Basic introduction of Chinese names: Latin scientific name of Falconiformes: Falconiformes: Animal kingdom: Chordata subfamily: Vertebrates subfamily: Birds subfamily: Falconiformes: 5 families, genera: 80 genera, species: 32 1 species Naming time: Sharp, 1874 Appearance characteristics and living habits. Appearance characteristics Falconiformes have strong curved jaws, exposed wax membranes, eyes and toes. Birds, such as vultures and vultures, vary greatly in size, and their body length can reach 120 cm. Kites and falcons are about 30 ~ 50 cm smaller, and some, such as red-legged falcons and white-legged falcons, are only 10 ~ 20 cm, which is not much bigger than sparrows. The largest vulture in China's raptors, with wings as long as 755 ~ 839 mm, wings spread over 2000 mm and weight of 8000 ~12000 g; The little kestrel is only slightly bigger than the sparrow, with the wing length of 106 ~ 1 17mm and the weight of 50 ~ 62g. White-legged falcon is vigorous and quick; There are single-tooth protrusions on both sides of the tip of the eagle's mouth, and arc-shaped protrusions on the cutting edge of the eagle's mouth, which are suitable for tearing prey and swallowing; The floor of the mouth is usually covered with a wax film or beard. Strong wings. Eagle's wings are wide and blunt, and it is good at hovering in the sky for a long time; Falconidae has slightly narrow wings and fast flight speed, and is good at preying on prey in flight; Tail feathers have different shapes, most of which are 12 pieces; Feet and toes are strong and powerful, usually 3 toes forward and 1 toe backward, showing unequal toe type. There are sharp claws at the ends of toes; The color of body feathers is monotonous, mostly grayish brown, brown or slate grayish brown, or dirty grayish white mixed stripe feathers; Usually has small secondary feathers; Generally, eiderdown is relatively developed. Females are slightly larger than males. The skull is wider, the supraorbital bone is enlarged, the eyeball is bigger, the field of vision is wide, and the vision is keen; Well-developed hearing; Broad sternum; The bones of the lower limbs are strong, the phalanges are slightly longer, and the flexor tendons are developed, which strengthens the grip of the claws and is conducive to tearing and puncture. The crop is enlarged, the stomach wall is thin and the digestive glands are developed; No sand sac structure; Large appetite and indigestible residues in food, such as bones, feathers, hair, etc. , often forming small lumps to spit out; 14 ~ 17 cervical vertebra; Carotid arteries are paired left and right; Cecal degeneration. The feathers of vultures are mainly brown, black and white, and the color of the ventral surface is lighter than that of the dorsal surface, which is beneficial to concealment during hunting. Hawkeye birds have long legs, strong legs, strong hooks, beaks and claws, which are deadly tools for hunting. Vultures, vultures, etc. Mainly feeding on carrion, the beak and claws are far less sharp than eagles and eagles with superb hunting skills. Hawkeye has keen vision, can find fast-moving prey at a long distance, and can quickly adjust the focal length. Living habits All the characteristics of the Eagle-shaped order show that they are good hunters in nature, and most of them move during the day. They are good at hunting and their flying skills are superb, giving people a fierce impression. According to their size, their food ranges from mammals to insects. Some birds don't take the initiative to hunt, but only eat dead animals. Hawkeye has a long life span, but its reproductive success rate is not high. The life span of wild eagles will be much shorter than that of artificially raised animals, and the biggest threat in the wild is the infection caused by hunting injuries. Habitat environment is diverse, which can be seen in mountains, plains, foothills, grasslands, coastal cliffs, rivers, lakes or swamps and grasslands. Daytime activities. Eagles and eagles can hover in the sky for a long time, and falcons can hunt birds flexibly and quickly; Most of them are mainly animal foods; Food is diverse and changes with the seasons; Generally, they live in pairs and nest in cliffs, tree crowns, stone piles in desert grasslands, tree holes or larger rat holes. A few live in groups (such as vultures and falcons). Distribution range (distribution map) Except Antarctica and a few islands, birds of Hawkiformes are widely distributed all over the world. Most birds that grow and breed eagles are monogamous, and both males and females feed their offspring. Young birds grow very fast, and some kinds of birds are bigger than adults before they leave their nests. Young birds need 1-3 years for sexual maturity. Most eagles nest on tall trees or cliffs. Large species spawn 1 ~ 2 eggs per nest, while small species spawn 3 ~ 5 eggs per nest. The incubation period of large species is about 45 days, and the chicks stay in the nest for 2 months and then fly out; The incubation period of the race is about 30 days, and the chicks stay in the nest for about 1 month before flying out. Chickens are late bloomers. Generally, females hatch eggs, and males stand guard nearby, hunting and brooding. In China, the birds of prey of eagle order are mostly migratory birds. Yellow-claw falcon and red-footed falcon came to northeast China and north China to breed in late spring and early summer. In early autumn, the group moved south for the winter, and a few stayed in South China and the Indian Peninsula. Some fly over the Indian Ocean to spend the winter in eastern and southern Africa. Golden eagles and vultures stay in North China in winter and are stray birds. Hawks have a long life span. Race