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.

Introduction to Ornithology

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.

This diagram shows the major features of a bird's external anatomy.

This diagram shows the major features of a bird's head.

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.

The major parts of a typical contour feather.

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.

The barbs on a typical contour feather.

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:

1. Hunts
2. Has keen senses
3. large Talons/Beak

The Following families are the major raptors

1. Accipitridae:Hawks,Ospreys,Eagles,Harriers,Kites
2. Cathartidae:New World Vultures
3. Falconidae:Falcons
4. Strigidae:Owls
5. Tyonidae:Barn Owls

Accipitridae

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

Carhtartidae

New World Vultures

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

Falconidae

Falcons

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

Bird Calls

Note: This chart only includes the calls of the birds that are indicated on the National Bird List.

Order	Family	Species	Common Name	Link!
Anseriformes	Anatidae	Cygnus buccinators	Trumpeter Swan
Anseriformes	Anatidae	Anas platyrhynchos	Mallard
Galliformes	Phasianidae	Bonasa umbellus	Ruffed Grouse
Galliformes	Phasianidae	Tympanuchus cupido	Greater Prairie-Chicken
Galliformes	Odontophoridae	Colinus virginianus	Northern Bobwhite

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]

Glossary

A glossary of terms related to ornithology.

Word	Definition
Bird Topography	The external anatomy of birds; anatomical features that can be observed on the outside of a bird's body.
Contour feather	Any of the outermost feathers of a bird, forming the visible body contour and plumage.
External Anatomy	See Bird Topography
Feather (n)	Any of the light horny epidermal outgrowths that form the external covering of the body of birds and that consist of a shaft bearing on each side a series of barbs which bear barbules which in turn bear barbicels commonly ending in hooked hamuli and interlocking with the barbules of an adjacent barb to link the barbs into a continuous vane.
Feather (v)	To grow feathers.
Horns	Paired contour feathers arising from head.
Lower Mandible	The lower part of the bill.
Upper Mandible	The upper part of the bill.

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