Bird of prey

For other uses, see Birds of Prey (disambiguation), Bird of Prey (disambiguation), and Raptor (disambiguation).

Birds of prey
Montage of extant raptors. From top left to right: Eurasian eagle-owl, king vulture, peregrine falcon, golden eagle and bearded vulture
Montage of extant raptors. From top left to right: Eurasian eagle-owl, king vulture, peregrine falcon, golden eagle and bearded vulture
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
(unranked): Passerea
Clade: Telluraves
Groups included
Cladistically included but traditionally excluded taxa

Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators have keen eyesight for detecting prey from a distance or during flight, strong feet with sharp talons for grasping or killing prey, and powerful, curved beaks for tearing off flesh.[2][3][4] Although predatory birds primarily hunt live prey, many species (such as fish eagles, vultures and condors) also scavenge and eat carrion.[2]

Although the term "bird of prey" could theoretically be taken to include all birds that actively hunt and eat other animals,[4] ornithologists typically use the narrower definition followed in this page,[5] excluding many piscivorous predators such as storks, cranes, herons, gulls, skuas, penguins, and kingfishers, as well as many primarily insectivorous birds such as passerines (e.g. shrikes), nightjars, frogmouths, songbirds such as crows and ravens, alongside opportunistic predators from predominantly frugivorous or herbivorous ratites such as cassowaries and rheas. Some extinct predatory telluravian birds had talons similar to those of modern birds of prey, including mousebird relatives (Sandcoleidae),[6] and Messelasturidae indicating possible common descent. Some Enantiornithes also had such talons,[7] indicating possible convergent evolution, as enanthiornithines weren't even modern birds.

  1. ^ McClure, Christopher J. W.; Schulwitz, Sarah E.; Anderson, David L.; Robinson, Bryce W.; Mojica, Elizabeth K.; Therrien, Jean-Francois; Oleyar, M. David; Johnson, Jeff (2019). "Commentary: Defining Raptors and Birds of Prey". Journal of Raptor Research. 53 (4). BioOne COMPLETE: 419. doi:10.3356/0892-1016-53.4.419. S2CID 207933673.
  2. ^ a b Perrins, Christopher M; Middleton, Alex L. A., eds. (1984). The Encyclopaedia of Birds. Guild Publishing. p. 102.
  3. ^ Fowler, Denver W.; Freedman, Elizabeth A.; Scannella, John B.; Pizzari, Tom (25 November 2009). "Predatory Functional Morphology in Raptors: Interdigital Variation in Talon Size Is Related to Prey Restraint and Immobilisation Technique". PLOS ONE. 4 (11): e7999. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.7999F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007999. PMC 2776979. PMID 19946365.
  4. ^ a b Burton, Philip (1989). Birds of Prey. illustrated by Boyer, Trevor; Ellis, Malcolm; Thelwell, David. Gallery Books. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-8317-6381-7.
  5. ^ "World Book". www.worldbookonline.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05. https://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar752148
  6. ^ Mayr, Gerald (19 April 2018). "New data on the anatomy and palaeobiology of sandcoleid mousebirds (Aves, Coliiformes) from the early Eocene of Messel". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 98 (4): 639–651. Bibcode:2018PdPe...98..639M. doi:10.1007/s12549-018-0328-1. S2CID 134450324.
  7. ^ Xing, Lida; McKellar, Ryan C.; O'Connor, Jingmai K.; Niu, Kecheng; Mai, Huijuan (29 October 2019). "A mid-Cretaceous enantiornithine foot and tail feather preserved in Burmese amber". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 15513. Bibcode:2019NatSR...915513X. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-51929-9. PMC 6820775. PMID 31664115.