BIRDS

UNIT

IV

[General Forestry – II | Unit – IV] ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Morphological features of a bird and the concept of migration in birds and the ecological
importance of birds

⁎ Avis – Latin = Birds

1.1 INTRODUCTION ⁎ Orni – Greek = Birds

Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves, characterized by feathers, toothless
beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet
lightweight skeleton. According to an estimate, total of 1228 bird species are found in the Indian sub-continent, out of
more than 9000 bird species of the world, over 13% of the world's bird fauna are found in India. Out of 1228 species
of birds, 57 species are endemic, three species are breeding endemic and 85 species are threatened (TH).

The beginning of the ornithological study in India is credited to T.C. Jerdon. His famous work “The Birds of
India” was published in 1862-64, which included over 1008 species. In Indian ornithologists, undoubtedly,
Dr Salim Ali is the topmost ornithologist. Starting with a short note on the mating habits of the Common
Kite Milvus in BNHS in 1936, Dr Salim Ali wrote more than 100 papers on birds and their behaviour. He
also moulded the government's attitude towards sanctuaries (e.g. Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur,
Harike Bird Sanctuary in Punjab, and Marnala Bird Sanctuary near Bombay).

⩥ ORIGIN

• According to Heilmann, Birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic [Mesozoic era].
• Archaeopteryx (connecting link between reptiles and birds) lived in the Late Jurassic around 150
million years ago. Ostrum states that Archeopteryx specimens would probably have been identify as
dinosaur if feather impression had not been preserved.
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1.2 MORPHOLOGY OF BIRDS

Bird morphology is the study of the physical structure of birds, which includes the size and shape of the
body, wings, feathers, and other anatomical features. It is an important part of understanding how birds
evolved and how they interact with their environment. E.g., A beak with a strongly hooked tip (like a
hawk's beak) is good for tearing flesh, whereas a short, conical one (like finches) is good for generating
the power needed to crack hard seeds

⩥ SKELETAL STRUCTURE : Birds have many bones that are hollow (pneumatized) with criss-crossing struts
or trusses for structural strength Respiratory air sacs often form air pockets within the semi-hollow bones
of the bird's skeleton. The number of vertebrae varies from 39 to 63, with remarkable variation (11 to 25)
within the neck (cervical) series. The principal type of vertebral articulation is heterocoelous (saddle-
shaped). The sternum, ribs, and their articulations form the structural basis for a bellows action, by which
air is moved through the lungs. Posterior to the synsacrum is a series of free-tail (caudal) vertebrae and
finally the pygostyle. The sternum consists of a plate lying ventral to the thoracic cavity and a median keel
extending ventrally from it. The plate and keel form the major area of attachment for the flight muscles.
The bones of the forelimb are modified for flight with feathers. Major modifications include restrictions of
the motion of the elbow and wrist joints, loss of functional claws, and fusion of certain bones of the
"hand" (the metacarpals and most of the carpals) into a carpometacarpus.

Axial skeleton : The bird skeleton is highly adapted for flight. It is extremely lightweight but strong enough
to withstand the stresses of taking off, flying, and landing. One key adaptation is the fusing of bones into
single ossifications, such as the pygostyle. Because of this, birds usually have a smaller number of bones
than other terrestrial vertebrates. Birds also lack teeth or even a true jaw and instead have a beak, which
is far more lightweight. The beaks of many baby birds have a projection called an egg tooth, which
facilitates their exit from the amniotic egg, which falls off once the egg has been penetrated.

Scapular girdle : Birds are the only living vertebrates to have fused collarbones and a keeled breastbone.
The keeled sternum serves as an attachment site for the muscles used in flying or swimming. Flightless

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birds, such as ostriches, lack a keeled sternum and have denser and heavier bones compared to birds that
fly. Swimming birds have a wide sternum, walking birds have a long sternum, and flying birds have a
sternum that is nearly equal in width and height. The chest consists of the furcula (wishbone) and
coracoid (collar bone) which, together with the scapula, form the pectoral girdle; the side of the chest is
formed by the ribs, which meets at the sternum (mid-line of the chest).

Ribs : Birds have uncinate processes on the ribs. These are hooked extensions of bone that help to
strengthen the rib cage by overlapping with the rib behind them. This feature is also found in the tuatara
(Sphenodon).

