BIRDS OF PREY

Birds of prey

The air predators: the birds of prey

The raptors of Raptors World await you to learn up close the curiosities and secrets of the world of raptors, both diurnal and nocturnal.

Raptors are predatory birds that are placed at the top of the food pyramid of an ecosystem. Two large orders can be identified: Falconiformes , which includes all diurnal raptors, and Strigiformes , which includes all nocturnal raptors.

THE VIEW

Without a doubt, sight is the most developed sense and the one that most characterizes birds of prey. It is not for nothing that there is the saying “hawk-like vision”. The eye of birds of prey is of enormous proportions compared to the head and is protected by the superciliary arch that gives the animal the classic “evil” look and that expression of irresistible beauty mixed between the proud and the wild. Birds of prey have the ability to see in color and ultraviolet and have a power of resolving details eight times greater than that of humans.

HEARING

The ear of a bird of prey is a hole behind the cheek and is usually hidden by feathers. The hearing of these animals is more developed than ours and allows them to hear sound frequencies higher than those of humans, even touching some ultrasound ranges. The ear also plays an important role in maintaining balance, just like in humans. In nocturnal birds of prey, hearing is extremely developed; the tympanic holes are large, very close to the eyes and slightly asymmetrical to allow for more accurate localization. Nocturnal birds of prey have a facial mask made up of thick, rigid feathers arranged in several compact layers: its function is similar to that of the auricles, that is, the facial discs collect sounds from a large portion of space and direct them into the auricular openings.

THE SENSE OF SMELL

For most birds of prey, the role of smell is not yet studied, but it seems to be the least developed sense. In falcons, from the center of the nostrils, a small fleshy growth can be glimpsed that coils in a spiral, a fundamental element for gradually channeling air when the bird of prey flies in a swoop.

THE BEAK

Raptors are predatory or scavenger birds and have therefore evolved a beak that allows them to hunt and feed on other animals. It is flattened at the base and is characterized by the strong curvature of the premaxillae and maxillae. This has, at its base, a cartilaginous thickening called cere, yellowish or gray in color depending on the species, in which the nostrils are located. The beak in most falconids is the weapon with which they kill their prey. In fact, it has the so-called "tooth", a protrusion present on the jaw at the point of its maximum curvature and which serves precisely to break the cervical vertebrae of the prey. In accipitrids, the prey is killed exclusively with the claws, more developed and powerful than those of falconids and the beak has the exclusive function of opening the carcass and tearing pieces of meat from it to eat.

THE WASTES

A characteristic of birds of prey is the ability to eject the undigested parts of their prey in the form of pellets, “pellets”. These are usually emitted within 24 hours of the previous meal but can also be expelled a long time later. Birds of prey swallow not only meat but also feathers, fur and small bones and this is because in this way they are able to better absorb the nutrients contained in the food. Pellets are useful for studying the feeding of these predators.

THE SPECIES OF RAPTORS WORLD

What species of birds of prey live in Raptors World in Oltremare? Between the Owl Mill and the Delta area near the lake and the Ladybug House you will find the homes of these splendid kings and queens of the air. But the most exciting moment to meet them up close is the Flight of the Raptors, which has two daily appointments.

Common name: EAGLE OWL
Scientific name: Bubo bubo
Length: 60 - 75 cm
Weight: 1500 - 4200 g
Wingspan: 148 - 188 cm
Present in Africa, Europe and Asia. It prefers mountainous regions, where it reaches an altitude of 2000 m to find its most suitable hiding places. It can be found in alpine forests, steppes and cities, where during the day it hides in cracks in walls. It feeds on small mammals and other birds; sometimes it also hunts other birds of prey, both diurnal and nocturnal.
The owl has a highly developed sense of hearing; it is intensified by the disc-shaped feathers (facial discs) around the eyes that make the animal's face appear flat and which, by covering the ear openings (orifices), channel sound waves towards the ear.
Another fundamental adaptation of this animal is the ability to fly in absolute silence, thanks to the large wing surface, the soft and velvety feathers, and the fringed tips of the wing feathers, which guarantee less air resistance.

Common name: BARN OWL
Scientific name: Tyto alba
Length: 33 - 39 cm
Weight: 280 - 450 g
Wingspan: 91 - 95 cm
Cosmopolitan species distributed in all continents except the poles. It generally lives in open countryside and hunts mainly on the edges of woods. It feeds on voles, frogs, insects, rats, mice and moles. Because of its appearance and habits, this harmless mouse hunter has often become the victim of superstitions and irrational anguish, which are still hard to die. In reality, barn owls are very useful to man because they hunt animals harmful to gardening or agriculture such as moles and rats.


