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   Bird Glossary

aquatic — living or growing in water

asynchronous hatching — hatching that does not occur at the same time but that may take place over two to three calendar days

bill-sweeping — display in which a pair of birds sweep their bills back and forth over the bark near their nest hole. Often the birds have crushed insects in their bills. Typical behavior of species such as White-breasted Nuthatch.

birdhouse — another name for a nest box

bottomland — low-lying land along a stream, river, or brook

breeding cycle — the time period beginning at nest building through egg laying and raising young to the point of independence

brood (n) — the young of a bird that are hatched or cared for at one time

brood (v) — to sit on and keep warm (chicks)

caching — the storage of berries, seeds, and other food items in the crevices of bark, under leaves, in cavities, and the like. Retrieval of cached food items is not accidental, as in scatterhoarding.

carnivorous — subsisting or feeding on animal tissues

cavity — a hole or opening in a tree trunk or limb

cavity-nesting bird — a bird that nests inside a hole in a tree trunk or limb or in a nest box

cloaca — posterior-most chamber of the digestive tract in birds

clutch — total number of eggs laid by a female bird in one nest attempt

coniferous — consisting of evergreen trees such as pines, firs, and the like

conspecific — of the same species

contour feather — predominate feather type found on the body, wings, and tail of the bird (as opposed to other feather types: down, bristles, semiplumes, etc.)

crepuscular — active at twilight, dawn, and dusk

deciduous — has leaves that fall off or shed either seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle

dimorphism — existing in two forms, two color forms, two sexes, and the like

dispersal — the movement of a young bird from the site where it hatches to the site where it breeds (juvenile dispersal); the year-to-year movement of an adult bird from one nest site to another (breeding dispersal)

diurnal — of, relating to, occurring, or active in the day

ectoparasite — a parasite that lives on the exterior of its host

egg dumping — occurs when a female lays her egg(s) in the nest of another bird, sometimes creating very large clutches

fecal sac — a clean, tough mucous membrane containing the excrement of nestling birds

fledge — the act of leaving the nest or nest cavity after reaching a certain stage of maturity

granivorous — feeding on seeds or grain

habitat — the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows

hatch — to emerge from an egg, pupa, or chrysalis

hatching — the moment an organism emerges from an egg, pupa, or chrysalis

hibernation — winter dormancy in animals characterized by a great decrease in metabolism

incubation — the act of rearing and hatching eggs by the warmth of the body

insectivorous — feeding on insects

invertebrate — lacking a spinal column

irrupt — to undergo a sudden upsurge in numbers, especially when natural ecological balances and checks are disturbed

larvae — the immature, wingless, and often wormlike stage of a metamorphic insect that hatches from the egg, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis from which the adult emerges

latitude — south to north measurement of location

longitude — east to west measurement of location

mammal — warm-blooded, higher vertebrates that nourish their young with milk secreted by mammary glands and have the skin usually moreor less covered with hair; includes humans

migration — regular, extensive, seasonal movements of birds between their breeding regions and their wintering regions

monogamy — mating of an animal with only one member of the opposite sex at a time

monomorphic — having a single form

nest box — a box, typically made of wood, in which cavity-nesting birds can nest; sometimes called a birdhouse

nestling — a young bird that has not left, or abandoned, the nest

nocturnal — of, relating to, occurring, or active in the night

pair bond — the association between two birds who have come together for reproduction; can be short-term (lasting only through egg-laying or the rearing of young) or lifelong

parasite — organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (host) and derives its nutriment therefrom; usually a parasite causes some degree of damage to the host

parasite load — the amount or quantity of parasites possessed by an individual that may affect the individual’s capacity for survival

penultimate — next to the last, as in the penultimate egg

philopatry — faithfulness to a region or an area

polygyny — mating of one male with several females

precocial — capable of a high degree of independent activity from birth

predation — the act of preying

pupa — an intermediate stage of a metamorphic insect (such as a bee, moth, or beetle), usually enclosed in a cocoon or protective covering

replacement clutch — the eggs laid to replace a clutch in which none of the eggs hatched

riparian — along banks of rivers and streams

roost (n) — a support on which birds rest; a place where birds customarily rest; also a group of birds resting together

roost (v) — to settle down for rest of sleep: perch

scatterhoarding — behavior in which birds hide food items in bark crevices and under leaves, moss, or lichen. Retrieval of food items is accidental, not memory-based.

snag — a standing dead tree

species — related organisms or populations having common attributes and potentially capable of interbreeding

synchronous hatching — hatching that occurs at the same time or nearly the same time, usually within one calendar day

synchronous nesting – nesting by a local population in which breeding pairs initiate egg laying within a relatively short period of time (a few days to a few weeks)

taxonomy — scientific naming of organisms and their classification with reference to their precise position in the animal or plant kingdom

terrestrial — living or growing on land

thermoregulate(ion) — the act of maintaining a constant body temperature

topographic map — a map depicting the natural and human-made features of a place or region, especially in a way to show their relativepositions and elevations

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