Skull : The skull consists of five major bones: the frontal (top of head), parietal (back of head),
premaxillary and nasal (top beak), and the mandible (bottom beak). The skull of a normal bird usually
weighs about 1% of the bird's total body weight. The eye occupies a considerable amount of the skull and
is surrounded by a sclerotic eye-ring, a ring of tiny bones.

Appendicular skeleton : The shoulder consists of the scapula, coracoid, and humerus. The humerus joins
the radius and ulna to form the elbow. The carpus and metacarpus form the "wrist" and "hand" of the
bird, and the digits are fused together. The bones in the wing are extremely light so that the bird can fly
more easily. The hips consist of the pelvis, which includes three major bones: the ilium, ischium, and
pubis. These are fused into one. Innominate bones are evolutionary significant in that they allow birds to
lay eggs.

⩥ MUSCULAR SYSTEM : Most birds have approximately 175 different muscles, mainly controlling the wings,
skin, and legs. Overall, the muscle mass of birds is concentrated ventrally. The largest muscles in the bird
are the pectorals, or the pectoralis major, which control the wings and makeup about 15-25% of a flighted
bird's body weight. They provide the powerful wing stroke essential for flight. The muscle deep to the
pectorals is the supracoracoideus, or the pectoralis minor. It raises the wing between wingbeats. Both
muscle groups attach to the keel of the sternum. The supracoracoideus and the pectorals together make
up about 25-40% of the bird’s full body weight.
⩥ RESPIRATORY SYSTEM : Due to the high
metabolic rate required for flight, birds have a
high oxygen demand. Their highly effective
respiratory system helps them meet that
demand. A bird's internal anatomy,
particularly its respiratory system, differs from
mammals in many ways. Bird respiration is
much more efficient. Birds do not have
diaphragm-like mammals. Instead, birds push
their sternum in and out which produces the
same effect. Breathing rate varies depending
on the size of the bird. For example, a
hummingbird breathes 143 times per minute
while a turkey breathes 7 times per minute.

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This rate increases when birds are flying. The flow of air enters through the nostrils, down the trachea and
into the lungs and air sacs. The lungs of birds are very compact and occupy much less space than the lungs
of mammals. With the help of thin-walled air sacs that extend through the body cavity and even into the
bones, birds can keep a continuous flow of air through the lungs. Three distinct sets of organs perform
respiration - the anterior air sacs (interclavicular, cervical, and anterior thoracic), the lungs, and the
posterior air sacs (posterior thoracic and abdominals). Typically, there are nine air sacs within the system;
however, that number can range between seven and twelve, depending on the species of bird. The
Syrinx is the sound-producing vocal organ of birds, located at the base of a bird's trachea. As with the
mammalian larynx, the sound is produced by the vibration of air flowing across the organ. The syrinx
enables some species of birds to produce extremely complex vocalizations, even mimicking human
speech. In some songbirds, the syrinx can produce more than one sound at a time. The syrinx is absent in
ostriches and storks etc. Avian lungs do not have alveoli as mammalian lungs do. Instead, they contain
millions of narrow passages known as para bronchi.
⩥ DIGESTIVE SYSTEM : Birds have a beak or bill and no teeth,
they do not really chew their food and therefore have a
specialized digestive tract. When a bird eats, the food firstly
travels down the oesophagus and into the crop which is really
an extension of the oesophagus. The function of crop is to
both soften the food and regulates its flow. The food now
enters the proventriculus which produces acids and enzymes
to help break down the food. The food then passes into the
gizzard which breaks down tough foods such as seeds and
nuts. The gizzard of some species of herbivorous birds, like
turkey and quails, contains small pieces of grit or stone called
gastroliths that are swallowed by the bird to aid in the
grinding process, serving the function of teeth. The use of
gizzard stones is a similarity found between birds and
dinosaurs, which left gastroliths as trace fossils. A bird's
gizzard contains keratin (Koilin) to make the surface rough.
Keratin is a substance which makes up human hair and fingernails and is what Rhino's horns are made off.
When the bird's food has been ground up in the gizzard, it travels through the intestines. The digestion
products are then absorbed through the intestinal mucosa into the blood. The intestine ends via the large
intestine in the vent or cloaca which serves as the common exit for renal and intestinal excrements as well
as for the laying of eggs.

