Gross Anatomical Studies of the Oropharyngeal Cavity in Eurasian Hobby (Falconinae: Falco Subbuteo, Linnaeus 1758)

There is no descriptive information about morphology of the oropharyngeal cavity of Eurasian Hobby. There is a common oropharyngeal cavity of Eurasian Hobby as reported in all avian species. The oral cavity of the Eurasian Hobby takes the triangular cone shape, while the roof of the oral cavity was formed by an incomplete hard palate, which presents by a long median choanal cleft, which connects the oropharynx to the nasal cavity. The choanal cleft divided into two parts; the rostral long narrow part and the caudal wide part. The infundibular cleft is very narrow, small, shorter, and more caudal midline slit-like opening. There were numerous conical backward papillae were scattered singly or arranged in five rows on the roof of the oral cavity. The arranged five rows of conical papillae; first row was the transverse huge caudomedially directed conical palatine papillae, encircled the choanal cleft. The second and third rows are longitudinal rows of the caudomedially directed papillae, were located parallel to the rostral narrow part of choana on each side. The fourth row is semicircular row of caudomedially directed conical palatine papillae, while the fifth row is oblique line of palatine papillae. The roof of pharynx has two semicircular papillary rows on the caudal border of the pharyngeal folds. The elongated tongue is non-protrusible and not extended to fill the limit of the lower beak. The laryngeal mound contains middle, elongated opening (glottis) which connected to the trachea and not guarded by the epiglottis.