What are raptors (and what threats do they face)

Q1: What are raptors?

A: Raptors are carnivorous birds that mainly feed on other animals. They are classified as all birds in the Falconiformes and Strigiformes. Falconiformes birds are mostly active during the day, including various eagles, falcons, eagles, kites, vultures, buzzards, etc.; Strigiformes birds are mostly active at night, which is what we commonly call "owls". Raptors have sharp eyesight, developed hearing, strong feet, sharp beaks and sharp claws. They are widely distributed, and many species have migratory habits. Raptors are at the top of the food chain and occupy an important position in the ecosystem. They play an irreplaceable role in controlling the number of rodents and maintaining environmental health and ecological balance. Due to their scarcity, my country has listed all raptors as national key protected birds.

Q2: What threats will the fierce birds of prey face?

A: ⑴. Lack of habitat and living space. Due to the reduction of natural habitats and the rapid expansion of cities, the habitats on which many birds of prey depend for survival have disappeared, resulting in insufficient food supply for birds of prey to catch. If they encounter bad weather, their migration will face greater challenges, and they may suffer from malnutrition, weakness and dehydration, making them unable to continue flying.

⑵. Indiscriminate hunting and poaching stimulated by illegal trade. Every year, many birds of prey are hunted by people and become victims of illegal trade. Some are sold to people as "pets" and some die in "game" restaurants. Among the birds of prey confiscated by law enforcement agencies, many have fatal injuries such as gunshot wounds, fractures, broken feathers, and dehydration. Behind every raptor sold in the market, at least nine of its kind have been sacrificed in the process of hunting, transportation and trafficking by criminals.

⑶. Illegal breeding leads to malnutrition, loss of survival ability in the wild and even loss of life. Raptors are not companion animals and are not suitable for domestication. Long-term tethering will cause serious damage to their bodies and deprive them of the opportunity to return to nature forever. Many raptors that have been raised have foot pads, malnutrition and behavioral diseases, and severe cases may lead to the death of raptors.

⑷. Trauma caused by entering or colliding with buildings. With the continuous expansion of human cities and the increasing density of high-rise buildings. The injuries suffered by raptors due to entering or colliding with buildings are also increasing. The injuries caused by collisions are often fatal. The few surviving birds have either bloody heads or irreversible nerve damage, and cannot return to the wild.

⑸. Poisoning. Many birds of prey feed on small rodents. If they accidentally eat rodents poisoned by rat poison, they will be poisoned and have symptoms such as vomiting and imbalance and will be unable to continue flying. At the same time, many greedy criminals often directly poison and kill birds of prey to make huge profits.

⑹. Lack of common sense in rescue, such as improper rescue of chicks and young birds. In the wild, young birds often fall to the ground due to unstable flight. Generally, adult birds will continue to feed them until they have the ability to fly. However, many enthusiastic people picked up these young birds by mistake without understanding, depriving them of the opportunity to learn survival skills from their parents and never being able to survive independently in the wild.

Q3: What can you do to help raptors:

A: Protecting nature and rescuing raptors requires everyone’s participation and support. You can participate in and help the work of the center in the following ways:

1. Do not buy, capture, or raise raptors, nor eat raptors or any wild animals and their products;

2. Do not pick up raptor chicks at will, let their parents continue to take care of them;

3. If you find injured or sick raptors, please contact the raptor rescue center or other professional rescue agencies as soon as possible;

4. Actively promote knowledge of bird protection;

5. Apply to become a volunteer at the center and participate in the rescue and protection education activities of raptors;

6. Participate in the adoption of raptors or provide various forms of donations to the center

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