Drinking behaviour : There are three general ways in which birds drink- using gravity itself, sucking, and
using the tongue. Fluid is also obtained from food. Most birds are unable to swallow by the "sucking" or
"pumping" action of peristalsis in their oesophagus (as humans do), and drink by repeatedly raising their
heads after filling their mouths to allow the liquid to flow by gravity, a method usually described as
"sipping" or "tipping up". In addition, specialized nectar feeders like sunbirds (Nectariniidae) and
hummingbirds (Trochilidae) drink by using protrusible grooved or trough-like tongues, and parrots

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(Psittacidae) lap up water. Many seabirds have glands near the eyes that allow them to drink seawater.
Many desert birds get the water that they need entirely from their food.

⩥ FEATHERS : Feathers are the ultimate characteristic of birds. No other

(living) animals have them. Like the hair on mammals and scales on reptiles,
feathers belong to the integument (skin). All are mainly made up of keratin,
which is also the main ingredient of human nails, animal claws, and the
scales on the legs and feet of birds. Feathers are impressive structures,
both extremely strong and very light. To comprehend the structure of a
feather, a contour feather, which happens on the basic body, wing, and tail,
can be considered as typical. A typical contour feather consists of a central
axis, primary stem or scapus, and an expanded distal portion, the vexillum
or vane.
Functions of feathers
• Protection
• Flight adaptation
• Heat retention
• Camouflaging
• Sexual dimorphism
• Formation of Nest

⩥ INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM

• Scales: The scales of birds are composed of keratin, like beaks, claws, and
spurs. They are found mainly on the toes and tarsi (lower leg of birds),
usually up to the tibio-tarsal joint, but may be found further up the legs in
some birds. In many of the eagles and owls the legs are feathered down to
(but not including) their toes.
• Beak : The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating
and for preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding

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young. Two bony projections-the upper and lower mandibles-covered with a thin keratinized layer of
epidermis known as the rhamphotheca. In most species, two holes known as nares lead to the
respiratory system.

⩥ EXCRETORY SYSTEM : The excretory system of birds is made up of kidneys, ureters, and cloaca. All three
are responsible for eliminating waste from the blood of these animals. The kidneys are responsible for
filtering nitrogen and uric acid waste from the blood. These are sent through the ureters to one of the
chambers of the cloaca, from which they are expelled to the outside. Birds have a single hole to expel
faeces, urine, and lay eggs. The cloaca is the organ that allows the execution of all these functions to the
extent that bird needs it. If one of these three organs fails, the bird quickly dies from blood poisoning from
high levels of urea.

1.3 BASIC CHARACTERISTICS

• Members of this class have feathers. Most of them

can fly except for a few birds. Birds that cannot fly are
known as flightless birds i.e. Ostrich, Emu, Kiwi and
Penguin.
• Two pairs of Limbs. Forelimbs are modified as wings
for flying. Hind limbs or legs are large and adapted for
various works like walking, running, perching, food
capturing, swimming etc.
• Skin is dry and devoid of glands except for the oil or Preen gland at the root of the tail.
• Warm-blooded (Homoiotherms)
• Sexual dimorphism is well marked in some birds i.e. Peacock, sparrow.
[Sexual dimorphism is a situation in which males and females of the same species differ in aspects of
their size, colour, or form].

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• Parental care = Yes

• Birds have no teeth
• Have bony endoskeleton
• Bones are long, hollow and pneumatic, which assist in flying.
• Birds have internal fertilization and produce hard shelled eggs.

1.4 CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS

Class Aves, first divided into two subclasses.

 Sub class - I : Archaeonithes (Archios = Premitive + Ornithos = birds) : Primitive wings with little
power to flight. Sternum without a keel. Birds of Jurassic period but now Extinct.
Example : Archaeopteryx
 Sub class - II : Neornithes (Neo = modern) : Modern as well as extinct post-Jurassic birds. Wings
usually well developed and adapted for flight, with few exceptions.
⁎ Teeth absent, except in some fossil birds.
⁎ Sternum usually with a keel
⁎ Vertebrae heterocoelous
Super-order 1 : Odontognathae (odontos = teeth)
Super-order 2 : Palaeognathae*** or Ratitae*** : Ratite : a group of mostly large and
flightless birds that includes
– Modern big-sized, flightless, running birds.
ostriches, kiwis, rheas, cassowaries,
– Wings vestigial or rudimentary emus etc.
– Synix is absent

Order-1 : Struthioniformis (Struthio – Greek = Ostrich) i.e. Ostriches of Africa.

