Question | Answer |
anisodactyl | the foot shape of passerines; three toes point forward and one toe points to the rear |
apteria | featherless areas of bird skin between feather tracts |
choana | the V-shaped notch in the roof of the mouth in some species that provides communication between the nasal cavity and oropharynx |
cloaca | in birds, reptiles, and amphibians, the terminal end of the urinary, reproductive, and gastrointestinal tracts |
coverts | smaller feathers that cover the remiges and rectices of birds. They are for covering the body and play no role in flight |
crop | In birds, an outpocketing of the esophagus; the outcropping or dilation of the esophagus located at the base of the neck, just cranial to the thoracic inlet |
gizzard | muscular stomach in birds that grinds food into a digestible form |
heterophil | a leukocyte of avian, reptile, and some fish species containing prominent eosinophilic granules; functionally equivalent to the mammalian neutrophil |
passerines | one of the most common exotic companion animal seen in veterinary practices; canary and finch |
pododermatitis | an inflammation of the ball of the foot of birds, guinea pigs, and other small animal; usually caused by infection with staphylococcus spp. |
proventriculus | true stomach; unique to birds; contains digestive acid and enzymes |
psittacines | one of the most common exotic companion animals seen in veterinary practices; cockatoo, macaw, parrot, conure, budgerigar, lovebird, cockatiel, parakeet, lorikeet |
pterylae | the feather tracks on the skin of birds; specific tracts located on the surface of the body where feather follicles are located |
remiges | contour feathers found on the wing of a bird |
sexually dimorphic | refers to species in which the male and female differ in appearance |
syrinx | enlargement of the trachea above the sternum. Contains muscles, air sacs, and vibrating membranes that collectively form the voice box of birds. |
urates | the end product of nitrogenous waste production from the liver; excreted by the kidney as a pasty white to yellow material found in droppings of birds and reptiles |
uropygial gland | in the bird, an oil-producing gland, also called the preen gland, used to waterproof feather; a bilobed gland with on duct opening that empties into a line papilla, found dorsally at the base of the tail; secretes a lipoid sebaceous material. |
zygodactyl | the foot shape of psittacines; the second and third toes face forward and the first and fourth toes are directed backward. |
coelom | a body cavity; in birds and reptiles, the coelom makes up the thoracic and abdominal cavities. |
ventriculus | gizzard; a thickly muscled organ that grinds food into smaller particles |