Pop Vulture
Stranger Wings
Bird Brained
Winged Wanderers
100
Many times, Bald Eagles on tv are actually dubbed over by a different, “fiercer-sounding” bird species. Which bird serves as the voice of Bald Eagles in many media?
What is the Red-tailed Hawk?
100
The avian digestive system includes a unique enlargement of the esophagus that stores food. What is this structure called?
What is the crop?
100
Birds can tolerate altitude changes during migration thanks to this physiological adjustment of their blood, which increases oxygen-carrying capacity.
What is increased hemoglobin concentration?
100
The primary fuel for migration.
What is Fat?
200
In the world of Harry Potter, familiars are animals and magical beasts that are not just pets to wizards. They can act as messengers and helpers. Who and what is Harry's familiar?
Who is Hedwig the Snowy Owl?
200
Provides strength to birds without added weight similar to the struts that support wings of airplanes.
What are pneumatic bones?
200
Many big-billed birds tuck their bills under their wings when sleeping. What function does this serve?
What is "prevents heat loss"?
Bill are unfeathered and this keeps them warm (more heat loss because of surface to volume ratio).
200
Name one reason why many small songbirds migrate at night.
Fewer predators, calmer air currents, cooler temps prevent overheating, and navigating by the stars is possible.
300
A 2017 internet phenomenon poking fun at conspiracy theorists asserted that “Birds aren’t real”, and that the flying creatures we see outside are actually...
What is "government spy drones"?
(Started in AR!)
300
An owl can fly almost silently due to this adaptation of their wing feathers...
What are fringed edges?
300
Small birds living in cold climates need a lot of energy to keep flying and avoid hypothermia. Approximately how many large pizzas would a 100-pound human need to eat every day if they had a metabolism like a kinglet’s in the winter?
What is 20-25?
300
Many migratory species paths follow this shape
Elliptical
400
The Pokémon "Doduo" is modeled after a flightless, and nearly wingless bird. This type of bird can only be found in New Zealand.
What is the Kiwi?
400
These small, comb-like structures along the inside of a dabbling duck's bill act like sieves.
What are Lamellae?
400
Many caterpillars defend themselves from birds with coats of irritating, hairlike bristles, but cuckoos specialize in eating hairy caterpillars. How do these birds deal with the bristles?
What is "they shed their stomach lining after swallowing many bristles"?
400
There’s a strong north wind predicted for tonight. How should a spring migrant respond and why
Hunker down and wait for more favorable conditions because they’d be flying against the a strong north wind (blowing south)
500
The name of the ancient Roman practice of divining the future from the behavior of birds.
What is Augury?
(auspex or auspicium also accepted)
500
This bird is the only known case of an avian digestive system with active foregut fermentation. This means it exclusively eats plants, and it has digestion similar to that of a cow.
What is the Hoatzin?
500
What photoreceptors (light detecting) help birds with migration?
What are cryptochromes?
500
Name 2 of the 3 migratory owls that occur in Arkansas.
Long-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Short-eared Owl