Australian diurnal raptors belong to two biological families. Accipitridae includes osprey, hawks, eagles kites, baza and buzzard. Falconidae includes the falcons, Australian Hobby and Nankeen Kestrel. Recent DNA evidence suggests that the two families are less closely related than first thought with Falconidae evolving separately and showing a closer relationship to songbirds!

Nocturnal raptors are owls and are unrelated to the diurnal raptors. Two families of owls are found in Australia: Strigidae, Ninox or hawk owls and Tytonidae, tyto or barn owls.

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Quick Raptor Facts

• Around 400 species worldwide, 25 diurnal and 10 nocturnal (owls) found in Australia.
• Hunt live prey with feet and/or scavenge carrion. These carnivorous birds feed wholly or mainly on meat.
• Huge size variation between species. Nankeen Kestrel (30-35cm) is smallest and Wedge-tailed Eagle (90cm 1.1m) is largest.
• There is a huge variation in wing size and shape, reflecting how different species hunt, and the habitat in which they live.
• In diurnal raptors the female is usually larger, For Ninox owls the male is larger.
• Raptors have excellent eyesight and hearing but do not have an exceptional sense of smell.
• Raptors (both diurnal and nocturnal) have very flexible necks due to an increased number of vertebrae. Owls have 14 vertebrae in their neck while humans only have 7.

Black-shouldered Kite Photo: Sonja Ross

Raptor Beak — hooked, sharp and powerful.

Raptor feet — strong talons with sharp claws for gripping prey. Most use their feet to kill by sinking their talons into the flesh of their victims and quickly crushing them to death.

Raptor Digestion — regurgitate pellets of the indigestible parts of their food, mainly bones and fur. Most pluck the birds that they kill before eating them as raptors cannot digest feathers. Owls are the only birds of prey that swallow their prey whole.

Raptor Sight — Sight is their most important sense for finding and hunting prey. A raptor’s eye size is large in relation to its head size, and their eyes look forward. This binocular forward vision allows them to accurately judge distances

Raptor Hearing — Owls have the best hearing of all birds. Their sense of hearing is vital to them locating and catching their prey, and owls have asymmetrical ears that allow them to pinpoint where the smallest sound is coming from.