raptor
43
7.3
- noun
- /ˈræptər/
- Specialized
:
ave de presa
- Wildlife enthusiasts often travel to observe raptors soaring through the sky while searching for food.
- raptors are birds of prey
- raptors hunt
- owls and raptors
Examples
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The state game commission set up a webcam for the public, but no raptor babies were born that year.
Academic text (2009) -
And even the word "raptor" means "bird of prey."
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There are attractive wading birds, raptors, shore birds, and other tropical wildlife all over Florida.
Academic text (2006) -
A falconer for over forty years, Cullen has been breeding raptors since the 1970s.
Academic text (2009) -
Falconers let their trained raptors fly freely; transmitters aid retrieval should a bird decline to return.
Academic text (2009) -
The eagle is a powerful raptor known for its impressive hunting skills.
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Hawks and other raptors use their keen eyesight to spot potential prey from great distances.
Synonyms
9
3.8
A bird that hunts and eats other animals, like eagles or hawks
A bird that catches and eats small animals like mice or fish
How Predatory
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word raptor comes from the old Latin word rapere, which means 'to seize' and used to mean a 'thief'. Picture a bird that 'seizes' or grabs its prey like a thief, and that is why eagles, hawks and owls are called raptors.