The branching pattern of the aortic arch in the long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus Cretzschmar 1829).

The aim of this study was to investigate the vascular branching morphology of the aortic arch in the long-legged buzzard. For this purpose, two long-legged buzzards were evaluated in this study. The latex injection method was used to investigate the branching of the aortic arch. Two innominate brachiocephalic trunks branched continually from aortic arch caudoventral to the primary bronchi and ventral to the syrinx. The left subclavian artery gave rise to sternoclavicular, thoracic, axillary and intercostal arteries in this region. On the right side, it was observed that the right subclavian artery gave off thoracic, sternoclavicular and intercostal arteries, and the axillary artery was the branch of thoracic artery differently from the left one. Each carotid artery was continued to the middle of the neck and soon disappeared, becoming covered by the muscles of the anterior part of the neck, and entering the canal formed by the inferior spinous processes of the cervical vertebrae, within which it ran hidden, and in close contact with its fellow of the other lateral side, to near the head. This morphological study in the long-legged buzzard will elucidate the vascular organization for regional blood supply, and provide specific anatomical data.