E
ep, eep, eep, eep! A strange whine
comes from a crack in a cliff . It’s a nest of kestrel chicks. T ey’re hungry. T eir mother flies overhead. She calls out to them. “Klee, klee, klee!” She’s coming, but not before she finds food for them. Far below, she sees a mouse move
on the ground. She swoops down and kills the mouse with her sharp claws. She returns to the nest and feeds
her chicks. T ey’re still hungry, so she flies off again to find more food. In a month, these chicks will hunt
on their own. For now though, they need their mother.
Birds of Prey Kestrels are raptors, or birds of prey.
Eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls are all raptors. Raptors eat meat. T ey hunt other animals for food. Raptors make their homes in many
types of habitats. You can find them in snowy mountains and scorching deserts. T ey live in deep forests and busy cities, too. All raptors are born helpless. T eir
parents have to teach them how to hunt and survive.
4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
Making a Home For raptors, parenting begins with
building a nest. Most raptors build nests out of reach from predators. T at place might be a hole in a tree. It might be a window ledge of a tall building. A few kinds of raptors build nests on the ground. Some use old nests built by other birds. Many raptors gather sticks to make
their own nests. Both parents arrange the sticks to form the outside of their nest. T ey fill the nest with grass and dry moss. T en they line the nest with feathers. Building this kind of nest takes time. Once the nest is ready, the female
lays her eggs. Some raptors lay just a few eggs. Eagles lay one to three eggs. Other raptors lay many eggs. Snowy owls may lay up to 14 eggs.
Most raptors, like this sea eagle, have a hooked beak for tearing food.
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