BIO 554/754
Ornithology
Review Questions for Exam 3
Gill's Ornithology, 3rd edition
Chapter 7 - Senses, Brains, and Intelligence
Which groups of birds are believed to have the keenest sight (p.184) & how does their vision compare to that of humans (p.184)? Why do birds generally see better to the side than to the front (p.184)? How do robins find worms (p.184)? What is the nictitating membrane & what is its function (p.185)? How does the focusing mechanism of birds compare to that of mammals (p.186)? What is the tapetum lucidum and what is its function (p.186)? How does the concentration of cones in avian eyes compare to that in human eyes (p.186)? What are foveae & where are they located (p.187)? Which groups of birds have temporal foveae as well as central foveae (p.187-188)? What is the advantage of having horizontal, ribbonlike strips of high cone densities (p.188)? What is the pecten and what is the majority opinion concerning its function (p.188)? How does avian color perception compare to that of humans (p.189-190)? How do humans & birds compare in terms of sensitivity to the near-ultraviolet spectrum (p.190)?
How do birds use magnetic information (p.190)? How do birds sense magnetic information (p.190-191)? What are the 3 sections of the avian ear (p.191)? How do the external ears of birds compare to those of mammals (p.191)? How does the middle ear of birds compare to that of mammals (p.191)? How do diving birds protect their middle and inner ears from pressure damage (p.191)? What is the cochlea and how are nervous impulses generated in the cochlea (p.191-192)? How is the hearing of birds thought to compare to that of humans (p.192)? Which birds can locate prey by sound in complete darkness (p.194)? Which birds exhibit bilateral asymmetry of the skull and external ears & what is the advantage of such asymmetry (p.194-195)? Be familiar with Figure 7-6 (p.194). Which birds use echolocation for navigation (p.195)? Which organs are among the bird's most important? Why? (p.196)? How sensitive are birds to changes in barometric pressure (p.196-197)? How does the avian sense of taste (taste acuity) compare to that of mammals (p.197)? What is the current view concerning the avian sense of smell (p.197)? Why is a good sense of smell important for Mallards, Turkey Vultures, & tube-nosed seabirds (p.199-200)?
How do the brains of birds and mammals compare in terms of percent of total body mass (p.200)? Why is the avian cerebellum relative large (p.200)? What area of the avian brain is the 'center of learning and intelligence' (p.202) and in what species of birds is this area best developed (p.203)? What is the wulst and what is its function (p.203)? What is the function of the hippocampi of mammals and birds (p.203-204)? What is unihemispheric sleep and what is the advantage of such sleep (p.206)? What is cognition (p.206)? What are some of the 'costs' of larger brains (p.207)? Which species of birds do especially well in laboratory experiments that test higher faculties (p.207)? How do birds & mammals compare in terms of mastering complex counting problems (p.207-208)? What is insight learning & how widespread is such learning among birds (p.208)? Know the material in Box 7-5 (p.209). What is traplining (p.211)?
Chapter 8 - Vocalizations
What is the traditional distinction between songs and calls (p.217)? How does the physical structure of a sound affect the ease with which a listener can locate its source (p.219-220)? What sounds are most effective for long-distance communication? Why (p.220)? Why do forest-dwelling birds tend to produce simple sounds (p.220)? Why are broadband songs, rich in temporal structure, advantageous in open habitats (p.220)? What are infrasounds (p.220)? What species of bird is known to produce infrasounds and why are such sounds ideal for this species (p.221)? How many distinct calls do birds generally have (p.221)? What are some of the functions of these calls (p.221)? How much variation is there in the size of song repertoires of songbirds (p.221)? What information do bird vocalizations communicate (p.221-222)? How are birds able to identify offspring, parents, mates, and neighbors (p.222)? Know the material in Box 8-2 (p.223).
