BIO 554/754
Ornithology
Lab 1 - External Morphology & Topography of Birds

Be able to identify the following:
 

THE HEAD
 forehead 
 crown 
 occiput 
 nape
 superciliary line (or supercilium)
 cere 
 external nares 
 eye-ring 
 lore
 iris
 nictitating membrane
 auricular region 
   auriculars (ear coverts)
 external acoustic meatus
 malar region (or mustache feathers)
 chin
 throat
 
 

THE BILL  (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beak for details)
 upper mandible 
 lower mandible 
 tomia 
   tomium proper 
   rictus 
 commissure
 culmen
 gonys


Pigeon Guillemot - culmen
(Source: Wikipedia)
 

THE NECK
 nape
 sides
 

 THE TRUNK
  back
  rump
  breast
  abdomen (belly)
  sides (or flanks)
 

THE WINGS
   wrist
   forearm (antebrachium)
   elbow
   upper arm (brachium)
   remiges
        primary remiges
        secondary remiges
   coverts
        greater
        median
        lesser
   alula
   scapulars
   axillars

THE LEGS & FEET
   thigh
   knee
   lower leg (crus)
   heel
   foot
       tarsus
       toes (phalanges)
       hallux
       claw

THE TAIL
   rectrices
   uppertail coverts
   crissum (undertail coverts)




Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Eagle_beak_sideview_A.jpg


Barn Owl wing. *The fifth secondard remex is missing, leaving a gap called the diastema (C). Source: Bachmann (2010).

Literature cited:

Bachmann, T. W. 2010. Anatomical, morphometrical and biomechanical studies of Barn Owls' and pigeons' wings. Ph. D. dissertation, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.

Useful links:

Birding.com Bird ID - Body

Birding.com Bird ID - Wing

Bird Glossary

Back to BIO 554/754 syllabus