Naturalist Lecture Series: What is a Raptor Anyways?

Birders love to look for raptors, and we often talk about these birds. But what are they? Hawks, eagles, and falcons for sure, but what about owls? Some say “vertebrate” eaters with talons, but does that eliminate kites that eat a lot of insects? What about shrikes which seem like ferocious hunters? Lots to think about. Fascinating, too, is how these birds evolved. Recent genetic work shows that falcons are not very closely related to hawks, eagles, and kites. It turns out that their closest relatives are parrots and passerines rather than those other “raptors.” Then, what do we do with vultures?

We will spend our time exploring what a raptor is, the evolution of these groups, and how convergence to exploit vertebrate prey has molded different evolutionary lines. The science of these birds is rapidly changing, and what was thought in the 1970s when I was in graduate school changed dramatically by the early 2000s and is transforming yet again. You might have notices when you buy a new bird book that the sequence of families and species changed from earlier versions. We will concentrate on raptors of Western North America but might peak at some from Australia, Africa, Panama, and Brazil. This evening will leave you with much to ponder.

This will be both in person and done over zoom. You will be able to join either way, but please select the appropriate ticket type.