WILD 3580 1st Edition Lecture 30Outline of Last Lecture I. Power-Promoting AdaptationsOutline of Current Lecture I. Feather Types II. Number of FeathersIII. Plumage and Molts Current LectureI. Feather Types 1. Contour Feathers- Form the outline of the body - Large vane - Flight feathers o Remiges: flight feathers of the wingo Rectrices: tail feathers - Pterylae: feather tracts where contour feathers grow - Apteria: areas between feather tracts 2. Semiplumes- Loose vane feather - Lacks hooklets (hamuli) - Grow at the margins/edges of the feather tracks - Functions:o Insulation by trapping air o Providing flexibility o Buoyancy for some birds 3. Filoplumes - Hair like feathers that lack a vane or have a much smaller one- Extend the contour feathers 4. Bristles- Occur around the mouth, nostrils, or eyes - Vaneless - Rictal bristles: enlarges bristles around the mouth These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.5. Down (downy)- Small soft feathers that lack a vane - For insulation- Overlaying contour levels - Not confined to the pterylae 6. Powder Down- Powder functions to waterproof feathers- Ends of feather disintegrate into a powder - Only type that can grow continuously throughout life 7. Aftershaft- Accessory feather - Grows at the base of another feather - Correlation of temperature and occurrence of aftershaft- Provides extra insulation II. Number of Feathers- Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 940 feathers - Whisling Swan: 25,216 feathers - The bigger the bird the more feather it has- Feathers/gram of body weight o Smaller birds have more feathers per weighto More surface area to volume ratio for insulation III. Plumage and Molts- Plumage: entire feather covering of a bird- Molt: sequence of feather replacement o Certain feathers fall out at certain times of the year o Temporal sequence Natal Down- first plumage Altricial: hatch with only a few down feathers; mostly bare skin, not capable of coordinating movement or maintaining temperature. Nidicolous: nest inhabitant, stay in the nest after hatching Precocial: hatch with a complete down covering; little bare skin, can coordinate movements and maintain temperature. (Ex. Ground nesting birds acceptable to predation) Nidifugous: nest fugitive; leave nest soon after hatching Juvenal Plumage- starts looking like adults, less down o Partial Molt: only contour feathers in certain pterylae are replaced; not the flight featherso Complete Molt: all feathers, including flight feathers are
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