can live 15 ~ 25 years, and large species such as golden eagle can live for 80 years. The value of golden eagle The birds of prey in Hawkiformes are mostly beneficial birds in agriculture and forestry, which play an important role in restraining rats and pests. Humans have long used the characteristics of eagle-shaped purpose to domesticate them to serve themselves. The mighty shape and magical hunting ability of the eagle have always been loved by people. Domestication of the order Hawkiformes is still widespread all over the world, and there is a great demand for its specimens, so it is difficult to stop the trade with the birds of the order Hawkiformes. The eagle's habit determines their position at the top of the food chain and is an important force of natural selection. Their existence eliminates many old, weak, sick and disabled individuals in nature and balances the whole natural ecology. Long-term evolution also makes them have many special abilities, and resistance to harmful microorganisms is one of them. Hawkiformes will eat many infected individuals in their lifetime, but they can ensure that they are not infected and control the spread of diseases well. Population Status Since the 20th century, the wide application of pesticides has brought great disasters to these birds at the top of the food chain, and the rapid accumulation of toxic substances in their bodies has caused serious harm to them. For example, the bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, is affected by DDT and cannot lay eggs normally. Animal culture Falcon-shaped birds are vigorous and powerful, and are regarded as gods and worshipped in all major civilizations. Many countries also choose them as national birds, symbolizing the national spirit. Subordinate classification In the DNA classification system of birds, the order Hawkiformes corresponds to the order Hawkiformes of Crocodiles, while the American vulture family becomes a subfamily of Crocodiles. In Europe, people used to classify falcons and vultures in the order Hawkiformes (about 220 species), while the American Society of Ornithology partially adopted the bird DNA classification system to classify American salamanders as crocodiles, while the family Hawkiformes and Falconidae remained in the order Hawkiformes. In the traditional bird classification system, there are more than 290 species of Hawkiformes belonging to 5 families, namely, Hawkiformes, 63 genera and 239 species, which can be divided into 10 subfamily. Worldwide distribution, including eagles, eagles, harriers, owls, vultures and so on. The cutting edge of the beak has arc-shaped protrusions, which are suitable for tearing prey and swallowing, and the base is usually covered with wax film or whiskers. Strong wings, wide and blunt wings, good at hovering and soaring in the sky for a long time. Carnivorous or scavengers. There are 46 species of ***20 genera in China, such as the crested bee eagle Pernis ptilorhynchus, the black-eared kite Milvus lineatus, the white-bellied harrier circus spilonotus, the white-tailed harrier circus cyaneus, the red-bellied eagle Aipiter soloensis, the sparrow eagle Aipiter virgatus, the goshawk Aipiter trivirgatus, and the common owl. There are 63 species of Falconidae, belonging to 10 genus, including Kara eagle and various falcons. Global distribution. There are 2 genera 1 1 species in China. There is a dentate process on both sides of the beak tip, and there is no wax film or whisker at the base. Wings are long and narrow. Flying fast, good at chasing prey in flight. Because of its superb hunting skills, it is often domesticated as a bird hunter, resulting in a decline in the number. Falco peregrinus is a peregrinus, the fastest diving bird and one of the most widely distributed birds. It is distributed in all continents except Antarctica, but its number is very rare. There are 5 genera and 7 species of vultures in the United States. Distributed in the United States. Large raptor. There is sarcoma in the head and neck. There is a layer of wax film on the base of beak, which is relatively thin and weak. Legs short to medium, feet weak. Feed on carrion. Vultur gryphus is the largest bird of prey in the world, with a body length of1.5m, wings of 3m and a weight of10kg. The California condor (North American condor) Gymnogyps californianus, distributed in California, USA, is one of the rarest birds in the world. Once it was reduced to 24, it was protected to more than 100. Cathartes aura, a red-headed American vulture, is the most widely distributed and abundant American vulture, ranging from southern Canada to the southernmost part of America, and is also one of the southernmost raptors. There are only 1 species of Oncomelanidae, that is, Oncomelanidae. It is distributed all over the world except South America and Antarctica. The upper body is brown, * * * white, and the head is white. The outer toe can be turned into the opposite toe, which is covered with prickly scales. They live in a large area of coastal and inland waters, feed on fishing, generally fly back to the sky or watch fish on the water, occasionally hover slowly on the water or vibrate their feathers to stop in the air and then plunge into the water, leaving only the tip of their wings on the water. There are only 1 species of Sagittarius, which is Sagittarius. Distributed in Africa. Looks like a heron and is suitable for catching snakes. There is no wax film at the base of beak, the skin of mouth and eyelids is bare, and the central tail feather is special. Distributed in central and southern Africa, inhabiting savanna and open forest areas. If you are good at running, you can kick the snake out with your long feet.