CLASSIFICA TION 
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group of birds, the hawks, owls, and vultures, which are 
given the technical name of Raptores (rap-to'rez: Latin, 
rapere, to ravish), birds of prey. The bird books describe 
the Raptores as follows: toes four, three in front and one 
behind, except in the vultures; all toes armed with strong, 
sharp, curved talons (tal'unz); bill with a cere (ser: Latin, 
Figure 99. — Head of Young Eagle. 
Notice the curved beak for tearing. 
sera, wax) or covering of skin at its base through which 
the nostrils open, very stout and strong, the upper mandible 
tipped with a sharp pointed hook. 
In addition to this classification by structure, which is 
essential for a careful study of birds, they are also classi¬ 
fied by their habits. For example, birds are divided into 
four classes based on their migratory habits. Birds like 
the downy woodpecker and English sparrow are permanent 
residents throughout their range, that is, they can be found 
within given limits at any time of year, while bobolinks 
