Ami Flowers
Luis Candelario
2014
International Issues in Conservation

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Approximately 9600 bird species in the world
Believed to have reptilian origin (150 mya)
Jurassic period
 Archaeopteryx lithographica
 “Ancient wing inscribed in stone”
Largest– Ostrich at 317lbs
Smallest – Scintillant
Hummingbird at 2.25 g

6-9 ft
6.5 cm

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FEATHERS!
Skeletal System
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Bones hollow or thin
Bones fused
Skin Glands (lack of)
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Uropygial gland at base of tail
Waterproof feathers
Excretory System
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Lack urinary bladder
Uric acid – highly concentrated
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Reproductive System
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One working ovary (left)
Gonads enlarge during breeding season
Oviparous
Digestive System
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Eat high calorie foods
Quick digestion (1 hr)
Nervous System
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Well-developed brain
Excellent eye sight
 Anosmic – reduced or no sense of smell

 Contour Feather
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Form outline of the body
Remiges – flight feathers
 Retrices – tail feathers
 Semiplumes
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Plumaceous – loose-vaned
Lack hamuli (hooks)
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Under contour feathers
Aid in insulation and buoyancy
 Filoplumes
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Hair-like
Small vane at tip or no vane
Aid in sensing

 Down
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Soft feathers lacking vanes
Short rachus
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Beneath contour feathers
Aid in insulation
 Bristles
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Vaneless
Found around eyes, mouth, nostrils
For sensory and air filtration

 Anisodactyl
 Hallux is behind and the other three toes are in front
 Passerines
 Syndactyl
 Third and fourth toes fused
 Kingfishers
 Zygodactyl
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Toes arranged in pairs
Two up front, two in the back
Woodpeckers
 Pamprodactyl
 All four toes are forward
 Hummingbirds and Swifts

 Palmate
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Front three toes are webbed
Ducks and gulls
 Totipalmate
 All four toes are webbed
 Comorants
 Semipalmate
 Anterior of toes halfwebbed
 Plovers
 Lobate
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Toes are lobed
Grebes

 Songs
 Local vocal displays with specific repeated patterns
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Species specific
Mainly by males
Functions to identify:
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Species
Sex
Territory
Vigor (mating)
 Calls
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Short, simple vocalizations
Often a single note
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Intra/interspecific
Both males and females
Variety of functions:
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Warning
Feeding
Nest
Flocking

In Botswana and South Africa

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Order Pelicaniformes
Family Ardeidae
 Grey Heron
 Family Ciconiidae
 Saddle-billed Stork

 Family Threskiornithidae
 Hadeda Ibis
 Family Scopidae
 Hammerkop

 Family Charadriidae
 Blacksmith Lapwing
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White-crowned Lapwing
Three-banded Plover

 Order Anseriformes
 Family Anatidae
 Egyptian Geese
 Order Apodiformes
 Family Apodidae
 African Palm-swift

 Family Accipitridae
 Bateleur
 African Fish Eagle

 Family Accipitridae
 Martial Eagle
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Tawny Eagle
Verreaux’s Eagle

 Family Accipitridae
 Lappett-faced Vulture
 White-backed Vulture

 Family Accipitridae
 White-headed Vulture  Cape Vulture

Lappet-faced Vulture
White-backed Vulture
White-headed
Vulture
Cape Vulture

 Family Strigidae
 Verreaux’s Eagle-owl
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Spotted Eagle-owl
Pel’s Fishing Owl
Pearl Spotted Owlet

 Family Phasianidae
 Crested Francolin
 Swainson’s Spurfowl
 Natal Francolin

 Family Numididae
 Helmeted Guineafowl  Crested Guineafowl

 Order Caprimulgiformes
 Family Caprimulgidae
 Fiery-necked Nightjar
 Order Pteroclidiformes
 Family Pteroclidae
 Double-breasted Sandgrouse

 Family Columbidae
 African Green Pigeon  Namaqua Dove
 Emerald-spotted
Wood-Dove

 Family Columbidae
 Cape Turtle Dove  Laughing Dove
 Red-eyed Dove

 Family Psittacidae
 Brown-headed Parrot
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Grey-headed Parrot
Meyer’s Parrot

 Family Musophagidae
 Grey Go-away-bird

 Family Coliidae
 Speckled Mousebird
 Red-faced Mousebird

 Family Alcedinidae
 Giant Kingfisher
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Pied Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher

 Family Meropidae
 White-fronted Bee-eater
 Little Bee-eater

 Family Coraciidae
 Lilac-breasted Roller  Racket-tailed Roller

 Family Upupidae
 African Hoopoe
 Family Phoeniculidae
 Green Wood-hoopoe

 Family Bucerotidae
 Red-billed Hornbill
 Southern Yellow-billed
Hornbill

 Family Picidae
 Golden-tailed Woodpecker
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Cardinal Woodpecker
Bearded Woodpecker

 Family Lybidaee
 Black-collared Barbet  Crested Barbet

 Family Buphagidae
 Yellow-billed Oxpecker  Red-billed Oxpecker

 Family Cisticolidae
 Rattling Cisticola
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Red-faced Cisticola
Grey-backed
Camaroptera
Yellow-breasted Apalis
Tawny-flanked Prinia

 Family Dicruridae
 Fork-tailed Drongo
 Family Muscicapidae
 Southern Black
Flycatcher

 Family Emberizidae
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Cinnamon-breasted
Bunting
Golden-breasted
Bunting
 Family Fringillidae
 Lemon-breasted Canary
 Yellow-fronted Canary

 Family Estrilididae
 Blue Waxbill
 Green-winged Pytilia
 Family Sylviide
 Burnt-necked Eremomela
 Green-capped Eremomela

 Family Malaconotidae
 Tropical BouBou
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Brubru
Black-backed Puffback
Orange-breasted Bushshrike

 Family Motacillidae
 African Pied Wagtail
 Family Platysteirnidae
 Chinspot Batis

 Family Muscicapidae
 African Stone Chat
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Bearded Scrub-robin
White-browed Scrub-robin
White-throated Robin-chat
White-browed Robin-chat

 Family Turdidae
 Kurrichane Thrush
 Family Nectariniidae
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White-bellied Sunbird
Marico Sunbird

 Family Oriolidae
 Black-headed Oriole
 Family Pyconotidae
 Dark-capped Bulbul

 Family Ploceidae
 Red-billed Quelea
 Red-billed Buffalo Weaver
 Family Prionopidae
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White-crested Helmet Shrike
Southern White-crowned Shrike

 Family Timaliidae
 Arrow-marked Babbler
 Family Sturnidae
 Meve’s Starling