Order 2 : Reiformes (Rhea = mother of zeus + form) i.e. American ostriches or common rhea.
Order 3 : Casuariformes i.e. Cassowaries of Australia, Emus of New Zealand.
Order 4 : Apterygiformes i.e. Kiwi of new Zealand
Super-order 3 : Neognathae*** Feathers are lightweight, modified protein
scales. Feathers provide insulation and
– Most of modern, small sized flying birds. enable a bird to fly. Birds frequently run their
– Well-developed wings bills or beaks through their feathers. This
– Oil glands is present process, called preening, keeps the feathers

– Sturnam with a well-developed keel in good condition for flight. When it preens, a
bird also rubs oil from a gland located near
Order-1 : Passeriformes (Passer = sparrow + form) –
the tail onto the feathers. Water birds must
largest of all birds order, including half of
do this in order to waterproof their feathers.
known birds i.e. Sparrow, common myna etc.
Order-2 : Psittaciformae (Psitacus – Latin = parrot)
Oeder-3 : Galliformes : Peafowl (Pavo cristatus).
Order-4 : Cuculiformis : cuckoo

➢ SOME IMPORTANT BIRDS

Passer domesticus House sparrow

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Corvus splendes House crow

Psittacula eupatria Indian parrot
Pavo cristatus Peacock or Mor
Phoenicopterus roseus Flamingo
Ardeotis nigriceps Great Indian bustard

1.5 THERMOREGULATION

Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries,
even when the surrounding temperature is very different. Feathers are the chief means of regulating the
body temperature. The normal body temperature of avian is 38°C to 44°C. Birds do not have any sweat
glands, but they can reduce the body temperature by expelling the moist warm air during expiration. They
also can dissipate the heat through the un-feathered part of the body, such as feet, tarsi etc.

➢ THERMOREGULATION DURING WINTER

• Shivering – In birds severe cooling induces shivering in particular muscles and causes cardiovascular
and metabolic changes. In fact, there is little evidence of non-shivering thermogenesis (metabolic
heat production) in adult birds, since birds
do not have the heat-generating brown
adipose tissue found in mammals.
• Torpor – Some birds regularly abandon
homeothermy altogether, allowing their
core body temperature to drop while they
undergo bouts of torpor [Torpor is a
resting state in which the body
temperature drops, metabolic processes
slow, and reaction to external stimuli are
slow or lacking. Therefore, it requires
fewer calories to maintain proper heat].
• Circulatory mechanism – The body’s
surface is the main site for heat exchange
with the environment. Controlling the
flow of blood to the skin is an important
way to control rate of heat loss.
• Counter current heat exchange – In birds,
the direct exchange of heat between
warm outgoing blood (such as that
traveling to the feet in arteries) to
adjacent returning cold blood (i.e. veins
returning from the feet) that helps retain
heat within the body.
• Insulation – Birds use feathers or fur, to

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trap a layer of air next to the skin and reduce heat transfer to the environment. In cold weather,
birds fluff their feathers to thicken the insulating layer.

➢ THERMOREGULATION DURING SUMMER

Most birds can deal with slight hyperthermia, storing excess heat with a rise in body temperature. Such a
strategy could work well for a large bird, such as a desert‐dwelling
Hyperthermia : internal body
Ostrich that can then lose excess body heat during the cooler night. On temperatures higher than
the other hand, hyperthermia is a dangerous strategy for a small bird usual.
that could quickly reach lethal body temperatures. The only physiological way that heat can be lost when
ambient temperatures are greater than body temperature is through evaporative cooling, from water loss
across the skin or respiratory surfaces. Birds can increase the efficiency of respiratory evaporative water

loss by panting or through gular flutter.

1.6 AVIAN MIGRATION

Birds are very mobile creatures and there are many ways to classify their
movements. One way to distinguish types of movements is by identifying Local movements : the
non‐migratory movements
what they accomplish for the bird. At the short end of the timescale are
involved in the daily
the local movements associated with daily foraging, flights to and from activities of birds.
roost sites, and other daily activities. Migration, by contrast, is an annually
repeated seasonal movement away from the breeding area and then back to it, usually over a far greater
distance than an individual’s local movements.

