Curlie

Raptors

Raptors are meat-eating birds, also called birds of prey, that have keen eyesight, 8 sharp talons, and a hooked beak. There are more than 450 kinds of raptors. About 300, like falcons, are active during the day (diurnal) and over 150, such as owls, hunt at night (nocturnal). Most raptors live in tall trees and other high places. Some birds have learned to live with humans and have their nests on tall buildings in big cities.

All sites submitted to this category must be designed for use by kids and teens and provide information on or aboutraptors, in general.

Websites designed for parents or teachers, or to sell products or services, will not be accepted.

Sites providing information about specific raptors (eagles, hawks, etc.) should be submitted to the appropriate subcategory.

Eagles

Eagles are medium to large-sized birds of prey that use soaring or sprinting flight to hunt. They build a stick nest and lay 1 - 3 eggs that have a green inner lining. There are four different types of eagles.

Typical or booted eagles range in size and shape from small hawk-eagles to large soaring eagles.

Serpent or snake-eagles mainly eat reptiles and carrion. The lower legs are covered by armor-like scales that help protect against snakebites.

Forest eagles live in tropical rainforests, and include some of the largest and most powerful eagles. Their lower legs are not feathered.

Sea or fish-eagles are large, powerful, long-winged eagles. These eagles do not have feathers on their lower legs. They have rough surfaces on the pads of their feet for holding slippery fish.

All sites submitted to this category must be designed for use by kids and teens, and provide information on or about eagles.

Websites designed for parents or teachers, or to sell products or services, will not be accepted.

Falcons

Falcons are birds of prey (raptors) that are related to hawks and eagles. They have long, pointed wings; a medium to long tail; a short neck; and a short, hooked beak. They can be 6 to 25 inches long and weigh up to 4 pounds.

Species of falcon include kestrels, caracaras, hobbies, falconets, and merlins.

Strong, fast fliers, falcons strike or grab their prey with sharp claws. Most eat birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Some, however, only eat insects or carrion.

Several species of falcons are endangered.

All sites submitted to this category must be designed for use by kids and teens and provide information on or about falcons, in general, or any of the specific species.

Websites designed for parents or teachers, or to sell products or services, will not be accepted.

Hawks

Hawks are a group of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. These birds have slender bodies with short broad rounded wings and a long tail. They have long legs, long sharp talons, and a sharp hooked bill. There are four groups of hawks.

Accipiters or true hawks inhabit forests. They have short, broad, round wings and a long tail; long shins and long, slender toes. The female accipiter is often much larger than the male.

Harriers have a facial disc, like owls, that helps them hear their prey. Most show color differences between the adult male and female birds.

Buteos are found nearly worldwide in open country and some forested areas. They have broad wings with deeply slit wing tips; short, stout legs with short toes.

There is a miscellaneous group of hawks that do not fit into the other hawk groups. Most of these birds live in the tropics.

All sites submitted to this category must be designed for use by kids and teens, and provide information on or about different species of hawks.

Websites designed for parents or teachers, or to sell products or services, will not be accepted.

Kites

Kites are not aggressive or extremely predatory hunters. Instead, they eat small animals, insects, snails, or scavenge dead animals and garbage.

These raptors have short lower legs, relatively weak feet with short toes, long, often pointed wings, and a squared tail that may be notched or forked. Most kites are social and often nest in colonies.

The male and female birds in this group tend to be the same size, and often share the duties of nest building, incubation, and feeding the young.

All sites submitted to this category must be designed for use by kids and teens, and provide information on or about kites.

Websites designed for parents or teachers, or to sell products or services, will not be accepted.

New World Vultures

New World vultures inhabit North and South America.

They have an raised hind toe for walking. Except for hisses and grunts, they are almost silent because they have no voice box.

This group of birds includes the Andean and California condors, and the Black and Turkey Vultures.

Some believe that New World vultures are more closely related to storks than hawks and eagles.

All sites submitted to this category must be designed for use by kids and teens, and provide information on or about New World vultures.

Websites designed for parents or teachers, or to sell products or services, will not be accepted.

Ospreys

Ospreys are large, powerful raptors.

Although it looks like a hawk, it has narrow, angled wings. The structure of its feet and claws is so peculiar that it has been placed in its own subfamily, the Pandioninae.

Unlike other raptors, the Osprey has four equal toes. The outer one is reversible, enabling the bird to seize its prey with two toes pointing forwards and two pointing backwards.

All sites submitted to this category must be designed for use by kids and teens, and provide information on or about ospreys.

Websites designed for parents or teachers, or to sell products or services, will not be accepted.