Chapter 21: Avian Anatomy and Physiology
Colville: Clinical Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Technicians, 3rd Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The uropygial gland is located on the
a.
dorsal surface at the upper base of the tail.
b.
dorsal surface of the cere.
c.
lateral surface of the cere.
d.
ventral surface at the upper base of the tail.
2. What type of bird has claws called talons?
a.
birds of prey
b.
climbing birds
c.
ground feeders
d.
scavengers
3. The term for trimming or reshaping a beak is
a.
coping.
b.
feaking.
c.
pinioning.
d.
preening.
4. The round, hollow, semitransparent part of a contour feather below where the webbed part of
the feather begins is the
a.
calamus.
b.
hamulus.
c.
rachis.
d.
vane.
5. The quill of a feather is another name for the
a.
barbule.
b.
calamus.
c.
rachis.
d.
superior umbilicus.
6. The main feather shaft of a contour feather is the
a.
calamus.
b.
hamulus.
c.
rachis.
d.
vane.
7. The tiny opening on the feather shaft where the webbed part of a feather begins is the
a.
calamus.
b.
inferior umbilicus.
c.
superior umbilicus.
d.
vane.
8. The web-like flattened part of a feather that lies on either side of the main feather shaft is the
a.
barb.
b.
hamulus.
c.
rachis.
d.
vane.
9. The tiny hooklets at the end of each barbule are known as
a.
barbs.
b.
hamuli.
c.
quills.
d.
vanes.
10. What type of feather, located at the nape and upper back, has follicles that contain sensitive
nerve endings that play a sensory role in controlling feather movement?
a.
contour
b.
down
c.
filoplume
d.
semiplume
11. What type of feather lacks a true shaft and provides insulation for the bird?
a.
bristle
b.
down
c.
powder down
d.
semiplume
12. What type of feather serves a bird’s sense of touch?
a.
bristle
b.
contour
c.
filoplume
d.
semiplume
13. What type of feather never stops growing?
a.
down
b.
filoplume
c.
powder down
d.
semiplume
14. What type of feathers are the flight feathers of the wings and tail?
a.
bristle
b.
contour
c.
filoplume
d.
semiplume
15. What type of feather provides waterproofing for a bird?
a.
bristle
b.
contour
c.
filoplume
d.
powder down
16. Pterylae are
a.
areas of skin covered with feathers.
b.
areas on a feather vane where barbs lack barbules.
c.
bare areas of skin.
d.
growing feathers.
17. The flight feathers in the wing are called
a.
hamuli.
b.
patagia.
c.
remiges.
d.
rectrices.
18. The flight feathers in the tail are called
a.
coverts.
b.
hamuli.
c.
patagia.
d.
rectrices.
19. Most feather-picking results in feather loss on the
a.
chest and legs.
b.
legs and wings.
c.
tail and chest.
d.
wings and tail.
20. The covering of a feather as it emerges from the skin is called the
a.
apteria.
b.
hamuli.
c.
periderm.
d.
pteryla.
21. A growing feather is called a/an
a.
afterfeather.
b.
auricular feather.
c.
blood feather.
d.
remiges feather.
22. Which adaptation to the skeletal system is key to the ability of birds to fly?
a.
increase in the number of bones
b.
increased density of bones
c.
loss of internal bone matrix
d.
loss of the appendicular skeleton
23. The sclerotic ring is found around the
a.
ear canal.
b.
eye socket.
c.
lower bill.
d.
upper bill.
24. The gape of a bird determines the
a.
neck flexibility.
b.
range of sound waves it hears.
c.
size of food it can ingest.
d.
visual perception.
25. Where is the uncinate process found?
a.
around the eye socket
b.
attached to ribs
c.
in the neck
d.
in the tail
26. The atlas is attached to the __ by a single condyle in birds.
a.
first thoracic vertebra
b.
pygostyle
c.
skull
d.
synsacrum
27. The shock absorber for the legs and backbone of a bird when it lands is the
a.
keel.
b.
pygostyle.
c.
synsacrum.
d.
uncinate process.
28. The bony ridge on the sternum of strong flying birds is the
a.
keel.
b.
pygostyle.
c.
synsacrum.
d.
uncinate process.
29. The wing attaches to the body by forming a joint
a.
in the glenoid cavity.
b.
in the patagium.
c.
with the pygostyle.
d.
with the synsacrum.
30. Which bones are known collectively as the wishbone?
a.
atlas and axis
b.
clavicles
c.
coracoids
d.
scapulas
31. The pectoral crest is found on the
a.
femur.
b.
humerus.
c.
scapula.
d.
sternum.
