1. Pigeon Dissection
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Columbaformes Family: Columbidae
Genus: Columba Species: livia

2. Bird Skeleton: Hollow Bones
The hollow bones are honeycombed with air spaces and strengthened by crisscrossing struts. The number of hollow bones varies from species to species, though large gliding and soaring birds tend to have the most.

3. Lets get some background information first!

4. Pigeon Leg

5. Chicken legs
a.k.a. “the drumstick”. This is the upper part of the leg containing the femur.
This is the lower part of the leg containing the fibula (small bone) and the tibia (the shin bone).

6. Keeled sternum and furcula (2 & 3)
                              
Quadrate bone (1)
 Keeled sternum and furcula (2 & 3)
Uncinate processes  (4)
Synsacrum and pygostyle  (5 &  6)

7. Feathers
Feathers are light but very strong, and they are flexible but very tough.
Feathers do not grow all over the bird. Feathers grow in certain areas called feather tracks. In between the feather tracks are down feathers. This keeps down the body weight.  Feathers are made of a tough and flexible material called "keratin". There is a spine down the middle, called the shaft, which is hollow. There are vanes are on the two halves of the feather. They are made of thousands of branches called barbs. Because there are many spaces between these barbs, a feather has as much air as matter.

9. Not all birds have all the types of feathers
Not all birds have all the types of feathers. It depends on what type of bird it is.
The tail of the bird plays a big role during flight. The tail acts as the rudder, balancing and steering the bird. The tail also helps the bird in stopping. The tail is turned downward and acts like a brake.
Feathers protect the bird's skin and insulates it. Feathers can be fluffed up in the winter or squeezed down in the summer. Feathers are also used to line nests.
The color of the feathers is important in mating.
Birds can see color. Most other mammals cannot.

10. Feathers can be divided into 6 categories:
Contour feathers
Semiplume feathers
Down feathers
Filoplume feathers
Bristle feathers
Powder-down feathers
You will ID these 3 on your pigeon:
primaries - the main flight feathers on the wings (they are located on lower [outer] parts of the wings). scapulars - feathers on the shoulder (also called lesser secondary coverts).
secondaries - the smaller flight feathers on the wings - they are on the upper part of the wings (above the primaries).
tail feathers - flight feathers at the end of the bird (used for steering).

12. A bird's survival depends upon the condition of its feathers
A bird's survival depends upon the condition of its feathers. Birds take a lot of time caring for their feathers. This is called preening. They use their feet and beaks to arrange their feathers. They nibble each feather from the base of the tip.
Birds have between 1,000 and 25,000 feathers.

15. How many feathers?

16. Video clips of dissection
(1:32)
(approx 4 min)
(approx. 4 min)

17. Circulatory System
Generally birds have hearts larger and ones that beat faster than mammals. The human heart pulse rate at rest averages 72 beats per minute. The House Sparrow's heart pulse rate at rest averages 460 beats per minute. In the Ruby-throated Hummingbird pulse rate at rest is 615! WOW!

19. Identify the following anatomical structures:
Muscles   pectoralis major   supracoracoideus
Teacher’s Initials: __________
Digestive System   esophagus   crop   proventriculus   gizzard   small intestine large intestine   caeca   cloaca liver   pancreas
Sensory & Nervous Systems Brain:      cerebral hemispheres      cerebellum    
optic lobe      medulla
Circulatory System heart      right & left atria      right & left ventricles
Teacher’s Initials: __________   
Respiratory system
  trachea   right & left lungs   air sacs
Urogenital & Endocrine Systems   kidneys   testes   ovary   oviduct
Your names: _______________________

20. Respiratory system
Ounce for ounce, a bird in flight requires more energy than a terrestrial mammal. Especially when migrating, birds fly at altitudes where oxygen is in such short supply that no mammal could possibly survive.
The air sacs fill a large proportion of the chest and abdominal cavity, and also connect to the air spaces in the bones.

25. Bird Structure Key for the following ID slides
Structures
1. Large Intestine
11. Tail Feathers
21. Pectoralis
2. Caeca
12. Crop
22. Supracoracoidius
3. Ovary
13. Esophagus
23. Crop
4. Gizzard
14. Contour Feathers
24. Glottis
5. Testes
15. Down Feathers
25. Palatine Folds
6. Pancreas
16. Allula
26. Tongue
7. Duodenum
17. Primary Feathers
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
8. Lungs
18. Secondary Feathers
28. Large Intestine
9. Heart
19. Cloaca
29. Kidneys
10. Liver
20. Small Intestine
30. Proventriculus

26. 1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

27. 1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

28. 1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

29. 7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

30. 19. Cloaca 20. Small Intestine 21. Pectoralis 22. Supracoracoidius
1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

31. 1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

32. 1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

33. 1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

34. 1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus

35. Bird Female Anatomy (#3)
1. Large Intestine
2. Caeca
3. Ovary
4. Gizzard
5. Testes
6. Pancreas
7. Duodenum
8. Lungs
9. Heart
10. Liver
11. Tail Feathers
12. Crop
13. Esophagus
14. Contour Feathers
15. Down Feathers
16. Allula
17. Primary Feathers
18. Secondary Feathers
19. Cloaca
20. Small Intestine
21. Pectoralis
22. Supracoracoidius
23. Crop
24. Glottis
25. Palatine Folds
26. Tongue
27. Posterior Opening of Air  Passage 
28. Large Intestine
29. Kidneys
30. Proventriculus
Bird Female Anatomy (#3)

36. Female
This is where the developing egg will enter

37. Female

38. Male

40. Male
Anterior
Posterior

44. Clean up at the
end of every lab!

45. That’s All Folks!