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
Malar: malar stripe, see Heads
Mandibles: the two parts of the bill/beak, if used in singular, most often as lower mandible; see also Beaks
Monogamous: A mating system used by many birds where the species has only one mate at a time.
Monotypic: a taxon that is not subdivided. For example the Hoatzin is a monotypic species because there are no accepted division in subspecies. It is also the only member of its genus Opisthocomus which therefore is a monotypic genus. Opisthocomus is the only member of the monotypic family Opisthocomidae. The opposite is Polytypic.
N
Nail: see Beaks
Nocturnal: a species that is active during the night. Many of these actually start their activity at dusk and may still be active at dawn (such as Barn Owl in the UK, while others are strictly nocturnal.
O
Orbital ring: a ring around the eye consisting of small feathers, see Beaks. Some species has naked skin around the eye, but this is not usually called an orbital ring.
P
Palmation: more or less the same as webbing; see Legs and Feet. Semipalmated really means "with half palmations".
Patagial mark: an area along the leading edge of the underside of the wings (parts of the underwing coverts) stretching from the body to the wrist which in some hawks (such as Red-tailed Hawk) will have a contrasting darker color.
Polytypic: the opposite of monotypic. For example, the Bananaquit is divided into forty-one subspecies according to the Clements checklist.
Primaries: a group of flight feathers, see Wings which also explains "primary projection". The number of primaries differ among different groups of birds with gulls normally having 10, which some passerines only having 9.
Pullus: original meaning seems to have been nestling, often used for any young bird that is still in downs. See also Juvenile in J
Q
R
Rectrices: (singular: rectrix) tail feathers, see General Anatomy. The number of tail feathers differ among species, sometimes even among closely related species like Wilson's Snipe and Common Snipe.
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.
