Birds Of Prey | Parc Omega
Raptors, or birds of prey, are birds that primarily hunt and eat on vertebrates that are enormous in comparison to the hunter. They also have great eyesight for locating food from afar or while flying, powerful feet with talons for gripping or killing prey, and powerful, curved beaks for cutting flesh. Many birds, such as fish eagles, vultures, and condors, eat carrion in addition to hunting live prey. The term raptor comes from the Latin word rapio, which means to seize or take by force. Storks, herons, gulls, phorusrhacids, skuas, penguins, kookaburras, and shrikes, as well as many insectivorous songbirds, are examples of birds of prey not covered by the ornithological definition. Some prehistoric predatory birds, such as mousebird relatives (Sandcoleidae), Messelasturidae, and some Enantiornithes, had talons that resembled those of present birds of prey, indicating possible comparable behaviour. To be classified as a raptor, a bird must be carnivorous, which means it hunt...