Watch the Raptors!
We must never take our eyes for granted. With our sense of sight, we are able to see the beauty the world offers. In fact, some of the most engaging recreational activities involve the use of our eyes. Bird watching is an example.
Avid bird watchers take note of every minute detail regarding the birds they observe. They know the kinds of birds and the groups they belong to.
Raptors or birds of prey have talons which they use to hunt for their food. They have curved tops to their beaks and their vision is top notch.
1. Eagles – with long and broad wings, they are the only birds who can directly look at the sun. They have massive legs, sharp talons and powerful hooked beaks which they use to rip their prey in half. Because of their large pupils, their eyesight is so keen that they can spot their prey from afar.
2. Kites – have long wings but their legs are weak. They are so called because they spend a majority of their time soaring high up in the sky. They feed on carrion.
3. Falcons – are slightly smaller than eagles with long pointed wings. They are swift flyers and can rapidly change directions. They do not build their own nests. Instead, they inhabit the old nests of other birds. They lay eggs in tree hollows or on cliff ledges. They are also very intelligent.
4. Owls – are nocturnal and solitary hunting birds. They are silent flyers and their senses of hearing and sight are very, very accurate. They prey on small insects, small mammals and other birds.
5. Hawks – are woodland birds with long tails. They dash and plunge towards their prey when they hunt. Like falcons, hawks are intelligent birds. They have high IQ when it comes to feeding habits. Their vision is 20⁄20 and eight times more acute when compared to human beings.
6. Harriers – large and slender with long tails and long thin legs, they are often mistaken for hawks. Their hunting style is circling over grasslands, marshes and meadows. They hunt for small animals or birds.
7. Vultures - are scavenging birds which feed mostly on carcasses. Like hawks, they also have keen eyesight. Like harriers, their hunting method is circling over meadows and marshes for their prey.
8. Osprey – is a medium-sized raptor which hunts for fish. It has closable nostrils used for diving and backwards facing scales as talons used to catch its prey. It hovers from above and plunges feet first into the water.
With an interesting array of raptors, who can blame the bird watchers for getting hooked on this hobby?
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