32. The forearm of the wing is formed by the
a.
carpal bones.
b.
humerus.
c.
radius and ulna.
d.
scapula.
33. The web of skin that extends from the shoulder to the wrist to provide elasticity and
aerodynamics is the
a.
alula.
b.
patagium.
c.
pygostyle.
d.
triosseal canal.
34. The pelvic girdle is made up of the
a.
femur, ilium, and synsacrum.
b.
ilium, ischium, and pubis.
c.
pubis, ischium, and femur.
d.
synsacrum, pubis, and ischium.
35. The drumstick is actually the
a.
femur.
b.
fibula.
c.
ilium.
d.
tibiotarsus.
36. The first finger of a wing is the
a.
alula.
b.
patagium.
c.
pygostyle.
d.
trochanter.
37. An anisodactyl bird has the following toe arrangement:
a.
one toe facing backward and three toes facing forward.
b.
one toe facing forward and three toes facing backward.
c.
toes one and four facing forward and toes two and three facing backward.
d.
toes two and three facing forward and toes one and four facing backward.
38. A zygodactyl bird has
a.
one toe facing backward and three toes facing forward.
b.
one toe facing forward and three toes facing backward.
c.
toes one and four facing forward and toes two and three facing backward.
d.
toes two and three facing forward and toes one and four facing backward.
39. A characteristic of white muscle is
a.
a high fat content.
b.
a high number of mitochondria.
c.
a low blood supply.
d.
a thin fiber.
40. Red muscles are the predominant muscle type in a
a.
chicken.
b.
grouse.
c.
pigeon.
d.
quail.
41. The large muscle that causes the downstroke of a wing is the __ muscle.
a.
pectoralis
b.
psoas
c.
semitendinosus
d.
supracoracoideus
42. The smaller flight muscle that causes the upstroke of the wing is the
a.
pectoralis.
b.
psoas.
c.
semitendinosus.
d.
supracoracoideus.
43. Leg muscles control movements of the distal leg and toes via their
a.
ligaments of insertion.
b.
ligaments of origin.
c.
tendons of insertion.
d.
tendons of origin.
44. A bird is able to perch and sleep at the same time because of the
a.
coping reflex.
b.
feaking reflex.
c.
perching reflex.
d.
sleeping reflex.
45. Bumblefoot can result from
a.
beak neglect.
b.
claw neglect.
c.
damage to the alula.
d.
damage to the cere.
46. When a bird rubs its beak on a rough surface to clean it and maintain its shape, it is called
a.
coping.
b.
feaking.
c.
molting.
d.
preening.
47. How many eyelids protect the cornea of a bird eye?
a.
0
b.
2
c.
3
d.
4
48. What is the function of the nictitating membrane?
a.
color vision
b.
corneal moisturization
c.
hearing sharpness
d.
vision clarity
49. The area of sharpest vision in the eye is the
a.
fovea.
b.
optic disk.
c.
pecten.
d.
retina.
50. The columella is the
a.
eardrum.
b.
external ear flap.
c.
inner ear labyrinth.
d.
single middle ear bone.
51. Grandry’s corpuscle and Herbst corpuscle are located on the
a.
flight feathers.
b.
legs.
c.
tongue.
d.
wings.
52. The bursa of Fabricius stimulates the production of
a.
antibodies.
b.
FSH.
c.
sex hormones.
d.
stress hormones.
53. Which gland secretes a hormone that regulates body and feather growth and may stimulate the
migration urge?
a.
parathyroid
b.
pituitary
c.
thymus
d.
thyroid
54. In birds the storage space for ingested food before it reaches the stomach is the
a.
crater.
b.
crop.
c.
croup.
d.
crypt.
55. The glandular stomach in birds is called the
a.
crop.
b.
gizzard.
c.
proventriculus.
d.
ventriculus.
56. The purpose of the gizzard is to
a.
grind food.
b.
lubricate food.
c.
secrete digestive hormones.
d.
secrete digestive enzymes.
57. What bird can grind indigestible food components into a pellet that is regurgitated?
a.
chicken
b.
owl
c.
turkey
d.
wren
58. In birds the __ is located at the terminal end of the digestive system.
a.
cecum
b.
cloaca
c.
cochlea
d.
corpus
59. The __ collects excrement from the intestines of a bird.
a.
cecum
b.
coprodeum
c.
urodeum
d.
vent
60. A mute is ejected from the
a.
coprodeum.
b.
duodenum.
c.
proctodeum.
d.
urodeum.
