Bird Readings
Name 3 uses for birds
food-eggs and meat
pets
feathers for pillows, coats
....
List the two types of feathers you observed in the lab and what they are used for.
Down-warmth
Contour-flight
Why are eggs not spheres?
Scientists don't actually know, but think it may:
-make it easier for the female to lay them
-help them not roll away
Name 3 characteristics of birds
Feathers
Beaks without teeth
Hard-shelled eggs
High metabolic rate
Name three ways the ostrich anatomy is special
2 strong long legs
Eyes that are bigger than its brain
short wings, long neck
Extensive feathers for "eyelashes"
What is preening and why do birds do it?
Taking oil from gland near their rear and spreading it on rest of body
Helps make feathers waterproof and last longer
What does plumage mean?
All the feathers
What are some of the things the crows did in the video that makes us know they are smart?
(List 3 things)
Wait for traffic/light
Bend wire to get food
Use vending machine and figure it out
What does ornithology mean?
The study of birds, or knowledge of birds
Name 3 of the different beak types. (from the beak homework)
Seed cracking
Nectar eating
Drilling
Flesh-tearing
Straining
Spearing
Name two functions of the bird tail
Steering and landing
Courtship in some too
Why do parrots and peacocks have such colorful feathers? (Like what is the science-reason?)
Nanostructures-tiny particles that can't be seen with the naked eye
What makes vultures important to ecosystems?
They can digest bones/help break down items that would otherwise take a long time to decompose
What is the bird beak made of?
Keratin
Which type of feet are flamingoes' feet classified as? (from the bird beak/feet homework)
Wading
Name 4 specific adaptations birds have that allow them to fly
Aerodynamic shaped bodies
Almost hollow bones
Strong chest muscles, large sternum
Air sacs in lungs=more oxygen
and more!
Name 3 items of birds that we looked at under the microscope
Embryo
Feathers
Ovaries
Testes
Why can't we just use dinosaur DNA to make a dinosaur?
It breaks down after 1.5 million years and it's been longer than that.
Most birds are monogamous. What does this mean?
Pair up with just ONE Other mate-for at least the full mating season, sometimes life
What is a pygostyle?
An elongated tailbone seen in birds that helps support their tail feathers
What is the actual reason that woodpeckers don't have brain damage from pecking?
Brain is just that small
On the bird reading lab, we read about a penguin that is yellow (rather than black).
1. Why is it yellow?
2. Assuming this is a helpful adaptation, what would it help it with?
Mutation
and ....
How does the club winged manakin make the wing sounds? Be specific
Uses 5th feather like a pic on the 6th and 7th large club feathers
What is brood parasitism?
Forcing another bird to raise your eggs/young
Name 4 items found in the digestive system of birds that are NOT found in humans
Crop, gizzard, proventiculus, and cloaca