Extraordinary creatures: raptors

Raptors, otherwise known as birds of prey, are a diverse group of birds including 326 diurnal species and 247 owls. The largest species, the Andean condor, can have a mass of up to 15 kg with a wingspan up to 3.40 m, while the smallest raptor is the black-thighed falconet, which has a minimum mass of about 28 g and lives in Indonesia. Almost all raptors have large talons and a hooked beak for eating meat; however, vultures do not have talons and palm-nut vultures that live in Africa consume a diet of mainly palm-nut fruit (90% in some regions), with some meat. Raptors live on every continent, except for Antarctica. Simon Potier, a professional falconer who also studies raptor vision, tells Journal of Experimental Biology about these extraordinary creatures and how they are exquisitely adapted to their different lifestyles.