Common name: LANARIUS FALCON
Scientific name: Falco biarmicus
Length: 35 - 50 cm
Weight: 500 - 1050 g
Wingspan: 90 - 115 cm
It is distributed mainly in Africa; in Europe it is limited to the Mediterranean area south of the 45th parallel and east of the 10th meridian. In reality, most of the European population lives in our country, and in particular in southern Italy where it has found a climate suitable for its survival and where, above all, urbanization has not reached the excessive levels observed in northern Italy, and where therefore this bird of prey still manages to find nesting sites. However, it is an endangered species and therefore controlled environment reproduction programs and reintroduction of the species are very important.


Common name: SACRED FALCON
Scientific name: Falco cherrug
Length: 47 - 55 cm
Weight: 700 - 1300 g
Wingspan: 105 - 129 cm
The Saker Falcon is present in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. It prefers plains, steppes and plateaus above 3000 m; it has rarely been sighted in rocky locations although it crosses mountain ranges during its migrations. A powerful and aggressive falcon, it is highly appreciated in falconry in the Middle East. In recent years it has often been crossed with the Gyrfalcon to obtain stronger individuals and more resistant to heat and this has led to a pollution of the genetic heritage in a controlled environment. In Egyptian beliefs, the Saker Falcon represented the god Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, a falcon god who was represented in tombs and temples of ancient Egypt.


Common name: HARRIS'S BUZZARD
Scientific name: Parabuteo unicinctus
Length: 45 - 58 cm
Weight: 600 - 1200 g
Wingspan: 115 - 130 cm
Present throughout the south-west of the USA and South America. It hunts small mammals such as mice, hares, wild rabbits, or birds, and when necessary does not disdain reptiles, insects or carrion; attacks can be swooping (from above), direct (capture in flight) or indirect (return), although direct attacks with capture in flight are rather rare. It has earned the nickname "wolf hawk", since it is the only accipitrid to live in families composed of even 7/8 individuals, (even reaching groups of 15/20 individuals), and to hunt in packs; usually the male, more agile, launches the first attack on the prey and is then joined by the female, larger and more powerful, who finishes the hunting action.
It does not have a blistering sprint like the goshawk, but its more elongated wings allow it to be more precise in sudden turns; it is also very well armed, possessing powerful talons.


Common name: STEPPE EAGLE
Scientific name: Aquila rapax
Length: 62 - 72 cm
Weight: 2000 - 4850 g
Wingspan: 165 - 185 cm
The steppe eagle is present in Europe, Asia and Africa. It prefers semi-desert or desert areas, steppes and savannahs; it avoids woods and areas with thick vegetation. It can be observed at different altitudes and in particular from 0 up to 3000 m of altitude; during migrations also at higher altitudes.
It feeds mainly on birds, snakes and small mammals; it often steals prey captured by other birds of prey, smaller ones like the kestrel or larger ones like the war eagle. Sometimes it feeds on carrion and vulture vomit: it approaches the vulture threateningly, which gets scared, vomits and runs away; the eagle can then eat the vomit. It is the most numerous eagle in the world.


Common name: GRIFFIN
Scientific name: Gyps fulvus
Length: 95 - 110 cm
Weight: 7000 - 9000 g
Wingspan: 240 - 280 cm
The Griffon Vulture is one of the largest and most majestic European vultures. This species has become extinct almost everywhere in Italy, but has recently been successfully reintroduced in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the Central Apennines and Sicily.
Oltremare supports the griffon vulture repopulation project in the eastern Alpine arc by supporting the griffon vulture monitoring centre located in the “Lago di Cornino” Nature Reserve in Friuli - Venezia Giulia.


Common name: RED-SHIRTED VULTURE
Scientific name: Cathartes aura
Length: 62 - 81 cm
Weight: 800 - 2300 g
Wingspan: 160 - 183 cm
The turkey vulture, or turkey vulture, is a New World vulture, found from Canada to South America. It is distinguished by its red, featherless neck and head. It is a scavenger that feeds primarily on carrion, locating it by sight and smell. In flight, it uses thermals and rarely flaps its wings. It nests in cavities and has very few natural predators. In the United States, the species has enjoyed protection since 1918.

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