▪Feathers

▪Lack teeth
▪Lay eggs
▪Float and fly
▪Waste excreted from only one
orifice
▪ Anatomy: the science of
the structure of animals.
▪ Derived from the Greek
work “to cut up.”
▪ Physiology: thescience that
deals with the functions of
the living organism and its
parts.
▪ The following terms are used to describe locations on the animal
body.
▪ Dorsal: pertains to the upper surface of the
animal.
▪ Ventral: relates to the lower and abdominal
surface.
▪ Cranial (or anterior): applies to the front or head.
▪ Caudal (or posterior): pertains to the tail or rear.
Anatomical Directional Terms
▪ Integumentary
▪ Respiratory
▪ Skeletal
▪ Digestive
▪ Circulatory
▪ Urinary
▪ Reproductive
▪ The skin, feathers, and beak.
▪ Function: to protect the bird from external harm.

▪ Skin
▪ Much like humans, with the exception of plumage production.
▪ Plumage: the outer covering of a bird’s body.
▪ Feathers, scales, filoplumes.
▪ Filoplumes: hair-like structures located at the base of feathers.
▪ Wattle: a red growth underneath the beak, which works in
conjunction with the comb, an excess of skin on top of their head.
▪ Function: circulation of blood between the two regulate the
temperature of the bird.
▪ The size of the comb is an indication of the levels of testosterone in the
body. If the comb is large, then this means more testosterone is
present, often meaning the sex of the bird is male.
 Filoplume Comb

Beak

Wattle
Scales

Nails Plumage
▪ Scales are located on the legs and feet.
▪ The plumage is always for altered shape.
▪ Function: body cooling and heating for maintenance of
body temperature, protects against abrasions and bruises
when birds are in groups or lying on the ground.
▪ Plumage shape is particularly important for cooling since
birds lack sweat glands.
▪ Although it is not common for production birds to fly,
plumage type and form is an important determinant in
flight for aerial species.
▪ Birds have beaks as opposed to lips and teeth.

▪ The beak is used for eating and drinking, as well as in self-defense and
protection from other animals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir81HfA6A0I
▪Vastly different than the mammalian
respiratory system.
▪Unlike mammals, birds lack a
diaphragm to inflate and deflate the
lungs.
▪ Instead, birds have nine air sacs located in the neck region
and body cavity that function to inflate the lungs.
▪ Gas exchange occurs in the Avian lung and the air sacs
function to move air in and out of the respiratory system.
Heart
Air sac membrane

Air sac cavity

Liver Cut ribs
▪ Breathing process has two phases: inhalation and
exhalation.

▪ Inhalation: when the bird breathes in, air bypasses the

lungs and enters the posterior air sacs. At the same time,
air in the lungs from the last exhalation phase exits the
lungs and enters the anterior air sacs.

▪ Exhalation: the bird releases air from the posterior air

sacs, which enters the lungs. The air that filled the
anterior air sacs from the inhalation phase is then
released from the body through the trachea.

▪ Nares are the nostrils located on the beak. Their purpose

is the passageway for air to be breathed in and out of the
trachea.
Nares
1. Pneumatic Bones
▪ Poultry have pneumatic, or hollow, bones.
▪ Connect with the respiratory system.
▪ Their light weight is an adaptation for flight.
2. Medullary Bone
▪ Medullary bone contains high amounts of calcium.
▪ Storage source is used by the female hen to produce
the egg shell during reproductive periods.
3. Fused Bones
▪ Bones in the foot, or shank, are fused.
▪ Cause birds to walk upright.
▪ Many vertebrate along the backbone are fused for the
purpose of flight.
The University of Arizona: species info. Chickens and Turkeys 2008
▪ Tongue
▪ Beak
▪ Taste buds

Beak
▪ Flexible tube that connects mouth to the crop.
▪ Function: moisten and temporary storage of food

CROP
 This is a picture of and opened crop. Notice the yellow feed
pellets that have been moistened while they were stored in
this chicken’s crop.

Cranial Pectoralis
muscle

Crop
▪ The stomach of the bird.
▪ Function: uses acids and digestive enzymes
to breakdown food.

Proventriculus
▪ Function: like “teeth,” it mechanically grinds up food particles.

Gizzard
These pictures show a gizzard that has been opened. Notice how the
feed inside it has been further digested.
▪ Three sections:
- Duodenum
- Ileum
- Jejunum
Function: absorption of
nutrients from food.

Small Intestines
▪ Two ceca that are terminal pouches.
▪ Function: fermentation of any left over food particles/ water
absorption.

Ceca
 ▪ A.K.A. Large intestine
▪ Function: Further water absorption

Large Intestine
 ▪ Also known as the vestibule.
▪ Function: responsible for expulsion of feces and urine through
the vent.

Cloaca
▪ Multi-lobed organ
▪ Functions:
- produce bile to digest fats (stored in gall
bladder).
- detoxification
- store fat and fat-soluble vitamins (i.e., A,D,E, K)
- metabolize fats, carbohydrates, and proteins
that are in the diet.
LIVER

GALL BLADDER
▪ Function: Produces insulin, useful in carbohydrate digestion.

Pancreas
Department of Biological Sciences. Eastern Kentucky University BIO 554 Ornithology
The heart pumps blood throughout the body to deliver oxygen
and nutrients to tissues and to remove carbon dioxide and
metabolic waste from tissues.

Heart
▪ Arteries: carries blood from heart & to the rest of the
body.
▪ Arterioles: directs blood to certain tissues of the
body.
▪ Capillaries: site of exchange between blood and
tissues.
▪ Veins: brings oxygenated blood back to the heart.
▪ Components of Blood:
- Red Blood Cells (erythrocyte)
- White Blood Cells (leukocyte)
- Plasma

Red Blood White

Cell Blood Cell
▪ A. Kidneys
▪ Two multi-lobular structures located in the rib cage.
▪ Produce urine by removing waste products from the blood.
▪ B. Ureters
▪ Transports the liquids kidney filtrate from the kidneys to the
cloaca for excretion.
▪ Birds do not have a bladder.
▪ Urine is not stored, but rather excreted when produced.

▪ C. Cloaca
▪ Feces and urine exit out of the bird’s body through this region
in the abdominal cavity.
▪ D. Uric Acid Excretion
▪ Poultry excreta contain uric acid.
▪ Very high in nitrogen due to its lowered water content is semi-solid.
1. Two testes located internally in the body.
2. Ductus Deferens
▪ Deliver semen from the testes to the phallus.
3. Rudimentary phallus
▪ Poultry have no external penis, but rather an internal
protuberance termed a rudimentary phallus.
1. Ovary
-Poultry have only one functioning ovary, usually the left
ovary.
2. Oviduct
a. Function: to produce albumen (egg white), shell
membrane, and the shell around the yolk.
b. Five regions
1. Infundibulum: receives the follicle and is the location of
conception where the male and female gamete come
together.
2. Magnum: produces the albumen.
3. Isthmus: produces the inner and outer shell membranes.
4. Uterus: plumps the egg, forms the shell and cuticle (seals
pores of the egg shell) and determines the shell pigment.
5. Vagina: produces some cuticle, and expels the egg and
regulates timing of egg production.
3. Cloaca
- Also known as the vestibule. The common chamber through which
the egg passes is also responsible for the expulsion of feces and
urine.

4. Vent
- the exterior opening through which passage occurs from the
digestive system, the urinary tract and the reproductive tract.

5. Ovulation
- The releasing of the egg yolk from the ovary to begin its journey
through the oviduct.

6. Oviposition -the process of laying the fully formed egg which is

regulated by hormones.