Ornithology Unit Page 1

Name________________________ #_____

Welcome to the wonderful world of BIRDS!

You will learn about:
-Phylogenies, vertebrates, similarities between birds and mammals, similarities between
birds and reptiles, uniquely avian features, feather features, topography of birds,
functions of bird features, ecosystems of birds, and FINALLY- you will be able to
distinguish 88 species of Michigan resident birds

Ornithology Unit Page 2

Name________________________ #_____

Phylogenies

This is a ____________________________________. The branches represent

________________________. The meeting points are called ______________ and they are
____________________________________. The ends of each path lead to a specific
___________________.
What are different ways that scientists organize these trees?

Problems with morphology:

Convergent evolutionVestigial traitsDivergent evolutionSpeciationGenetic Fun Facts:
Humans are. ____% genetically identical to chimpanzees
____% to fruit flys
____% to zebra
____% to dogs
fish
____% to cows
____% to platypus
____% to chickens
____% to yeast
____% to worms
____% to bees

____% to mice
____% to grapes
____% to bananas

Ornithology Unit Page 3

Name________________________ #_____

Humans can be up to ____% different from one another

STOP GROUP WORK TIME:
Create your own phylogenetic tree using these images. Label the nodes of the tree to
show what characteristic you have used to decipher between them.

My Phylogenic Tree:

Ornithology Unit Page 4

Name________________________ #_____

Kingdom: ____________________ What is another example

of a kingdom?_____________________
Phylum: _____________________ What are the other Phyla?
_________________________________
Subphyla:_______________________ What are the 4 main
features of this division that separates them from
Nonvertebrates?
__________________________________________________________________________
Class: ________
What are the other classes in this subphyla?

Compare Aves to Reptilia

Mammalia

Uniquely Ave Features:

Compare Aves to

Ornithology Unit Page 5

Name________________________ #_____

FEATHERS:
Functions of Feathers:

Anatomy of a feather

Type
Down Feathers-

Bristle-

Filoplume-

Semiplume-

Contour-

Flight-

Characteristics

Function

Sketch

Ornithology Unit Page 6

Name________________________ #_____

PlumaceousPennaceousRetricesRemigesCoverts-

Evolution of Feathers
Thought to have evolved from _________________ ____________
The process:

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Why Fly?

Ornithology Unit Page 7

Name________________________ #_____

PigmentationTrue pigmentationMelaninsCarotenoidsPorphyrinsStructural pigmentationIridescenceExample 1:

Example 2:
Cryptic colorationshowing
Example 1:

Draw a picture of a bird

cryptic coloration

Example 2:
Example 3:
Example 4:

Disruptive Patterning

Coloration mimicry

Ornithology Unit Page 8

Name________________________ #_____

Topography of Birds
Beaks:

Blue Winged Warbler

House Sparrow

Sandpiper

Type:

Type:

Type:

Function:

Function:

Function:

Bald Eagle
Avocet
Type:

Glossy Ibis
Type:

Eurasian
Type:

Ornithology Unit Page 9

Function:

Function:

Name________________________ #_____
Function:

Body Type:

Cuckoo

Narrow Billed Tody

Type:

Type:

Killdeer
Type:

Trumpeter Swan
Type:

Sizes- Yardstick Birds

Heron
Type:

Ornithology Unit Page 10

Hummingbird ____ inches

American Robin ____ in

Name________________________ #_____

House Sparrow ____ inches

American Crow ____ in

European Starling ____ in

Red-Tailed Hawk ____ in

Ornithology Unit Page 11

Name________________________ #_____

Label Me!
a
b
c
j
k
d
e

l
m

n
g

o
p
q

h
i

a.

f.

k.

p.

b.

g.

l.

q.

c.

h.

m.

d.

i.

n.

e.

j.

o.

Ornithology Unit Page 12

Name________________________ #_____

1.

7.

2.

5.

8.

3.

6.

9.

Rectrices numbered ________________ to

_______________, usually ____ total.
Primaries numbered ________________ to
_________________, usually ______ total.
Secondaries numbered ______________ to
_________________, number __________.

____________________________ (Ex: Albatross)

_____________________________ (Ex: Eagle)

(a)

toe #1 (hallux) back

______________________________ (Ex: Pheasant)

_______________________________ (Ex: Swallow)

(b)
#1 & 4 back

_______________________________ (Ex: Hummingbird)

(c)

- #1 & 2 back

(d)

- #2 & 3 partly fuse

(e)

all front

TAILS

Barn Swallow
Pigeon

Tree Swallow

American Grackle

Mourning Dove

American Robin