What is a raptor?

Artist's depiction of Velociraptor mongoliensis by Matt Martyniuk, cc-by2.5

The first time many people heard the word raptor was when they were watching the movie “Jurassic Park,” but raptors are very much alive in our world today. A raptor is defined as a bird of prey and includes such common species as hawks, eagles, owls, and even vultures. Raptors have strong, hooked beaks for tearing meat, and sharp, strong talons for seizing prey.

Some species of raptors, like the osprey, are fairly specialized and hunt mainly fish, while others will take nearly any kind of small prey they can catch. Some, like the vultures, are carrion eaters, using their ability to fly long distances quickly to get to the dead body before other scavengers can find it.
People commonly think of raptors as swooping down to catch a small animal and carry it off to the nest for a leisurely meal. While this does happen, many raptors also catch and eat other birds. The Cooper’s hawk and the Sharp-shinned hawk for example, eat mainly songbirds that they catch right out of the air using their superior speed, maneuverability and their sharp grasping talons. Some hawks will even catch and eat smaller hawks. Hawks will sometimes attack and kill an animal that is too large to be carried away. In these cases, they will tear into the animal and eat it at the site of the kill, often defending it from other predators.

There are many anecdotal reports of moderately sized hawks seizing and carrying off full grown chickens and even small dogs. Chickens, and especially hens, through centuries of domestication, have lost the ability to defend themselves or even to effectively flee a raptor attack and are particularly vulnerable. Keeping roosters in the flock helps somewhat as they have been bred to act as lookouts and protectors for the flock and will often give an early warning of an overhead raptor. Even a rooster though is no match for a determined chicken hawk.

Raptors play a major part in the age old balance between predator and prey, helping to keep populations of snakes, rodents, and many other animals that are often classified as pests in check. Raptors, themselves, are vulnerable to man-made threats such as the accumulation of pesticides in the environment. Before being banned, the commonly used pesticide DDT was largely responsible for decimating many raptor species throughout North America. While small amounts of DDT were present in individual insects and prey animals, the pesticide was persistent and would build up in the tissues of predators like raptors over time. It interfered with the raptors ability to produce eggshells thick enough to last until the chicks were ready to hatch.

With the banning of such harsh pesticides and active repopulation and support programs, Peregrine Falcons and other raptors whose numbers were greatly reduced have made successful comebacks, in many cases returning from the brink of extinction. The encroachment of civilization and the loss of habitat, including suitable migratory stopover locations, still poses a serious threat to raptor populations.

Organizations like the Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) send volunteers out during the migratory season to make systematic counts of raptor species so that population trends can be identified and early warnings can be given in time to help, if populations of certain species are seen to be on the decline in various regions of the country. When migrating, some raptors will circle together in great flocks called cauldrons or kettles.

Raptors spend many hours soaring in the sky looking for prey and rising aloft on the strong updraft of thermal currents. Raptors are fun to watch and because they tend to circle around in one area for a considerable length of time, a birdwatcher with a good pair of birdwatching binoculars will usually have plenty of time to watch them, once spotted.

A list of Raptors commonly found in the United States
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) American Kestrel photos
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)
Golden Eagle (Aquila chtysaetos)
Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
Harris’ Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
Merlin (Falco columbarius)
Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississppiensis)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrines)
Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)
Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) Slideshow of turkey vulture pictures
Owls

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