What is the avian vocal organ (p.222-223)? What is the function of the avian larynx (p.223)? Be able to describe how the syrinx produces sound (p.224). Why does a needle puncture of the interclavicular air sac render a bird voiceless (p.224)? What is the general function of the syringeal muscles & what type of vocalizations can be produced by species that lack functional syringeal muscles (p.224-225)? Know the material in Box 8-3 (p.226). What are the long, resonating calls of swans, cranes, and other birds due to (p.227)? How does the amount of 'brain space' involved in singing behavior vary with repertoire size (p.229)?
Among birds, in which groups does learning guide vocal development (p.229)? What happens when other birds, such as chickens, doves, flycatchers, and other suboscines, are raised in acoustical isolation (p.229)? What are the 4 stages of vocal learning and what happens during each (Box 8-4; p. 232)? What are the two phases of song development (p.230; Figure 8-10)? What are 'open-ended' learners (p.230)? What are 'age-limited' learners (p.230-231)? What happens if a bird is isolated from the model songs of adults during the critical learning period (p.231)? What happens if a bird is deafened before song crystallization? Why (p.232)? What is the role of neural filters in song learning (p.232-233)? How do birds develop individual-specific songs (p.234)? What are regional dialects & what are some examples (p.235)? How can patterns of geographical song variation develop (p.236)?
What is vocal mimicry & what percentage of passerine birds practice such mimicry (p.237)? What are the most renowned vocal mimics (p.237)? How do Mockingbirds enhance their repertoires (p.237)? What do territorial songs signal (p.238)? What is the first step toward courtship and pair formation (p.238)? What are vocal duets (p.239)? How many species are known to sing duets & where are most such species found (p.239)? Can female birds use the songs of males to assess the quality of potential mates (p.239)? Why might long songs and vigorous singing be preferred by females (p.239-240)? Do large song repertoires somehow reveal superior male qualities (p.241)?
Chapter 11
What are three major aspects of territorial behavior (p.309)? What are the simplest types of territories (p.309)? What activities occur in all-purpose territories (p.309)? What do all-purpose territories enable individual birds to do (p.309)? How do birds broadcast their presence and intended control of a territory (p.309)? How can the economics of territorial defense be measured for nectar-feeding birds (p.309)? Know the material in Box 11-1 (p.310). What is the relationship between territory size and body mass (p.310-312; Figure 11-2)? Why do territory owners usually win encounters with intruders (p.311-312)? How does population density influence territory size (p.312)? What are the potential costs of territory defense (p.312)? When is territoriality favored (p.312; Figure 11-4)? What 2 features of resource distribution determine whether territories are economically defensible (p.312-313)? Be able to explain how these 2 features influence economic defendibility (p.312-313).What are two examples of birds that defend territories again other species (p.313-314)?
What is agonistic behavior (p.318)? How do birds usually avoid direct contact & risk of injury when fighting over something (p.318)? What do threat displays signal (p.318)? What do appeasement or submission displays signal (p.318)? What do graded or variable displays convey (p.318)? What do the positions of the crest of a Steller's Jay signal (p.318; Figure 11-10)? Do aggressive displays carry a "reliable" message (p.223)? If not, what do such displays signal (p.223)? In the game of communication, what may senders try to do (p.223)?
Chapter 10 - Migration and Navigation
What do birds rely on first and foremost for navigational information & what are some examples of such navigation (p.296)? Who was the first to provide proof that birds navigate by the sun (p.297)? What is a key feature of this orientation behavior (p.297)? How do landbirds and waterfowl maintain their direction when they migrate at night (p.298)? What stellar cues do Indigo Buntings use for orientation (p.298)? What two sensory systems are used to navigate by Bobolinks (p.300-301)? How does the 'direction-finding magnetic compass' work (p.300-301)? How does the 'map location system' work (p.301)? What groups of birds can navigate using odors (p.303)? How do birds learn to navigate (p.303)? Know the material in Box 10-4 (p.304). How do Savannah Sparrows and other nocturnal migrants establish their celestial compasses (p.305-306; Figure 10-22)?