BIOL 427 Specimen Lab - 3 “Raptors, Rails and Shorebirds!” David Toews Lab: BioDiversity Room 060 Office: BioDiversity Room 116 [email protected] Faconiformes vs. Accipitriformes Early Bird Tree “Shakes Up” Avian Tree of Life (HackeN et al. 2008) Hawks Falcons Parrots and Passerines This Week: Falconiformes Accipitriformes (Hacke' et al. 2008) Falconiformes - Falcons and Merlins diurnal birds of prey have long wings which are bent at “wrist” have notched bill used to “sever the spinal column” of their prey Peregrine’s can dive over 300km/hr Accipitriformes - Hawks and Eagles also diurnal birds of prey hooked bills and strong, curved talons osprey has reversible outer toe; sharp spicules for holding fish Secretarybird from Africa females usually larger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68BPPVVpN7s than males red-tailed cooper’s Buteo Accipiter Gruiformes - Cranes and Rails Sandhill crane Virginia rail American coot rails are extremely secreVve American coots usually seen with ducks; have lobed toes Cranes have feathers that “droop” over their rump and fly with necks outstretched, which (1) Sunbiern (2) Gray Crowned Crane (3) Water Rail disVnguishes them from herons (4) Gray-winged Trumpeter (5) Great Bustard Charadriiformes - Shorebirds and Gulls gull’s are opportunisVc feeders; can be challenging to disVnguish sandpipers and plovers “slender, probing bill with long legs” “winnowing” of Wilson’s snipe (tail feathers) (1) Pheasant-tailed Jacana (2) Snowy Sheathbill Alcidae; superficially similar to (3) Eurasian Woodcock (4) Atlantic Puffin (5) Blacksmith Lapwing penguins (black-and-white and (6) Ring-billed Gull (7) Black Skimmer stand upright) killdeer semi-palmated plover no hind toe! sanderling (alternate plumage) up-turned bill greater yellow-legs lesser yellow-legs basic plumage alternate plumage dunlin Eldey - last known site of a Great Auk “The last pair, found incubating an egg, was killed there on 3 July 1844, on request from a merchant who wanted specimens.” Great Auk - exnct Columbiformes - Pigeons and Doves have a fleshy mass at the base of the bill invariably lay two eggs watch a pigeon drink: it “sucks” as opposed to “sips” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik7mHp3E3D4 the exVnct “Dodo” was a large pigeon .