Folia Historico-Naturalia Musei Matraensis - A Mátra Múzeum Természetrajzi Közleményei 21. (1996)

Scapula The length ranges of the scapula show a great overlap among the species, but the already shown size order of the species is not changed here. Only the Eleonora's Falcon is separated without overlap from the other species. The male of the Merlin and Kestrel does largely overlap, but the size of the females is different. In the Lesser Kestrel the size of scapula of the females is smaller than in the males, and hence only the latter overlaps with the Red-footed Falcon (Plate VIII, Figure 1). Morphologically the species form two groups. The scapula of the Eleonora's Falcon and Hobby is very similar to the large-statured Falcons, they are only smaller. The caput scapulae is considerably larger than in the Kestrels, and the corpus scapulae is widening more near the caudal edge than in the latter species. Although in the Merlin the caput scapulae is smaller (if we separate the sexes the size ranges do not overlap with the Hobby), and more similar to that of the Kestrels, but the corpus scapulae is widening near the caudal edge similarly to the Hobby (Plate XXXVI, Figure 16). The other group is formed by the Kestrels, where the caput scapulae is smaller, the corpus is thinner, and near the caudal end it is widening less. These characteristics can be most clearly observed in the Red-footed Falcon (Plate XXXVI, Figure 18). The scapula of the Eleonora's Falcon is just slightly larger than that of the Hobby, the extremes of the two species are near to each-other. The longitudinal axis of the scapula is usually more curved in the Kestrels than in the true Falcons, and most curved in the Red-footed Falcon (dorsal view, Plate XXXVI, Figures 15-19). The margo dorsalis near the caudal edge of the bone in the Hobby and Eleonora's Falcon is concave, or straight at most, in the Merlin and in the Kestrels slightly convex. Summary Falco subbuteo: - the caput scapulae is large, - the corpus scapulae widens most near the caudal end of the bone in this species, - the margo dorsalis is concave at the caudal end of the bone. Falco columbarius: - the caput scapulae is middle-sized, the corpus is relatively wide, - the longitudinal axis of the scapula is only slightly curved, - the margo dorsalis is slightly convex at the caudal end of the bone. Falco eleonorae: - the scapula is large, the caput scapulae is especially large, - the margo dorsalis is either concave or straight at the caudal end of the bone. Falco tinnunculus: - the caput scapulae is middle-sized, the corpus is narrow, - the longitudinal axis of the scapula is more curved, - the margo dorsalis is convex at the caudal end of the bone. Falco vespertinus: - the caput scapulae is small, the corpus is thinnest in this species, - the longitudinal axis of the scapula is most curved in this species, - the corpus scapulae widens only very slightly near the caudal end of the bone, the margo dorsalis is convex near the apex. Falco naumanni: - the scapula is very small, the corpus scapulae is thin, - the margo dorsalis is convex at the caudal end of the bone. 25