REN R205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Frontal Shield, Pigment, Nictitating Membrane

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Renewable Resources
• Course: REN R205
• Professor: John Acorn

Document Summary

Bird structure and adaptations: animals are ecologically and economically significant, aesthetically pleasing, and scientifically fascinating. So what do you look at to identify a bird: bill, eyes, bare parts, legs, feathers. Flight feathers (large wing and tail feathers) Contour feathers (visible feathers on the rest of a grown bird) Downy feathers (on baby birds, or next to skin on adults) Plumes (some birds have this, can be situated on various parts of the bird) Bird anatomy (*) only found on some birds. Wing coverts: overlap like shingles, get bigger near the primary. Wing bar* colour difference in wing coverts. Alula (thumb), can still move with thumbbone. Wings of birds are homologous! flanks: where legs attach. Mantle: feathers on middle of the back. Vent: reproductive and digestive system open up through same hole. Lateral stripe can be called malar strip (confusing) Culmen: curve along midline of upper mandible. Nictitating membrane: 3rd eyelid, to clean and protect eyes (ex, pelicans)