The local movements of birds are usually dictated by their habitat and by their need to feed and to avoid
being eaten themselves. Many birds stay within a territory or home range when making most of their local
movements.

➢ PATTERNS IN MIGRATION
A. Residents : birds that remain in the same area throughout the year, and are thus not migratory.

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B. Facultative migration : a pattern in which the timing and distance of migration changes from year to
year in response to varying environmental conditions.
C. Obligate migration : a pattern in which individuals migrate to the same areas on the same schedule
every year [Regular and predictable movements during their annual cycle].
D. Nomadic : refers to birds that move irregularly, rather than in a predictable migration, usually in
response to highly variable food resources or other environmental variation.

SOME OTHER TYPES OF MIGRATION

• LEAPFROG MIGRATION - occurs in species with a broad breeding range, in which the individuals breeding
the farthest north or south migrate to the most distant wintering areas, traveling farther and passing over
birds that breed in intermediate areas that move shorter distances to winter.
• IRRUPTIVE MIGRANTS : birds that occasionally move in large
numbers beyond their usual range, usually in response to poor
food supplies in their typical habitats.
• ALTITUDINAL MIGRATION : Many birds that live in mountainous
areas undertake altitudinal migration, usually breeding in higher
elevations and moving to lower elevations during the
non‐breeding season. By changing their elevation they can
exploit new resources under different environmental conditions,
just as another bird might do by migrating much farther to a
different latitude. For example- The golden plover (Pluvialis)
starts from the arctic tundra and goes up to the plains of
Argentina covering a distance of 11250 KM.
Leapfrog migration : Along the Pacific
• AUSTRAL MIGRATION : refers to seasonal migration in the
coast of North America, the most
southern hemisphere, in which birds typically move north in the northerly breeding Fox Sparrows
fall and south in the spring [ If one of the main drivers of winter farthest south, passing over
individuals with intermediate breeding
migration is deteriorating living conditions during the winter,
and wintering ranges. Arrows connect
one would expect that birds breeding at high latitudes in the summer and winter ranges and do not
southern hemisphere would migrate north to warmer represent migratory flight paths.

non‐breeding areas, following a migration schedule offset by 6

months from that of the northern hemisphere].

• LATITUDINAL & LONGITUDINAL MIGRATION : The latitudinal migration usually means the movement from
north to south, and vice versa. Most birds live in the landmasses of the northern temperate and subarctic
zones where they get facilities for nesting and feeding during summer. They move towards the south

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during winter. An opposite but lesser movement also occurs in the southern hemisphere when the
seasons are changed. Cuckoo breeds in India and spends the summer in Southeast Africa and thus covers
a distance of about 7250 km. The longitudinal migration occurs when the birds migrate from east to west
and vice-versa. Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), a resident of East Europe and West Asia migrate towards the
Atlantic coast. California gulls, a resident and breed in Utah, migrate westward to winter on the Pacific
coast.
• PARTIAL & TOTAL MIGRATION : All the members of a group of birds do not take part in migration. Only
several members of a group take part in migration. E.g. Blue Jays, Coots, and spoonbills (Platalea). When
all the members of a species take part in the migration, it is called total migration. E.g. Siberian cranes,
Greater flamingo, and Asiatic Sparrow Hawk.
• DAILY & SEASONAL MIGRATION : Some birds make daily journey from their nests by the influence of
environmental factors such as temperature, light, and humidity also. Examples are crows, herons, and
starlings. Some birds migrate at different seasons of the year for food or breeding, called seasonal
migration, e.g., cuckoos, swifts, swallows etc. They migrate from the south to the north during summer.
These birds are called summer visitors. Again, there are some birds like snow bunting, red wing, shore
lark, grey plover etc. which migrate from north to south during winter. They are called winter visitors.
• NOCTURNAL & DIURNAL MIGRATION : Some small-sized birds of passerine groups like sparrows, warblers,
etc. migrate in darkness, called nocturnal birds. The darkness of the night gives them protection from
their enemies. Many larger birds like crows, robins, swallows, hawks, jays, bluebirds, pelicans, cranes,
geese, etc. migrate during the daytime for food.

SOME OTHER RELATED TERMINOLOGY

• Migratory divides : locations where two populations of the same species with different migratory
orientations meet and potentially interbreed.
• Staging areas : locations where migrating birds stay for a short time to refuel before continuing their
migrations.

