Home About Us Our Mission News Education Events Volunteer Contact Us	A raptor is another name for a bird of prey, which includes hawks, falcons, vultures, eagles, opsrey, owls and kites.  In Latin, raptor means "to grasp or seize" which describes how this bird captures food. Raptors are important because of what they eat.  Raptors eat, or prey upon, a variety of other animals, such as mammals, insects, snakes, fish, amphibians, and even other birds.  Most raptors capture their prey live, making them predators while vultures and condors eat carrion - animals that have died from other causes.  Raptors assist in maintaining the balance of nature by helping to control troublesome pest populations, such as mice and rats. What makes a raptor a raptor: Most raptors use their strong feet to capture and kill their prey. All raptors use their hooked upper beak to tear prey into small, easily swallowed pieces. All raptors have eyesight that is unequaled in the animal kingdom. Kentucky is home to many species of raptor, from Hawks to Vultures.  Click on any of the links below to learn more about the birds that may inhabit your very own backyard. Hawks Broad-Winged Hawk Cooper's Hawk Red-Shouldered Hawk Red Tailed Hawk Sharp-Shinned Hawk Falcons American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Owls Barn Owl Barred Owl Eastern Screech Owl Great Horned Owl Long-Eared Owl Short-Eared Owl Snowy Owl Vultures Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Osprey
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