Glossary

Allopreening—Preening of the feathers of one bird by another.

Anemia—Reduction of red blood cells that carry oxygen.

Aspergillosis—Fungal infection of the respiratory system.

Blood Feathers—Larger pin feathers with a strong blood supply that gets cut off naturally when the feather matures and opens up.

Cere—Skin area above a bird’s upper bill that surrounds the nostrils.

Covert Feathers—Feathers that lay over the top of other, larger feathers.

Crop—Pouch located in throat area, where food is ground up before being digested.

Ectoparasite—Parasite that lives on or within the skin surface.

Endoparasite—Parasite that lives within the internal organs or parts of the body.

Fledgling—A young bird that has just left the nest.

Hand Raised—A bird that was fed by humans as a chick until it began eating completely on its own.

Keel—Bird breast bone, located in the center of the chest.

Parasite—An organism that lives in or on another organism.

Pin Feather—New feather, where a sheath covers the soft feather parts.

Preening—The grooming, straightening and cleaning of the feathers; in some species, this includes applying oil from a gland under the tail to waterproof the plumage.

Primary Feathers—Large, long flight feathers located at the end of the wings.

Quick—Blood vessel inside the nail.