CAS Species Identification & Classification Flashcards
6 cards from real CAS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CAS Species Identification & Classification flashcards as text
Which of the following species is a softbill rather than a psittacine?
Answer: Toucan
Toucans are softbills (family Ramphastidae), not psittacines; they have large, lightweight bills and primarily eat fruit rather than seeds.
What characteristic defines a 'monomorphic' bird species in terms of identification?
Answer: Males and females look identical or nearly identical
Monomorphic species show no visible difference between males and females, making sex determination by appearance alone unreliable or impossible.
The Ara genus includes which group of birds?
Answer: Macaws
The genus Ara encompasses many large macaw species including the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) and Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna).
Which region of the world has the greatest diversity of wild parrot species?
Answer: Central and South America
Central and South America host the greatest diversity of parrot species, including macaws, conures, Amazons, pionus, and caiques, due to vast tropical ecosystems.
What feature distinguishes Amazon parrots (genus Amazona) visually from macaws?
Answer: Amazons are stocky with short tails and no bare facial skin
Amazon parrots are stocky with relatively short tails and fully feathered faces, distinguishing them from the long-tailed macaws with their distinctive bare facial patches.
Which of the following correctly pairs a bird species with its family classification?
Answer: African Grey Parrot — Psittacidae
The African Grey Parrot belongs to the family Psittacidae (true parrots), while cockatoos including Sulphur-crested belong to Cacatuidae.