The Pectoral Limb of Pariah Kite (Milvus migrans): A Gross Morphometrical Study

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to identify the species on the basis of bones and to recognize the differentiating features between Pariah Kite and Domestic Fowl.

The morphology of the pectoral girdle, the skeletal structure connecting the wing to the body, is a key determinant of flight capability, but in some respects is poorly known among stem birds. Gross morphometry was performed on the forelimb or pectoral limb of a Pariah kite (Milvus migrans). It was obtained from the Department of Wildlife Health and Management at the Veterinary College in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. Pariah kite's pectoral limb was made up of the following bones: Humerus, Radius, and Ulna, Carpals, Carpometacapus, and Digits. The humerus was the longest and biggest of the forelimb bones. The proximal extremity was bigger and flatter in the craniocaudal plane than the distal extremity. The radius was narrower and thinner than the ulna. Both bones were separated by a vast interosseus gap proximally and a limited space distally. The shaft's exterior surface was covered with a series of tiny bony projections that served as attachment places for secondary wing feathers. We discovered that the forelimb of the Pariah Kite may be clearly distinguished by noting the narrower and flattened proximal extremity, elongated head and deltoid crest of the humerus, thinner prismatic shaft of radius and semicylindrical shaft, and bony projections on the outer surface of the ulna.