The term raptor is derived from the Latin word rapio, meaning "to seize or take by force". The common names for various birds of prey are based on structure, but many of the traditional names do not reflect the … See more

Birds of prey (raptors) are known to display patterns of sexual dimorphism. It is commonly believed that the dimorphisms found in raptors … See more

Birds of prey have been historically persecuted both directly and indirectly. In the Danish Faroe Islands, there were rewards … See more

Historical classifications
The taxonomy of Carl Linnaeus grouped birds (class Aves) into orders, genera, and species, with no formal ranks between genus and order. … See more

Migratory behaviour evolved multiple times within accipitrid raptors.
The earliest event occurred nearly 14 to 12 million years ago. This result seems to be one of the oldest … See more

It is a long-standing belief that birds lack any sense of smell, but it has become clear that many birds do have functional olfactory systems. … See more

Some evidence supports the contention that the African crowned eagle occasionally views human children as prey, with a witness account of one attack (in which the victim, a seven-year-old boy, survived and the eagle was killed), and the discovery of part of a … See more