What are Raptors?
Raptors are birds of prey. The word raptor has a Latin origin meaning “to grasp or seize”. This is attributed to the claws on their feet also known as talons. Raptors are not defined taxonomically but by their physical characteristics and predatory behavior. All birds of prey pursue other animals for food. What sets them apart from birds such as kingfishers and albatross—who also prey on other animals are these common features that they share:
Three Key Characteristics Define Raptors:
Powerful Talons and Feet: Raptors have sharp talons and strong feet designed to capture and firmly secure their prey.
Hooked Upper Beak: Their distinctive hooked upper beak allows them to efficiently break into their prey and tear off small, manageable pieces.
Exceptional Eyesight: Raptors have large eyes, occupying 25 to 67 percent of their skulls, depending on the species. This extraordinary visual development grants them the ability to see at great distances, with a vision that is eight to ten times sharper than that of humans.

Why Conserve Raptors?
Raptors hold significant cultural importance across many global territories and serve as vital indicators of a healthy ecosystem. However, their survival is increasingly at risk.
As long-living species with relatively slow reproductive rates, raptors are particularly vulnerable to man-made threats and habitat loss. These challenges have had a devastating impact on their populations worldwide.
Today, 52% of the 557 raptor species are experiencing global population declines, and 18% are threatened with extinction. The conservation of raptors is essential not only to protect biodiversity but also to maintain the health of our ecosystems.
Our research shows that improving international raptor conservation efforts can positively impact thousands of other species that rely on the same habitats and resources to flourish in the wild.
The current rate of extinction rivals those of other mass extinction events. Over the past 500 years, more birds are known to have gone extinct than any other group of vertebrates. Thus, the sixth mass extinction is especially salient for bird conservationists.
Apex predators, such as birds of prey or raptors, are sensitive to environmental disturbance, and can often serve as early indicators of threat and as flagships or models for conservation intervention. As aerial predators, raptors are bio-indicators of ecosystem health, providing vital ecosystem services as well as cultural, economic, and aesthetic value. Globally, there are approximately 570+ species of diurnal raptors and nocturnal owls. Of these, nearly one in five (18%) is threatened with extinction whilst more than half (52%) have globally declining populations.
South and southeast Asia have the highest raptor richness and the largest number of threatened species. Forest raptors such as the African Crowned Eagle, Harpy Eagle and Philippine Eagle, are in the greatest need of conservation intervention (because of agriculture and logging).