61. A typical, healthy mute is composed of
a.
a dark fecal center surrounded by a ring of white urates.
b.
a dark urate center surrounded by a ring of light fecal material.
c.
a light urate center surrounded by a ring of dark fecal material.
d.
a white fecal center surrounded by a ring of dark urates.
62. In order to prevent heat loss in birds,
a.
heat from warmer arteries coming from the heart is transferred to cooler veins
returning to the heart.
b.
heat from warmer arteries returning to the heart is transferred to cooler veins
leaving the heart.
c.
heat from warmer veins coming from the heart is transferred to cooler arteries
returning to the heart.
d.
heat from warmer veins returning to the heart is transferred to cooler arteries
leaving the heart.
63. Avian red blood cells differ from mammalian red blood cells in that they are
a.
granulated.
b.
nucleated.
c.
round.
d.
smaller.
64. Heterophils in avian blood are equivalent to __ in mammalian blood.
a.
eosinophils
b.
lymphocytes
c.
monocytes
d.
neutrophils
65. Lymphocytes in birds are produced by the
a.
bursa of Fabricius and red bone marrow.
b.
kidneys and thymus.
c.
red bone marrow and kidneys.
d.
thymus and bursa of Fabricius.
66. The three veins most often used for venipuncture in birds are the
a.
brachial, lateral metatarsal, and radial.
b.
jugular, brachial, and medial metatarsal.
c.
medial metatarsal, lateral metatarsal, and jugular.
d.
radial, brachial, and jugular.
67. The mouth and nasal chambers in birds are joined by internal nares called the
a.
choanae.
b.
cholagogue.
c.
cloaca.
d.
cochlea.
68. The syrinx is also known as the
a.
air sac.
b.
epiglottis.
c.
glottis.
d.
voice box.
69. The unpaired air sac in birds is the
a.
caudal thoracic air sac.
b.
cervical air sac.
c.
cranial thoracic air sac.
d.
interclavicular air sac.
70. How many air sacs make up the avian respiratory system?
a.
one pair plus one unpaired
b.
three pairs plus one unpaired
c.
four pairs plus one unpaired
d.
five pairs plus one unpaired
71. What combination of inspirations and expirations is needed to transport one pocket of air
through the avian respiratory system?
a.
2 inhalations, 1 expiration
b.
2 inhalations, 2 expirations
c.
3 inhalations, 2 expirations
d.
3 inhalations, 3 expirations
72. Gular fluttering is a mechanism for
a.
flying at high altitudes.
b.
passing mute.
c.
thermoregulation.
d.
touch sensation.
73. In birds, which gonad is rudimentary and doesn’t function?
a.
left ovary
b.
left testis
c.
right ovary
d.
right testis
74. Which layer of the oviduct secretes layers of albumin around the egg?
a.
infundibulum
b.
isthmus
c.
magnum
d.
vagina
75. Which layer of the oviduct is called the shell gland?
a.
isthmus
b.
magnum
c.
uterus
d.
vagina
76. Where is pigment added to the egg shell?
a.
isthmus
b.
magnum
c.
uterus
d.
vagina
77. Species of birds that lay only a specific number of eggs to incubate and won’t lay more if
those eggs are removed are
a.
brood layers.
b.
clutch layers.
c.
determinate layers.
d.
indeterminate layers.
78. The number of eggs a female lays and incubates is called a
a.
clutch.
b.
brood.
c.
colony.
d.
bevy.
79. What type of newly hatched chicks is covered with downy feathers, has its eyes open, and is
quickly mobile?
a.
altricial
b.
precocial
c.
semialtricial
d.
semiprecocial
80. What type of newly hatched chick is blind and bare-skinned when hatched?
a.
altricial
b.
precocial
c.
semialtricial
d.
semiprecocial
81. Which order of birds is comprised of perching birds such as crows, swallows, and songbirds?
a.
falconiformes
b.
galliformes
c.
passeriformes
d.
psittaciformes
82. Which order of birds is comprised of daytime flesh eaters (except vultures)?
a.
falconiformes
b.
galliformes
c.
passeriformes
d.
psittaciformes
83. Which order of birds is comprised of heavy-bodied land game birds?
a.
falconiformes
b.
galliformes
c.
passeriformes
d.
psittaciformes
84. Which order of birds is comprised of brightly colored tropical birds such as parakeets, parrots,
and budgerigars?
a.
falconiformes
b.
galliformes
c.
passeriformes
d.
psittaciformes
