Descriptionary

convocation a group of eagles.

covey a group of grouse.

craw the crop or enlargement of the gullet, aiding in digestion.

cygnet a young swan or swan chick.

dancing grounds a mating area where ritualistic displays are performed, especially of grouse and prai­rie chickens.

down the soft, fluffy plumage beneath the feathers and on the breasts of many birds.

drake male adult duck.

egg tooth a small tooth or nubbin in the upper jaw, used by newborn chicks to chip their way out of an egg; it disappears soon after birth.

exaltation a group or flock of larks.

falconer one who trains hawks or falcons to hunt for oneself.

Falconiformes the order of vultures, falcons, hawks, and eagles.

falconry the sport of hunting game with trained falcons or other birds of prey.

Young

cub

calf

cub/pup/whelp

fall a group of woodcock.

fledgling a young bird with new feathers.

flight a group of doves or swallows.

flyway a migratory route.

gaggle a group or flock of geese.

galliformes the order of grouse, quail, and turkeys.

gander a male adult goose.

gizzard the second stomach in which food is finely ground, thought to compensate for a bird's lack of teeth.

herd a group or flock of swans.

host a group or flock of sparrows.

keel the breastbone ridge in which most of the flight muscles are attached.

molt to shed the feathers.

murder a group or flock of crows.

murmuration a group or flock of starlings.

muster a group or flock of peacocks.

nye a group or flock of pheasants.

ocellus one of the eyelike spots in the tail of a pea­cock.

ornithologist one who studies birds. ornithology the study of birds. parliament a group of owls.

Passeriformes the order of birds that perch, such as larks, swallows, wrens, sparrows, and warblers, the largest order of birds.

pecking order the order of dominance and submis­sion among a bird group, where a dominant bird may peck a weaker or lower status bird, but not vice versa; once established there is little fighting among the group.

pen a female adult swan.

phoenix the bird of legend that rises from the ashes.

pigeon milk a thick, cheesy secretion of pigeons and some parrots, fed to the young.

pinnate like a feather or having the shape of a feather.

precocial of chicks, born mature and becoming active almost immediately.

Procellariiformes the order of albatrosses, fulmars, and petrels.

Psittaciformes the order of parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, macaws, and lovebirds.

quill one of the large, strong flight feathers in the wings or tail.

raptor a bird of prey, such as a falcon, hawk, or eagle.

roc the giant elephant-carrying bird of Arabian leg­end.

rookery a nesting or breeding colony of sea birds.

ruff a projecting collar of hair or feathers around the neck.

siege a group or flock of herons.

skein a group of flying geese.

static soaring floating on a warm thermal of air.

Strigiformes the order of owls.

syrinx the throat component producing a bird's voice, located at the lower end of the trachea.

talon a claw of a bird.

team a group or flock of ducks.

thermal a rising current of warm air, used by birds to carry them aloft.

wattle the naked, fleshy component hanging from the neck, as in a turkey.

CATS

Abyssinian a long, lean breed of cat known for its athleticism and playful personality.

ailurophile one who loves and admires cats.

ailurophobe one who fears cats.

allogrooming the grooming of one cat by another.

Angora Turkish breed of cat with long, silky hair.

blaze a white marking running from a cat's fore­head to its nose.

blue coloring from blue gray to slate gray.

brush a bushy or plumelike tail.

Burmese breed related to the Siamese, having short, usually sable-colored hair.

calico coloring combination of tortoiseshell and white.

calling the cries of a sexually receptive female.

caterwaul the cry of cats at mating time.

catnip plant, member of the mint family, known for its intoxicating effect on cats.

catus a tabbylike wildcat from North Africa, thought to be the primary ancestor of all domestic cats.

chinchilla coloring in which the tips of the hairs are black or another color, with the under hairs being white or pale.

cobby having a low-lying body on short legs. dam mother.

FAIDS Feline Acquired Immune Deficiency Syn­drome, a weakened immune system often brought on by feline leukemia.

feline relating to or resembling a cat.

feral domesticated but living in the wild.

flehmen response the trancelike sneer often seen on the face of a male as it smells the urine of a sexually receptive female.

frill the hairs framing the head in long-haired breeds, also known as the ruff.