Ornithology B/C

[amerikestrel]

Just letting you know, you don't really need to know about how fast a bird breathes and all. On the national training handout, it says nothing about the motor systems of birds. Just the following topics: "ORDERS AND FAMILIES OF BIRDS, GENERAL MORPHOLOGY, PLUMAGE, HEAD, BILL, NECK, BODY, TAIL, WINGS, LEG, VOCALIZATION, WHERE IT IS OBSERVED, BEHAVIOR, Bird Ecology, and Challenges to Bird Population health and long-term survival."

In the rules packet, it says "anatomy and physiology" as one of the topics that could come up on the test. The respiratory system is included in physiology.

How is everyone studying? I'm just reading through some books and webpages and taking notes in a notebook. Eventually I'll start writing facts about each species in my field guide, wherever there's extra space.

[duckiegirl2]

But why is it not in the training packet then?

[amerikestrel]

The training handout is designed to give you basic, starting knowledge about the event. It can by no means include every single topic that may be on the test, and it cannot provide you with all the information that you need to know. The test-makers will (hopefully!) use the rule book as a guide in creating the test, not the training handout. You should almost always go by what it says in the rules, because anything that is in the rules is fair game for the test.

[Paradox21]

Also, the training handout is just one person's interpretation of what they think you should be tested on. Many Regional and State test writers won't give the training handout a thought and will write very different tests. In addition to the training handout's lack of depth on subjects, it is very likely that it doesn't touch on everything you will be tested on over the course of the year. I really have only used it as a guide for the kind of things I should know. I prefer actually learning the topics on it elsewhere in more in-depth sources.

[amerikestrel]

Also, the training handout is just one person's interpretation of what they think you should be tested on. Many Regional and State test writers won't give the training handout a thought and will write very different tests. In addition to the training handout's lack of depth on subjects, it is very likely that it doesn't touch on everything you will be tested on over the course of the year. I really have only used it as a guide for the kind of things I should know. I prefer actually learning the topics on it elsewhere in more in-depth sources.

Exactly. The training handout, to me, is a place where you can look to get information if you are having trouble starting off with the event, but you should try to find more in depth sources for information after you master the basics.

Another thing that I'm doing is I'm cross referencing all my information. For example, I recently bought "The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior". I also got the "National Geographic Complete Birds of the World" from my local library. Whenever I look something up in the Sibley, I'll also look it up the Nat Geo. That way, I'm alerted to inaccuracies or differences of opinion between the author, and it allows me to have the most accurate information I can get.

Going back to the discussion about barbs, I'd like to quote some lines from the Sibley Guide:

"Experimental removal of the bristles does not seem to affect the bird's ability to catch prey, however, apparently refuting the idea the the bristles act as "bug nets". These same experiments do suggest that the bristles may help prevent particles from entering the bird's eyes during prey capture."

I believe we had reached the conclusion that bristles aid the bird in catching food, but the first sentence denies that. I don't know what's correct.

[duckiegirl2]

Okay thanks for the clarification!

[sewforlife]

Another thing that I'm doing is I'm cross referencing all my information. For example, I recently bought "The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior". I also got the "National Geographic Complete Birds of the World" from my local library. Whenever I look something up in the Sibley, I'll also look it up the Nat Geo. That way, I'm alerted to inaccuracies or differences of opinion between the author, and it allows me to have the most accurate information I can get.

Going back to the discussion about barbs, I'd like to quote some lines from the Sibley Guide:

"Experimental removal of the bristles does not seem to affect the bird's ability to catch prey, however, apparently refuting the idea the the bristles act as "bug nets". These same experiments do suggest that the bristles may help prevent particles from entering the bird's eyes during prey capture."

I believe we had reached the conclusion that bristles aid the bird in catching food, but the first sentence denies that. I don't know what's correct.

That's also something that I'm doing too. I have the Complete Nat Geo guide and referencing that with wiki and allaboutbirds.org

here are the links I found useful: http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/fe ... istle.html
and this quote, "Other feathers act as sensors. Filoplumes are bare except for a few barbs. They grow around contour feathers and may help birds sense the position of feathers in flight. Hairlike bristles grow around some birds’ beaks or eyes. Bristles may help birds such as swallows catch prey by funneling insects toward the mouth. They may also protect the eyes. Woodpeckers have bristles over their nostrils that help keep wood chips out. Bristles may also act like a cat’s whiskers, helping a bird feel what’s around it."
it states that the bristles do both.
confused? I am.

[amerikestrel]

here are the links I found useful: http://www.paulnoll.com/Oregon/Birds/fe ... istle.html
and this quote, "Other feathers act as sensors. Filoplumes are bare except for a few barbs. They grow around contour feathers and may help birds sense the position of feathers in flight. Hairlike bristles grow around some birds’ beaks or eyes. Bristles may help birds such as swallows catch prey by funneling insects toward the mouth. They may also protect the eyes. Woodpeckers have bristles over their nostrils that help keep wood chips out. Bristles may also act like a cat’s whiskers, helping a bird feel what’s around it."
it states that the bristles do both.
confused? I am.

Yeah, that's what's confusing. The different sources say different things.

In the Sibley, it says that there was an experiment that showed that the birds don't use the bristles for catching insects. Perhaps the answer is that the websites are out of date?

I'm pretty sure that there's a bibliography for the Sibley guide somewhere online... I'll try to see if I can find more info on that experiment. It might help clear things up.

[duckiegirl2]

Based on the information, I think that depending on the type of bird, it may use the bristles as "bug nets", but doesn't use them all the time. Does that sound reasonable?

[amerikestrel]

Based on the information, I think that depending on the type of bird, it may use the bristles as "bug nets", but doesn't use them all the time. Does that sound reasonable?

I don't think so. Several websites say something like this: "The bristles act as a funnel, syphoning the insects into the bird's mouth." That implies that the bristles do not trap insects, but merely aid the bird in catching them.

The Sibley guide also says "[Bristles] are most developed on species that catch active, flying insects". That fact is probably why many websites (and scientists) have said that bristles help catch food.

I couldn't find the Sibley references online... they probably took it down for some reason. I also did a google search for "bristle removal experiment" but any site that mentions it does so very briefly and doesn't include any sort of citation.

Edit: YAY! http://www.jstor.org/pss/1367580