A raptor is a bird of prey: a hunting bird with sharp talons, a hooked beak, and keen eyesight built for catching and eating other animals. Eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons are all raptors. These birds sit at the top of the food chain in their ecosystems, scanning the ground from high above before swooping down to snatch prey with powerful feet.

A red-tailed hawk will spot a mouse from hundreds of feet in the air, then dive at high speeds to grab it. An owl hunts silently at night, its special feathers muffling sound as it flies. What makes raptors different from other birds is this combination of hunting tools: razor-sharp curved talons for gripping, excellent vision for spotting prey from far away, and that distinctive hooked beak for tearing meat.

Scientists also use raptor to describe certain dinosaurs that hunted in similar ways, like Velociraptor. These dinosaurs had a similar combination: sharp claws, keen senses, and predatory instincts, making them the raptors of the prehistoric world.