G'day Russell
re your raptor skull:
I suspect that measurements alone will not be enough to identify the skull. It
probably will require comparison of size and shape of various component parts.
The conformation of the upper and lower mandibles is particularly informative -
and you may be able to identify it by comparison with photographs of your local
species, eg Whistling Kite has a fairly distinctive beak. However, for a
definitive identification I suggest that you take the specimen to Rory O'Brien
at the Melbourne Museum - he can then compare it directly to skulls of all Aust
raptors.
In answer to your second question - can it be kept or used for educational
purposes - the strict answer is not without a permit from the Dept of Natural
Resources and Environment. In Victoria, the Wildlife Act 1975 prohibits
possession and trade in wildlife without a permit. And wildlife is defined very
broadly to include any part of indigenous animals, dead or alive, cooked or raw,
so strictly speaking you cannot even collect feathers!
Peter
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