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In summertime various spooks tend to find their way into laboratories. The environmental and biochemistry laboratory of the Department of Zoology at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, where we do the analyses of raptor genes, is no exception, and so the results of the genetic analyses were delayed. But now the technical glitches are history, the analyses have been completed and the sexes of the buzzard chicks – sons and daughters – are clear. Here we recall the most important measurements because from those everyone can make an educated guess about the sex of a young buzzard – as for other raptors, the buzzard boys are lighter in weight and have slimmer legs than the girls.

 

Mari and Mihkel’s  progeny were measured on May 23rd and June 1st, and the measures show their respective sex quite well. But the legs of young buzzards do not actually grow slimmer with time: on the two dates the calliper was simply operated by different people with different measurement routines.

 

 The buzzards had visitors once more

 

·        Oldest: Max (L32537) – Girl; at 21 days tarsus 8,4 x 7,0 mm and weight 670g; at  29 days tarsus  8,3 x 6,6 mm and weight 770 g

·        Middle: Midi (L32535) – boy, at 20 says tarsus  7,5 x 6.0 mm and weight 610 g; at 28 days tarsus 7,2 x 5.8 mm and weight 660 g

·        Youngest: Maimu (L32536) – boy, at 16 days tarsus 7,5 x 6,4 mm and weight  470g; at 25 days tarsus 7,2 x 6.0 mm and weight 620 g

         

In Katrin and Kalju’s home the measuring took place on June 10th. Here,  determination of sex by size was more intricate – for a buzzard boy Boss has a surprisingly sturdy leg, and Kulla was strangely light to be a buzzard girl; maybe the illness left marks on her after all.

·        Apparently oldest: Boss (L32548) – boy; at 31 days tarsus 8,0 x 6,8 mm and weight 700 g

·        Apparently middle: Kalle (L32547) – girl; at 31 days tarsus 7,8 x 6,5 mm and weight 800 g

·        Youngest: Kulla (L32549) – girl; at 29 days tarsus 7,8 x 6,7 mm and weight 680 g

 

How to distinguish buzzards from each other: LINK