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 Competition
This event is geared towards the study of birds. For this event you will most likely need to know how to identify birds and also their calls.

The ornithology competition includes identifying species and answering questions about birds. The competition may be set up as stations, or as a powerpoint.

Each team may bring a field guide, one page of notes, and the Official Bird List.

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America

 * includes all of the birds on the Official Bird List.
 * is easy to use.
 * has paintings of the birds, which allows you to see many birds from the same angle.

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

Basically, all birds...
 * have wings
 * are bipedal
 * are warm blooded
 * are vertebrates
 * have feathers
 * have a bill or beak

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 species that has feathers. 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
Most Birds of Prey are called raptors.The word raptor comes from the Latin word "rapere" which means to take or sieze by force. A bird is defined as a raptor if: The Following families are the major raptors
 * 1) Hunts
 * 2) Has keen senses
 * 3) large Talons/Beak
 * 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

New World Vultures

 * carrion eaters
 * common near dumps
 * no feathers on head

Falcons

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

Loons
Common Loon Call

Herons
American Bittern Green Heron

Hawks/Eagles
Bald Eagle Call

Red Tailed Hawk Call

Falcons
American Kestrel

Rallidae
Clapper Rail

Virginia Rail

Charadriidae
Killdeer

Scolopacidae
Willet

Greater Yellowlegs

Laridae
Least Tern

Columbidae
Mourning Dove

Cuculidae
Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Caprimulgidae
Whip-poor-will

Apodidae
[White-throated Swift]

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