To improve your raptor identification skills, you must master the basics. This blog is the start of a series where we walk you through raptor vocabulary so you can better describe and understand what you are looking at when identifying a raptor.
Now let’s talk raptor anatomy! Note that this list below is not an exhaustive list of all raptor anatomy. Rather, it focuses on the terms you will most commonly need to know when identifying an individual.
Raptor Topography: Topside and Underside View
Axillaries: The wing pits or “armpit” of the birds
Belly: Mid-section of the raptor’s body
Carpal: Underwing area at the wrist where all the primaries meet
Chest/Breast: Upper area of the raptor’s body between the throat and belly
PC Jerry Liguori
Crop: a pouch along the esophagus where food is initially placed before it moves into the stomach
Greater Underwing Coverts: Wing lining or feathers covering the base of the remiges (see below)
Lesser Underwing Coverts: Feathers covering the underwing
Patagium: Area between the wrist and the body along the wing’s leading (top) edge
Primaries: Ten outer remiges of the wing; outer primaries with notches make up the “fingers” of a hawk
Rectrices: Tail feathers, raptors typically have 12
Remiges (Remex is singular): Flight feathers of the wing: primaries, secondaries, and tertials
Rump: Feathers covering the bases of the uppertail coverts (see below)
Scapulars: Feathers along the sides of the back
Secondaries: Flight feathers from the wrist to the body, making up the base of the wing
Tertials: The innermost remiges. Most raptors have two or three
Undertail Coverts: Feathers covering the underside of the base of the tail
Uppertail Coverts: Feathers covering the topside of the base of the tail
Upperwing Coverts: Feathers that cover the upperwing
Wrist: Joint on the wing’s leading (top) edge where the secondaries and primaries meet
Anatomy of the Head
Cap/Crown: Top of the head
Cere: The smooth, featherless skin just above the beak
Gape: The breadth of the bird’s mouth opening from corner to corner
Malar Stripe: a dark patch or stripe of plumage on a raptor’s cheek usually seen in falcons
Mandible: The upper and lower jaw and the beak
Nape: The back of the neck
Nare: The nasal opening in the cere
Superciliary Line: Pale feathers above the eye, often called the “eyebrow”
Tomial Tooth: A protrusion on the upper bill of some birds—including falcons and kites. Sometimes referred to as “the notch” in the bill
PC Kyler Noe
Want to take your learning further? Our free Raptor ID App (available for Apple and Android) showcases beautiful Jerry Liguori photographs (one of which is featured in this blog). You will also find a terminology list, narrated videos of raptors in flight, and in-depth identification information on individual species. Our In-hand Guide to Diurnal Raptors is also an excellent resource for growing your anatomy vocabulary, with its extensive glossary. Lastly, the Raptor ID group on Facebook is a wealth of information that allows you to ask questions to other raptor experts and enthusiasts. You can also find resources compiled by the group admins in the files tab.
Happy hawkwatching!
This blog was written by Sammy Riccio, HWI’s Donor Engagement Coordinator. You can learn more about Sammy here.
