Ornithology

Ornithology is a science that concerns the study of birds. The competition includes both identification of birds and questions about bird characteristics (anatomy, diet, range, etc). There are 185 species on the Official Bird List for 2010, which are separated into 19 orders. Any of the species on the Official Bird List may be tested on during the competition.

Overview of the Event
This event is geared towards the study of birds. For the event, you need to know how to identify birds. In addition, there will be questions relating to any of the birds on the Official Bird List. You could be asked to identify any birds marked with a musical note on the Official Bird List by call.

The event should be run either with stations, or as a powerpoint. Stations (or powerpoint slides) can include:


 * Live/preserved specimens
 * Skeletal material
 * Recordings of songs
 * Slides or pictures of specimens

Each team may bring one published field guide (two for nationals) which may be tabbed, written in, or drawn in, one double sided sheet of paper with notes in any form, and the two page Official Bird List.

Identification questions can be to any level indicated on the Official Bird List.

Questions about the birds may be about any of the following topics:


 * Life History
 * Distribution
 * Anatomy and physiology
 * Reproduction
 * Habitat characteristics
 * Ecology
 * Behavior
 * Habitat
 * Symbiotic relationships
 * Trophic level
 * Adaptive anatomy
 * Bill size and shape
 * Migration
 * Distribution
 * Occurrence (common, rare, endangered, etc.)
 * Diet
 * Behavior
 * Conservation
 * Biogeography

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America

 * It includes all species that are on the national birds list.
 * It provides full color painted pictures of all birds which can be more useful than pictures for assistance in identification due to the more archetypal quality of the presentation.
 * It provides several painted representations of many species, usually of the different color patterns or body types seen in males, females, juveniles, and different plumages throughout the year.
 * Information on each species is relatively sparse.
 * Very complete range maps are in the back.

The Sibley Guide to Birds

 * It includes most if not all species that are on the national birds list.
 * It provides full color painted pictures of all birds which can be more useful than pictures for assistance in identification due to the more archetypal quality of the presentation.
 * It provides several painted representations of many species, usually of the different color patterns or body types seen in males, females, juveniles, and different plumages throughout the year.
 * Information on each species is relatively sparse.
 * Large margins are suitable for notation.
 * Most editions are less cumbersome than the Sibley.

Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America

 * It includes most species on the national birds list.
 * Every bird has one or more color photographs on it's own respective page.
 * Information in the book is much more complete than either the Sibley or Peterson.
 * Relatively little blank space is available for notation.
 * Less cumbersome than the Sibley or larger editions of the Peterson.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

 * It includes most if not all species on the national birds list.
 * It provides several painted representations of many species, usually of the different color patterns or body types seen in males, females, juveniles, and different plumages throughout the year.
 * Information in the book is more complete than either the Sibley or Peterson.
 * There is more space in the margins than in the Smithsonian, but less than in the Sibley or Peterson.
 * Less cumbersome than the Sibley or larger editions of the Peterson.
 * It features a "Quick-Find Index".

Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America

 * It includes most species on the national birds list.
 * Every bird has one or more color photographs on it's respective page.
 * Information in the book is much more complete than either the Sibley or Peterson.
 * Relatively little blank space is available for notation.
 * It has fewer pages than other mentioned books.
 * The guide is organized by bird family groupings rather than strict taxonomic classification; this is a feature that will appeal especially to beginners.
 * Color-coded tabs identify each grouping of birds (waders, warblers, sparrows, etc.) for quick thumb indexing.
 * Less cumbersome than the Sibley or larger editions of the Peterson.

Some Other Guides

 * The guides above (with the exception of the Kaufman) come in eastern and western editions as well as the more complete editions mentioned above. These may be useful when paired together at the national tournament.
 * The Audubon produces turtleback field guides for eastern and western birds with picture plates and a medium amount of information on each bird.
 * There are several easy to use but light on information and identification "pocket-guides" such as the Golden guide series.
 * National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America
 * Birds of North America, Revised and Updated: A Guide To Field Identification, is the Golden guides more complete field guide.

Tips on choosing a field guide

 * Different people have different needs, and a field guide that one person likes a lot may not work out for a different person.
 * When choosing your field guide, you must find a balance between identification and information.
 * A guide that is good for identification may have many detailed drawings of each bird, such as the Sibley guide.
 * A guide that is good for information may have a paragraph or two relating to habitat, reproduction, etc. but only one or two photographs or drawings of the bird, such as the National Geographic guide.
 * In addition, the layout and size of the field guide must be taken into account. Guides that do not have most of the birds on the National List can be a big hindrance.
 * It is a good idea to obtain two contrasting guides and compare them to see which one is easier to use.
 * Remember, you can tab your field guide (to facilitate navigation) and write in it (to add information). If you plan on writing in your guide, you should get a guide with lots of extra space on the pages.
 * At nationals, you are allowed to use two field guides.

What is a bird?
''A bird is defined as any of class of warm-blooded vertebrates distinguished by having the body more or less completely covered with feathers and forelimbs modified as wings. They are scientifically classified in class aves.''

All birds are warm blooded vertebrates with a bill or beak and some form of feathers over much if not all of the body. Most birds are bipedal with wings, though in some species the wings have become vestigial and can no longer be used for flight.

Birds are found all over the earth, and on every continent.

Bird Topography
Topography refers to the external anatomy of a bird. The diagrams below show the basic parts of a bird.



Feathers
Birds are the only major class of modern animals that are heavily feathered. Feathers are made of beta-keratin, which also makes up the scales on bird's legs.

Contour feather - Any of the outermost feathers of a bird, forming the visible body contour and plumage. A contour feather consists of a middle shaft and a vane on both sides of the shaft. The calamus, or quill, is the base of the shaft, while the rachis supports the vanes.

Birds of Prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as any bird that hunts other animals. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh. In most cases, the females are considerably larger than the males.

The term "raptor" is derived from the Latin word "rapere" (meaning to seize or take by force) and may refer informally to all birds of prey, or specifically to the diurnal group.

The Following families are the major birds of prey:
 * 1) Accipitridae:Hawks,Ospreys,Eagles,Harriers,Kites
 * 2) Cathartidae:New World Vultures
 * 3) Falconidae:Falcons
 * 4) Strigidae:Owls
 * 5) Tyonidae:Barn Owls

Eagles
Bald Eagle Call
 * Large Birds with long broad wings
 * Large nest on cliffs/trees
 * Hunt for small mammals in open areas uses a flat wing soar that distinguises it from turkey vultures

Hawks
Red Tailed Hawk Call
 * medium birds of pray
 * normally hunts from a concealed perch
 * Agile long tail feathers allow for steering in tight places
 * prey on small mammals and songbirds

Ospreys

 * single raptor found worldwide
 * Eat mainly Fish
 * nest near water

Falcons

 * small to medium with long pointed wings
 * powerful hunters
 * Swift flyers
 * Take over other birds nests

New World Vultures

 * Carrion eaters
 * Common near dumps
 * No feathers on head

Loons
Common Loon Call

Herons
American Bittern

Hawks/Eagles
Bald Eagle Call

Red Tailed Hawk Call

Charadriidae
Killdeer

Columbidae
Mourning Dove

Cuculidae
Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Caprimulgidae
Whip-poor-will

Links
2010 National Bird List

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter

Bird external anatomy -- good examples of bill characteristics

The Wikipedia article on birds

Audubon links -- scroll down to the ornithology section