From Opus

Revision as of 02:16, 14 October 2009

This section is aimed at explaining the bird and biology specific vocabulary you are likely to meet in other threads in Birdforum.

This page is divided into four sections: Dictionary A-F, Dictionary G-L, Dictionary M-S and Dictionary T-Z.

M

Mandibles: the two parts of the bill/beak, if used in singular, most often as lower mandible; see also Beaks

N

Nail: see Beaks

O

P

palmation: more or less the same as webbing; see Legs and Feet. Semipalmated really means "with half palmations".

Primaries: a group of flight feathers, see Wings which also explains "primary projection".

Q

R

rectrices: (singular: rectrix) tail feathers, see General Anatomy

remiges: (singular: remex) flight feathers of the wing, see General Anatomy

S

Scapulars: the feathers of the shoulder region, see Wings

Secondaries: a group of flight feathers, see Wings

Semipalmated: "with half palmations", or in other words, with slight webbing between the toes.

Speculum: a contrastingly colored area of the secondaries, see Wings. This designation is most commonly applied to dabbling ducks, but can also be used for parrots to mention one.

Subspecies: a geographically defined population that differs in some defined way from another population. If it is impossible to say where one population ends and the other starts (because there is a very wide gradual variation (cline)) then there really is one population and they are the same subspecies, even if the most distant birds are very different. If there, within 1100 miles is 500 miles with type A, 100 miles of gradual change, and 500 miles with type B, then you should have two subspecies. It will be obvious that there is a certain degree of personal interpretation as to when an area of mixture is narrow and stable (the two taxonomic units are different species), a little wider or unstable (the two taxa are subspecies) or a little wider yet (one subspecies).

This page is divided into four sections: Dictionary A-F, Dictionary G-L, Dictionary M-S and Dictionary T-Z.