Picture this: Sleek, powerful hunters cruising the skies, eyes sharp, talons ready and beaks built for business. These sky-cruising carnivores are indeed avian wonders. Strange as it may seem, they are more closely related to reptiles than any other group of vertebrates. In fact, birds are now regarded as the only surviving group of that dynamic group, the dinosaurs.
In the raptor realm, sexual size dimorphism reigns, the females being often a third bigger than the males. These size differences reflect specialised roles in hunting and parenting, adding a captivating dynamic to the understanding we have of these mighty hunters.
First up on the roster, we've got the majestic eagles. This crew are the heavyweight champions of the raptor realm – big, strong and rocking impressive wingspans. With legs and feet feathered to the toes, eagles mean business. There are the mega-eagles with whom, in any encounter, the prey comes off second best – Martial, Golden, Verreaux’s and my favourite of them all, the Crowned Eagle – able to hunt clever monkeys, swift gazelles and, if you live the South African east coast, perhaps a pet or two! These guys are the construction kings of the bird world, building nests that put human architects to shame. Seriously, I'm thinking about hiring one for my next home renovation.
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But we won’t forget two that are small but mega-strong – so strong that our resident Kenyan raptor expert, Simon Thomsett, would put them in with the mega-eagles of Africa: The African Hawk Eagle and Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, any sightings of these two are worth shouting from the treetops!
Now, let's talk about falcons. These medium-sized aerial acrobats are the fighter jets of the bird world, zipping through the air with pointed wings and giving you the feeling they've got places to be, and fast. No urban pigeon is safe with these guys about (I’m looking at you Cape Townians and your Peregrine Falcons here!)
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Hawks, a rather large and diverse group, are the medium-sized hunters that prefer to keep things stealthy. They're like the ninjas of the woods, making sudden dashes from concealed perches, tails ready for some tight steering action. Not to forget ‘the Chanters’. The three closely related chanting goshawks have a melodious call. All three have long legs and will fly or run after lizards, snakes, insects, rodents and small birds. The Gabar Goshawk resembles a miniature chanting goshawk and is a small-bird hunter. The Lizard Buzzard is actually a related species, but is slow, plump and fond of lizards!
Download this and other high-resolution posters on Hawks here.
Buzzards, (confusingly dubbed as hawks by any visiting North American tourists), are the all-around tough guys – robust bodies, broad wings that often take them on grand migrations, some visiting Africa all the way from the Siberian Steppes. You've got to respect a bird that can handle a travel business like that. All buzzards are small-mammal specialists and spend most of their time on exposed perches waiting for prey. Sadly, they are especially vulnerable to electrocution and rodenticides.
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Enter the harriers, the supermodels of the hawk world. Slender, with long tails and thin legs, they use their keen eyesight and hearing to hunt small critters while quartering gracefully over grasslands, marshes and low scrub. I bet they turn heads when they're out on the runway, or should I say the flyway?
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Now, let's talk about kites. No, not the ones you fly at the beach – we're talking about birds with long wings and relatively weak legs, from either the Milvus or Elanus group. They're the chillers of the raptor crew, spending most of their time acrobatically soaring in the skies, occasionally snacking on insects or carrion (or, if you are in Nairobi or the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, your packed lunch too). The Black and Yellow-billed Kites have earned a bit of a bad rep for hanging about rubbish dumps (sorry – I mean human hives of activity – one and the same, right?) Just take a minute to watch them closely, I’ll bet they are more intelligent than your pet back at home.
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The Osprey deserves a shoutout for being the fish-catching superstar. Found worldwide, these birds are like the Michael Phelps of the bird world, with a knack for diving and snagging fish straight out of the water. Plus, they build large stick nests – the ultimate waterfront property. And yes, yes the striking African Fish Eagle does this too, and with a better victory call than the Osprey – but perhaps some of us live in places where only one or the other occurs.
Download this and other high-resolution posters on fish-eating Raptors here.
Owls, the nocturnal wizards of the bird kingdom, are next on our list. Flying almost silently, thanks to their special feather structure, they've got acute hearing and eyesight that makes Batman jealous. If there's a bird that knows how to rock the night shift, it's the owls.
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Now, let’s talk about the Secretarybird. With a large body and stilt-like legs, a stash of quills behind the ear, these birds are like the fashionistas of the grasslands in Sub-Saharan Africa. They’re strutting their stuff and you can’t help but admire their unique style.
Lastly, we have the vultures, the cleanup crew of the bird world. Old World vultures occur in Europe, Asia and Africa (that’s us, fellow Africans), New World vultures in the West – they're the winged recyclers, scavenging and feasting on carrion. And yes, some of them have heads that are either partly or fully devoid of feathers. Talk about a bold fashion statement!
As the seasons shift in the global North, Steppe Eagles, Honey Buzzards, Ospreys, various Falcons and others cover vast distances, showcasing their navigational mastery and finding temporary haven as they follow the rains of Africa and the food sources they rely upon.
So, there you have it – the wild, wonderful world of raptors. From the sky-soaring eagles to the stealthy hawks, each one brings its own flair to the avian stage. Next time you spot one of these majestic creatures, give them a nod of respect, because they're the true stars of the bird kingdom.
Download this high-resolution poster here.
Fly high and safe, our feathered friends!