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Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds).
Experiments on blue jays suggest they form a search image for certain prey.. Visual predators may form what is termed a search image of certain prey.. Predators need not locate their host directly: Kestrels, for instance, are able to detect the faeces and urine of their prey (which reflect ultraviolet), allowing them to identify areas where there are large numbers of voles, for example.
About one half of bird species with fovea have a single one, but uniquely in birds, [221] some, such as terns, kingfishers and hummingbirds, have a second fovea, [222] called the temporal fovea, that assists in judging speed and distance and increases visual acuity. Birds that do not have a second fovea will sometimes bob their head to improve ...
The visual ability of birds of prey is legendary, and the keenness of their eyesight is due to a variety of factors. Raptors have large eyes for their size, 1.4 times greater than the average for birds of the same weight, [ 14 ] and the eye is tube-shaped to produce a larger retinal image.
The birds then congregate in massive flocks made up of several different species for migratory purposes. Some birds make use of teamwork while hunting. Predatory birds hunting in pairs have been observed using a "bait and switch" technique, whereby one bird will distract the prey while the other swoops in for the kill.
In aggressive mimicry, predators or parasites resemble harmless species, allowing them to approach or to attract prey. [8] Anglerfish have a long filament (the illicium) sprouting from the middle of the head above the eyes and terminating in an irregular growth of flesh (the esca). The esca can be wiggled to resemble a small worm, luring other ...
Unlike other species, turacos owe their color to a copper-based pigment called turacoverdin. The common grackle and many shimmering hummingbirds display iridescence like the way a prism splits ...
The successful and now widespread captive breeding of birds of prey began as a response to dwindling wild populations due to persistent toxins such as PCBs and DDT, systematic persecution as undesirable predators, habitat loss, and the resulting limited availability of popular species for falconry, particularly the peregrine falcon. The first ...