hoo-h'HOO--hoo-hoo"
Tetrachromic Vision Bird vision is different from mammals and humans in that they have four (tetra meaning four) visual pigments known as Opsins in the photoreceptors of the cone cells of the retina. Each Opsin detects a different wavelength of light. Most mammals have only two opsins and are referred to as Dichromic.
Pelvic Girdle The essential "pelvis" of the bird -Very fused to endure taking off/landing action
Wing Bars The lighter colored tips of the upper wing Coverts which appear as narrow bars in the folded wings.
Maxillary Rhamphotheca The horny covering of the Upper beak.
Gular Sac Bare skin on throat and base of mandible.
Tomium (plural of Tomia) Consists of the hard cutting edge, the Tomium Proper, and a softer, fleshy part behind the angle of the mouth called the Rictus.
Pellets Dry bird food formulas that are bound by compression under moderate temperature.