This week I thought I’d stick with one of our feathered friends for the Friday Mystery Object:
Let me know what you think this specimen might be – I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Friday mystery object #550
Zygoma
Adventures in natural history collections
To begin with I thought this was a real beauty but I think that’s probably now a one in a milvion shot?
I do get a buzz from these challenges – and this one was a bute-y
Olfactory powers are strong with this one
Honey Buzzard?
Hmm… wild guess, buteo augur?
This is a tricky one. A length of 78 mm fits a raptor of buzzard (Buteo buteo) size, and its too large for a harrier (Circus spec) which also are very narrow between the eyes, as is the honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus). The skull is slender and the beak is rather small, which is not a good fit for a goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), which is more compact. The booted eagle (Hieraetus pennatus) has a somewhat bulging forehead, and the Milvus kites have a larger bill. The palate shape is too varied to base an ID on
The best fit is a common buzzard (Buteo buteo) although the bill is kind of narrow and small. The shape of the lacrimals is helpfull, but they are often missing like in this mystery skull