Modern birds don't have teeth. The beaks of some species are modified according to feeding habits. This tooth is used to break the cervical vertebrae of captured prey. The upper mandible of the snail kite is elongated for extracting snails from shells. The base of the upper bill is soft and fleshy, forming the cere.
Ceres are an adaptation to a meat-eating diet.
A lack of feathers around the beak makes for easy cleaning after feeding. Diurnal birds of prey have two ear openings that lie just behind and below the eyes. In most species the opening is covered by feathers, but it's visible on birds with unfeathered heads, like vultures. Tail feathers attach to the pygostyle or tail bone. Like wings, tails create lift and balance in flight.