Bird Basics

BIRDS

Taxonomy and Characteristics

Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ChordataClass – AvesOrder ~ 45Family ~ 235 Genus ~ 2,340Species ~ 10,000

– 489 in Washington state

Great blue heron

Crested screamers

Bird Taxonomy

• Approx. 10,000 species (currently existing)

• Class Aves (includes several extinct lineages, including Archaeopteryx; modern birds – subclass Neornithes – are the only existing members of this class)

• Orders (45) are divided into two major superorders (Paleognaths and Neognaths)

• Bird taxonomy is highly contentious – ongoing disagreement about classification of orders and relationships among orders

Bird Taxonomy

KingdomPhylumClass Subclass SuperorderOrder SuperfamilyFamilyGenus Species

Barred owl

• Paleognaths – 5 orders: ratites (flightless birds) and tinamous (South American)

• Neognaths – 40 orders:– Passerines (perching birds or songbirds) =

one order with 60% of all bird species– Non-passerines include many different groups

of orders: • Waterfowl/gamebirds• Seabirds• Shorebirds• Birds of prey, falcons, owls, vultures• Flamingos• Doves and pigeons• Hummingbirds• Hornbills• Woodpeckers• et cetera!

Eastern rosella

Turkey vulture

Black-capped chickadee

Bird Taxonomy

150-200 million years ago (mya): Birds arose from reptilian (dinosaur) ancestors Bird feathers and scales similar to reptile scales Similarities in reptile and bird bone structure

(middle ear bone, jaw, ankle), circulatory systems, urogenital and reproductive systems: different from mammals

Bird eggs similar to reptile eggs Archaeopteryx (discovered in 1861): intermediate

between reptiles and birds– Bird-like pelvis, legs, feathers, furcula (wishbone), 4

toes (3 digits forward,1 back)– Reptile-like tail, small teeth, abdominal ribs,

short and stout wing and leg bones, sternum with no keel (where flight muscles attach)

Evolutionary History

Archaeopteryx fossil

65-150 mya: Greatest diversity of dinosaurs, angiosperms (flowering plants) appeared– food supply/coevolution for birds

65 mya: Mass extinction of most dinosaurs and toothed birds

37-65 mya: Great radiation and evolution of birds1.5 mya: climatic instability

– bird species declined from 21,000 to 10,000

1500s to present day: 133 - 151 species extinct – primarily due to habitat destruction and over-hunting

Future: 12% of all bird species (1,227 of 9,865 species) threatened with extinction according to IUCN (2009)

Evolutionary History

Bird Characteristics

• Feathers

• Endothermic

• Eggs with hard shell

• Lack of teeth, bony beak

• Pneumatic bones

• Excellent vision and hearing, poor sense of smell

Adaptations for Flight

• Low body weight

• Streamlined form

• Wing shape provides lift

• Specialized respiration and circulation

• Efficient metabolism

• Furcula and keeled sternum

• High body temperature

• Rapid digestion, constant elimination of waste

• Major development of brain

• Modified reptilian scales• More effective for flight

than patagium • Conserve body heat• Help “waterproof” birds• Aid in courtship or

camouflage displays

Humboldt penguins

Snowy owls

Importance of Feathers

Bald eagleMalayan great argus pheasant

Importance of Feathers

Two Main Types of Feathers

1. Vane or blade2. Rachis 3. Barb 4. Afterfeather or aftershaft5. Calamus (hollow shaft)

Contour feather

Down feather

Great horned owl feathers

BIRDS

Behavior and Reproduction

Peacock pheasant

Breeding

Songs and Calls

American robins

King penguins

Colonies

Mating Systems

•Monogamy—over 90 percent of birds•Polygamy

–Polygyny (one male, many females) –Polyandry (one female, many males)

CassowaryWinter wrensEgyptian geese

Northern flicker

Chilean flamingo

Masked weaver bird

Nests

• Eggs range in size:–0.25 inch long (hummingbirds) to

6 inches long (ostriches)• Female lays eggs in a clutch

–Size varies from one to 20 eggs–Varies by latitude, egg size, nest

characteristics, food availability, etc.

Ostrich egg

Robin eggs

5 inches Humboldt penguin egg

Reproduction

Parental Care

• Altricial: hatchlings blind, naked and helpless, must be fed by their parents

– Most species, including common songbirds

• Precocial: hatchlings born eyes open, covered in down, able to walk or swim and feed on own shortly after hatching

– Ducks and chickens have precocial chicks

• Precocial and altricial chicks grow rapidly, reach adult size within one year

Hummingbird family

Ducklings

Chilean flamingo stages of development

Feeding Adaptations

• Birds lack teeth• Jaws covered by a horny beak usually

adapted to the bird's diet: – long, slender beaks for probing for

insects– flat or paddle-shaped beaks for

sieving food out of the water– heavy beaks for cracking and

crushing seeds – sharp, hooked beaks for tearing

flesh

• Insectivores: – birds that mainly eat insects or spiders

• Granivores: – birds that mainly eat seeds

• Nectarivores: – birds that mainly eat nectar from flowers

• Piscivores: – birds that mainly eat fish

• Frugivores: – birds that mainly eat fruit

• Carnivores: – birds that mainly catch and eat other animals

• Scavengers: – birds that mainly eat dead animals

Feeding Diversity

Habitats

Emperor penguins (NSF) Western bluebird

Hornbill

Ostriches

Migration

Arctic tern (USFWS) Rufous hummingbirdWestern tanager

•Regular, seasonal movements from one place to another and back –Vary from short distance to 1000s of miles

•Purpose: take advantage of best conditions to meet basic needs

BIRDS

Conservation

Threats to Birds

Surf scoter covered in oil

Oil palm plantation in Borneo Brown tree snake

Hyacinth macaw

What can YOU do?

• Get to know birds and appreciate them– Join a local naturalist

club, birding group– Participate in a citizen

science project

• Write letters of concern to government officials

• Educate others!

Create habitat for birds in your backyard, schoolyard or community garden

– Provide for basic needs of birds: food, water, shelter and places to raise young

– Remove invasive plants

– Plant native species

– Avoid pesticides

– Keep cats indoors!

What can YOU do?

Purchase shade-grown coffee• Grown under intact tree canopy• Provides habitat for residential

and migratory species• Reduces need for fertilizers and

pesticides• Grounds for Change fundraiser

What can YOU do?

“Shade” coffee plantation“Sun” coffee plantation

What can YOU do?

Cranes of Asia: Muraviovka Park

Raptor Ecology of the

Shrub Steppe

Support local and global conservation efforts

What can YOU do?

Support local and global conservation efforts

Hornbill Research Foundation:

adopt a hornbill nest!

Photo creditsAll WPZ photos property of Woodland Park Zoo except those noted

below. All rights reserved.

All other photos used with permission. All rights reserved.•Taken from public domain (wikipedia.org): feather illustration, bird skeleton, contour and down feathers, king penguin colony, winter wren with hatchlings, flicker in nest, flamingo on nest, ostrich egg, robin nest, hummingbirds on nest, ducklings, flamingo in water, illustration of bird beaks, western bluebird leaving nestbox, rufous hummingbird, western tanager, Archaeopteryx, hyacinth macaw, brown tree snake, oil-coated surf scoter

•National Science Foundation, U.S. Antarctic Program Photo Library: emperor penguins

•US Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Image Library (Tim Bowman): Arctic tern

•Hutan Asian Elephant Conservation: palm oil plantation•Seattle Audubon: sun and shade-coffee plantations•Hornbill Research Foundation hornbill being measured (Eric Kowalczyk), hornbill on nest

Woodland Park Zoo 2013

www.zoo.org