Birds of prey have sharp talons and hooked beaks suited for tearing meat.

The longer version

A hooked upper bill with a notch near the tip lets a raptor lever and shear flesh it cannot chew, since birds have no teeth. The talons do the killing. Tendons lock the toes closed under the bird's own weight, so a foot clamps tighter the harder the prey struggles, and the rear talon punctures.

The bill also tears food and plucks feathers before eating. The combination is not unique to one family; owls, hawks and falcons arrived at similar tools separately. Falcons kill with the bill rather than the foot, using a notched tooth to sever the neck, a different answer to the same problem.

Where this entry sits

Here you will find feathered trivia about flight, migration, nests, eggs, and the songs birds sing. Expect short surprising facts on penguins, owls, hummingbirds, and other familiar birds from gardens, forests, wetlands, and distant coastlines. The full list sits on the Birds page, where every entry is listed in order.