Body Condition Score

When raptors are evaluated for weight and appearance, a body condition scoring evaluation is performed.  Scoring rates are:
1 severe emaciation; 2-3 emaciation with prominent keel; 4-5 slight prominent keel (flying weight of a conditioned bird); 5-6 ideal weight;
7-8 slight to moderately overweight; 9 markedly overweight. What do the following pictures suggest?

• Answer:
BCS of 1   incompatible with life
BCS 7-8   A robust female RTH from the wild

EYES

The nictitating membrane is a thin transparent membrane moving medial to lateral over the eye. What is its function?

• Answer:
The nictitating membrane helps to keep the eye moist and may close over the eye during flight for protection of the eye.

EYES

Bird of Prey eyes are so large they fill their orbital socket. They must turn their head, not their eyes to scan their surroundings. What structure of the eye protects the eye and holds the eye in place?

• Answer:
Sclerotic ring:
The sclerotic ring is a ring made up of overlapping bony plates, providing structure and support for the eye. This structure along with the eye is fixed in place within the skull.

EYES

The Iris is a thin, annular structure within the eye that controls the diameter and size of the pupil, regulating the amount of light reaching the retina. Eye color is defined by the iris and is determined by both pigments and refraction of light. Eye color can also be an indication of age. Many young birds will have what color iris?

• Answer:
light blue:
Some young raptors will have light blue to grey eyes changing during their first year of life.

Raptor Egg Tooth

A pipped egg is when the raptor chick is beginning to hatch, breaking through the egg membrane and shell. To facilitate this part of hatching, the chick is equipped with what?

• Answer:
Egg Tooth:
Development of the egg tooth begins approximately on the seventh day of incubation. A small pointed keratinized process, the egg tooth, will form on the rostral part of the upper bill. Once the chick is hatched, the egg tooth will not continue to grow or develop and will fall off by two weeks of age.

Uropygial Gland, also known as the preen gland or oil gland is a bilobed gland located dorsally at the base of the tail. The clear, oily fluid expressed from this gland is important for what function?

• Answer:
Waterproofing the feathers:
The material produced by this gland also has antibacterial and antifungal components, which helps to maintain skin integrity.

The bird’s beak may also be referred to as the bill or rostrum. The beak consists of bones of the upper and lower jaw. What is the term used to describe the upper and lower beak?

• Answer:
upper beak is termed the maxillary rostrum
lower beak is termed the mandibular rostrum

What term is used to describe the cutting edge of the raptor’s beak?

• Answer:
Tomium is the cutting edge of each side of the beak. The tomium matches the opposing side of the maxilla and mandible