beak; heak pointed, hooked, with narrow lower bill, adapted tor a 

 flesh diet; with four toes, three before and one behind, sometimes 

 with the outer one reversed; eyes directed sideways 

 Suborder CATHARTAE American Vultures 



Head usually bare; plumage of native species black; large, 

 long'V.'ingcd birds, ordinarily seen soaring 

 Family CATHARTIDAE Vultures 



With the characters of the suborder 



(3 genera, 3 species) 

 Suborder FALCONES Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, etc. 

 Head usually well feathered 

 Family ACCIPITRIIDAE Kites, Hawks, Eagles, etc. 



Beak not toothed or notched 



(14 genera, 23 species) 

 Family FALCONIDAE Falcons 



With a projection from each side of the tip of the upper 



bill fitting into a notch in each side of the lower bill 



(2 genera, 7 species) 

 Order GALLIFORMES Gallinaceous Birds 



Land birds; tibia feathered; toes usually slightly webbed; feet with 

 short hind toe elevated above the rest or else feet small and weak; 

 wings short and wide; fowl-like 

 Family CRACIDAE Curassows and Guans 



Hind toe on the same level as the rest; beak with cere 



( 1 genus, 1 species) 

 Family TETRAONIDAE Grouse 



Hind toe elevated; tarsus feathered; head feathered 



(7 genera, 11 species) ) 

 Family PERDICIDAE Quails 



Flind toe elevated; tarsus bare; head feathered 



(5 genera, 7 species) 

 Family PHASIANIDAE Pheasants 



Hind toe elevated; head partly bare 



(Species introduced from China) 

 Family MELEAGRIDIDAE Turkeys 



Hind toe elevated; head almost entirely bare and with 



comb, wattles or other growth 



(1 genus, 1 species) 

 Order GRUIFORMES Cranes, Rails and Limpkins 



Shore birds; legs very long; tibia bare below; hind toe about on 

 the same level as the rest, or else large birds, over thirty inches 

 long; toes usually not webbed; lores feathered or haired; some- 



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