Learning About Raptors 1

The world’s first raptor refuge 2

Located on top of a mountain ridge in eastern Pennsylvania 3

Hawk Mountain is a great place to watch migrating raptors. 4

Part One Raptors 5

What is a Raptor? Birds are the only animals with feathers Because it has feathers A kind of bird 6

Raptors are predators that eat smaller animals called prey. They catch and kill them with their feet. 7

Kinds of Raptors Eagles Hawks Eat mostly fish, found near waterVery common, adults easily identified by red tail Red-tailed Hawk 8 Bald Eagle

Kinds of Raptors Owls Most owls are nocturnal or active at night Falcons Smallest North American falcon Eastern Screech Owl 9 American Kestrel

Kinds of Raptors Osprey Vultures Lives near water and eats mainly fish Scavengers that eat dead animals 10 Turkey Vulture

Kinds of Raptors HarriersKites Low flying hunters of open fields and marshes Hunts insects on the wing 11 Northern Harrier Swallow-tailed Kite

What have you learned? Can you name two kinds of raptors? 12

 Eagles  Hawks  Falcons  Vultures  Osprey  Owls  Harriers  Kites 13 Major Groups of Raptors

Part Two Adaptations 14

Amazing Adaptations Webbed feet help ducks swim Animals have adaptations that help them to survive Big ears help rabbits hear danger 15

Fabulous Feet Raptors have sharp, curved claws called Talons. Used to catch, hold, and kill prey Raptor Adaptations 16 Talons

Unique Beak Raptors have a hooked beak with sharp edges Used to cut their food into small pieces Raptor Adaptations 17

Awesome Eyes Raptors have very good eyesight Used to look for prey from far away Raptor Adaptations 18

Raptor Adaptations Owls have very good hearing for finding prey at night Super Hearing 19

Name two adaptations of raptors 20 What have you learned?

21 Talons: for catching and killing prey Hooked beak: for ripping up prey Great eyesight: for seeing prey from far away Good hearing: for finding hidden prey Raptor Adaptations

Part Three Food Chains 22

What do raptors eat? Small to medium-sized animals Animals that eat other animals are called carnivores 23

All raptors are part of a food chain Energy Sun Plants Animals Raptors plants use the sun’s energy to grow animals get energy from eating plants or animals 24

All links in the chain are important Energy If raptors were gone there might be too many mice SunPlants What might happen if all the mice were gone? Energy AnimalsRaptors 25

Raptors help maintain a balance in nature 26

What have you learned? 27 Can you name three things a raptor would eat?

28 Mammal Insect Bird Reptile Fish Amphibian What Raptors Eat

Part Four Migration 29

Raptors in Winter It is hard for raptors to f ind food in winter Animals die or sleep, fish are under ice 30

Time to fly - Migration Many raptors fly south to a warmer place They can find more food there When winter is over they return This annual trip south and back again is called migration 31

Migrating raptors follow mountain ridges Rising air lifts the birds so they save energy when flying wind lift Hot air 32 updraft thermal

Some birds fly from North America to South America Mexico North America South America Broad-winged Hawk Puerto Rico Hawk Mountain Dominican Republic 33

What Have You Learned? Why do birds migrate south for the winter? 2. Why can you see many raptors migrating at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary?

1. To find food 2. Raptors follow mountain ridges when they migrate. Rising air currents help them save energy while flying. 35

Some things to think about Do raptors live near you? Where would you look for one? What kinds of animals could a raptor eat in your neighborhood? What do you think of raptors? 36