Raptors

Raptors are a family of birds of prey, with species such as hawks, falcons and owls all belonging to the raptor family. The birds in this family are renowned for their excellent eyesight and powerful beaks and talons, using those assets to hunt their prey. There are two groups of raptors in the world; diurnal raptors, which hunt during the day, and nocturnal raptors, which hunt predominantly at night. Worldwide, there are 320 species of diurnal raptors and 200 species of nocturnal raptors (Alaska Raptor Center, n.d.). Raptor migration varies by species, but raptors in the northern hemisphere migrate south from mid September to November while southern hemisphere raptors migrate north from March through to May (The migration of raptors, 2011). While the migration patterns of the raptors varies from species to species, there are common factors in their migrations. It does appear that unlike other bird species, it does appear that raptors navigate using landmarks to form a mental map for their navigation. In their study of raptor migration, Goodrich and Smith (n.d.) found that during their migration, younger birds stayed closer to the coastline, while older birds ventured further inland. This seems to show that the younger raptors were using the coastline as a landmark to follow to get to their destination while older birds which know the migration route well, can venture further inland. Further backing up this theory is more data from Goodrich and Smith, which showed that numbers of migrating birds were very high along mountain ranges such as the Appalachian Mountains. Given that the Appalachians run along a northeast to southwest bearing, this is further evidence that raptors are using them as a visual landmark to get their bearings and orientate themselves. In his paper, Bildstein (2004) also mentions how raptors are using the bearings of mountain ranges not just in America but around the world, to orientate themselves and navigate correctly.

As shown in the above map, the routes that the raptors are taking in their migrations tend to stay either very close to the coast or alternatively follow a mountain range such as the Appalachians and the Andes. In my opinion, this shows clear evidence that raptors are using visual cues to navigate, most unlike other bird species.

As shown in the above map, raptors are using mountain ranges not just in America but around the world, as mountain ranges worldwide all run on a certain bearing that the birds can use to navigate.

I do believe that raptors are a species of bird that use landmarks as a source of navigation given that their migration routes follow visual cues such as the coastline and mountain ranges. Given their superior eyesight, it is very plausible that they also use smaller visual cues on the ground to further assist in their navigation.