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• Stopover sites : locations where migrating birds take a short break to rest, eat and drink for maintenance,
and/or await favourable migratory conditions.

Flyways : general routes used by large numbers of migrants of many species

NOTE : Migratory connectivity - the degree to which individuals breeding in a particular region migrate to
the same over wintering region

In species with the strongest migratory

connectivity, all members of a particular breeding
population winter in the same well‐defined area.
Conversely, where migratory connectivity is low,
individuals from different breeding populations
share the same non‐breeding sites.

1.7 AVIAN FOOD AND FORAGING

A bird’s metabolism largely determines how much food it requires. All birds are homeotherms with a
generally high metabolic rate. Homeothermy is energetically costly, necessitating frequent eating.
Because of this high cost, most birds either eat high‐energy plant foods such as seeds, fruit, and nectar or
they gain high‐energy protein and lipids from eating animals.

• Diurnal : Birds those are most active during the day time, sleeping at night.
• Nocturnal : Birds that are most active during the night and usually sleep during the day.
• Crepuscular : Birds that are most active near dawn and dusk.

Flush-pursuit foraging : a foraging strategy in which birds first scare prey (usually insects) out of hiding
and then chase and capture them.

Kleptoparasitism : a parasitic interaction in which one bird steals prey or food from the individual who
originally obtained it.

1.8 BIRDS NEST AND THEIR TYPES

A nest is a structure made by birds to hold eggs and to provide shelter. There is great diversity in the types
of nests that birds build and where they are placed, each suited to a particular habitat or reproductive
requirements. Nests are made of various kinds of organic materials including twigs, grass, lichens, and
leaves among others. Inorganic materials are also used including mud, rocks, tinfoil, ribbons, spider webs,
etc. Some birds use nests to attract mates.
• Grounded nest : these nests were probably the first nests made by birds from the evolutionary point
of view. Some birds are usually just "scrapes' on the ground forming a depression. Birds shape these
types of nests by rotating their abdomen in the same place many times. For example- Shorebirds,
Lapwing, Terns, Nightjar, Quill etc.

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• Platform/ Twig nest : they were probably the first elevated nests. Platforms eliminate risk from
predators. These types of nests are built by herons, cormorants, crows, eagles etc. in structure.
Essentially, they are a collection of loosely gathered sticks and twigs lined with grass, feathers etc.
with a slight cup-like depression at the centre to hold the eggs.

• Tree hole/ cavity nest : these types of nests shelter eggs from cooling winds and allow the parent’s
body heat to warm the eggs more efficiently. Woodpeckers build their own nest on trees and are
known as “primary hole nesters” but birds like Hornbill and all do not build their own nest and use
either natural cavities or abandoned nests. They are called “secondary hole nesters”.
• Cupped nest : these are the most recognizable, most solid, and most complex of all of the nest types.
Most songbirds build cupped nests in a variety of shapes and sizes. For example- pencil nests,
pendulus nests, attached nests etc.
• Tunnel nest : Nests excavated in tunnels on earthen banks or into the side of a bank or cliff.
Examples Bee-eaters, Kingfishers etc.

1.9 BIRDS AND THEIR ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE

Birds have a wide range of attributes making them more efficient in providing many valuable ecosystem
services. They are found almost in every habitat across the globe from tropics to Polar Regions. Their
ability to fly allows them to respond to immediate and urgent environmental conditions in ways normally
impossible for other classes of the phylum chordate. Their success in providing a wide ranges of
ecosystem services is highly associated with their flight capability. Their mobile nature allows them to
locate resources in abundance, leave areas with scarce resources and move to areas where resources are
sufficient. The services are further classified below:

• Marketable service :
a) Provisioning services: Meat, Feathers, Integument, Skin (Medicinal values), Blood (Medicinal values),
Nests (food), Nutrient /fertilizers (Guano).
b) Cultural services: Customs/Religious/cultural/ Ethnic value.
c) Regulating services: Scavenging, Insect pest control, Nutrient transfer.
• Non-Marketable service :
a) Supporting services : Seed dispersal, Pollination, Disease control, Energy Transfer, Nutrient Transfer,
Bioturabation, Reforestations, Maintenance of vegetation profile in water bodies, Animal dispersal

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(endozoochory, epizoochory), Cavity Excavators and Drillers (for mi/crohabitats), Soil regeneration
and enrichment, Leaf litter gleaners, Mixed flock foragers,
Feeding opportunities, Ship following birds, Tractor following bird in Agricultural field, Knowledge
value (Ecological, taxonomic, and genetic diversity).

̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ EXERCISE – 6.1 ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶ ̶̶̶

1. Penguin is found in (a) Increase the respiratory rate

(a) Africa (b) Increase the heart beat rate
(b) Australia (c) Increase the CO2 output
(c) America (d) Increase the buoyancy
(d) Antarctica 6. Preen glands occurs in
2. Animals have a beak with jaws but no teeth (a) Pisces
(a) Aves (b) Aves
(b) Snakes (c) Reptilia
(c) Mammals (d) Mammalia
(d) All the above 7. Kiwi is found in
3. Characteristic feature of aves is (a) South africa
(a) Presence of beak and feathers (b) South America
(b) Ability to lay eggs (c) New Zealand
(c) Air space in lungs (d) East Indies
(d) All of the above 8. Largest egg belongs to
4. Flightless birds belong to (a) Elephant
(a) Ratitae (b) Whale
(b) Neonithes (c) Dinosaur
(c) Archaeornithes (d) Ostrich
(d) None of these
5. Pneumatic bones of birds Ans : - 1 (d), 2. (a), 3. (d), 4. (a), 5. (d), 6. (b), 7.
(c), 8. (d)

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 BIRDS
MCQs

[General Forestry – II | Unit – IV] ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Morphological features of a bird and the concept of migration in birds and the ecological
importance of birds

MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES . 5. What is the function of the gizzard in a

bird's digestive system? [APPSC (RFO) 2022
1. The measure of the proximity of different
General Forestry – II]
habitat units is defined as ________ [APPSC
(a) Breaking down food mechanically
(ACF) 2022 General Forestry – II]
(b) Absorbing nutrients from food
(a) Point habitats
(c) Storing food temporarily
(b) Juxtaposition
(d) Producing digestive enzymes
(c) Coverts
6. The unique feature that allows birds to
(d) Interspersion
produce sounds is the [APPSC (RFO) 2022
2. A group of species having similar ecological
General Forestry – II]
features in a habitat are called as [APPSC (ACF)
(a) Larynx
2022 General Forestry – II]
(b) Gizzard
(a) Keystone
(c) Syrinx
(b) Guilds
(d) Crop
(c) Flagship
(d) Abundant BIRDS MIGRATION .
3. What is the purpose of the Keel in a bird's
7. The reason for bird migration is [CGPSC
anatomy? [APPSC (RFO) 2022 General Forestry
Assistant professor 2019]
– II]
(a) To avoid adverse factors
(a) It helps in digestion.
(b) To manage food shortage
(b) It aids in flight by providing attachment
(c) To have a better breeding condition
for flight muscles.
(d) All of these
(c) It acts as a sensory organ.
8. What is the primary purpose of bird
(d) It is responsible for egg production
migration? [APPSC (RFO) 2022 General
4. The primary function of feathers in flying
Forestry – II]
birds is [APPSC (RFO) 2022 General Forestry – (a) To escape predators
II] (b) To find mates
(a) Insulation (c) To seek better nesting grounds
(b) Flight (d) To find more abundant food resources
(c) Attracting mates
(d) Protection ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE .

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 Forestry

9. Select the correct option based on the given Reason (R) : Birds play a vital role in
assertion (A) and reason (R). [APPSC (RFO) controlling insect populations.
2022 General Forestry – II]
Options
Assertion (A) : Birds are crucial for the survival
of certain plant species. (a) Both A and R are correct, and R is the
Reason (R) : Birds act as primary pollinators of correct explanation of A
certain plant species. (b) Both A and R are correct, but R is not the
correct explanation of A.
Options
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(a) Both A and R are correct, and R is the (d) Both A and R are false
correct explanation of A
DISEASES .
(b) Both A and R are correct, but R is not the
correct explanation of A. 11. …………………… is an infectious disease of birds
(c) A is true, but R is false. caused by influenza A virus [APPSC Forest
(d) Both A and R are false. Section Officers 2019]
10. Select the correct option based on the given
(a) Avian influenza
assertion (A) and reason (R). [APPSC (RFO)
(b) Dengue
2022 General Forestry – II]
(c) Japanese encephalitis
Assertion (A) : Birds can act as indicators of
environmental health. (d) Rabies

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