Save Our Australian Raptors
Glossary
- adapt
- to change over time to fit into a particular environment
- altitude
- height above the ground
- avian
- something that is about birds
- biodiversity
- the species of plants and animals in a particular area
- breed
- to produce more of a species. Birds lay eggs to breed.
- brood
- a group of chicks that hatch around the same time
- camouflage
- colouring and markings that help an animal or bird blend in with its surroundings.
- carrion
- meat of dead animals.
- class
- one of the group into which living things are divided. All birds belong to the class Aves.
- clutch
- the number of eggs that a bird lays.
- conservation
- to protect something from harmful or undesirable change.
- diurnal
- active in the daytime
- ecosystem
- a natural community of animals and plants which interact with each other and the environment around them.
- endangered species
- a species will become critically endangered when there are low numbers remaining in the wild. Endangered species are very vulnerable to habitat loss and may not be able to breed successfully.
- endemic
- a plant or animal found naturally in one country only, eg. the Grey Falcon is endemic to Australia.
- environment
- the places where people, plants and animals live. What is around us, for example, the marine environment or the forest environment.
- euthanasia
- painless killing when something is suffering
- extinct
- a species is extinct when there are no more of that species alive in the world.
- feral Animal
- these are animals that used to be tame or farmed but have become wild. Examples of some animals that have become feral in Australia are rabbits, foxes, cats, dogs, goats and pigs.
- fledging
- the time when a chick is getting its first set of proper feathers.
- fledgling
- a young bird that has learnt to fly. A fledgling is often still dependent on its parents for food and protection.
- genus
- different species that are closely related. The plural of genus is genera.
- immature
- an immature bird is a one that has lost its first feathers but does not yet have all of its proper adult feathers.
- incubation period
- the time between the egg being laid and the nestling hatching.
- italics
- a sloping kind of typeface
- juvenile
- a young bird that is no longer dependent on its parents but does not have its adult plumage.
- moult
- when a bird moults, its old feathers gradually fall out and are replaced by new feathers.
- migrate
- to move from one area to another. Some birds seasonally migrate to breeding or feeding grounds.
- nestling
- a nestling is a baby bird that is in the nest and is still dependent on its parents.
- nocturnal
- active during the night.
- pellet
- the regurgitated, undigested parts of a meal.
- predator
- an animal that hunts and eats other animals.
- prey
- an animal that is hunted for food
- plumage
- feathers
- rodents
- animals such as mice and rats.
- scavenger
- a bird that eats scraps and whatever it can find
- species
- a group of animals or plants that are similar and breed together. Different species that are closely related are put together in a larger group called a genus.
- sub-species
- a group of animals or plants that are different from their own species but not different enough to be named as a separate species.
- talons
- claws - most raptors use their talons to seize prey
- territory
- for raptors this is the area around their nest that they defend against other birds.
- thermals
- patches of warm, rising air.
- wingspan
- the distance from wingtip to wingtip when the wings are fully outstretched
