Chordate Zoology - Textbook - Y. V. Tsaryk - 2013

Chapter 5. SUPERCLASS TETRAPODS (TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATES) TETRAPODS, seu QUADRIPEDA.

ANAMNIOTES (ANAMNIA) AND AMNIOTES (AMNIOTA)

5.3. CLASS BIRDS AVES

5.3.3. Systematics and characteristics of representatives of the main orders of the class Aves

5.3.3.2. Superorder Typical Birds, or Paleognaths and Neognaths Neognathae

5.3.3.2.13. Order Falcons Falconiformes

The order comprises about 270 (313) species (ranging in mass from 60 g to 12 kg) with a characteristic predatory appearance. Distributed globally, they inhabit all terrestrial landscapes. The beak is short yet powerful, featuring a sharply downturned, acute tip. At the Base of the beak lies the cere—a patch of bare, often brightly colored Skin where the external nostrils open. The Muscular System of the breast and hindlimbs is well-developed. Strong toes terminate in large, curved talons. The eyes are large. The Esophagus and crop are highly distensible. The walls of the muscular Stomach are comparatively weak. Females are most frequently larger than males; in some species, the plumage coloration of males is brighter than that of females. They walk little on the ground. Flight is swift and precise, with many species capable of prolonged soaring. They feed on animal matter. Active during the day. Monogamous. In some species, pairs persist until the death of one of the partners. They nest in solitary pairs, actively defending their breeding territory, and only a few species nest in groups. The nest—a haphazard heap of scattered twigs—is placed in branch forks, on rock ledges, or on the ground. Larger species lay 1–2 eggs, while smaller ones lay up to 4–7. Both partners incubate the clutch and feed the nestlings. The hatchlings emerge covered in down and altricial-sighted (precocial/nidifugous features depending on context, keeping natural Translation: hatched downy and eyed). They remain in the nest for 1.5–2 months in smaller species and 3–4 months in larger ones, until they learn to fly.

The order is divided into five families: New World vultures Cathartidae, secretarybirds Sagittariidae, ospreys Pandionidae, falcons Falconidae, and hawks Accipitridae.

The family New World vultures Cathartidae is a distinctive group of six species found exclusively in the Americas. They differ from other birds of prey in A number of minor details. They feed on carrion, which they locate while soaring in flight, and almost never catch live prey. The populations of these birds are declining sharply.

The family Accipitridae unites about 200 species. Hawks either wait for prey from a concealed perch or fly along forest edges to seize startled animals. Short wings and a long tail provide maneuverability, enabling hawks to pursue prey—predominantly birds—through tree canopies. Large predators include various eagles (Fig. 5.45, 13). They spot prey (hares, large birds) while soaring high in the air and plunge toward it swiftly, occasionally ambushing rodents (such as ground squirrels) by waiting near their burrows. Kites are typical polyphages, consuming insects, rodents, small birds, various types of carrion, including fish. They search for prey by flying over fields, meadows, and bodies of Water, or by walking on the ground. Vultures feed on animal carcasses, which they locate by soaring in the air for hours at such an altitude that the birds (with a wingspan reaching up to 3 m) are barely visible from the ground.

The family Falconidae (Falcons). They feed on animal matter and typically do not eat carrion. Their primary hunting method involves swift flight and a stoop toward flying or running prey. Large falcons hunt mammals and birds, even attacking animals larger than themselves (ducks, hares). Small falcons feed on mouse-like rodents and large insects, and more rarely capture small birds.

Even today, in some regions, large falcons, hawks, and golden eagles are utilized as trained raptors for sport and even commercial hunting.