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Re: GRASPING IN BIRDS OF PREY



> The secretary bird (_Sagittarius serpentarius_), like most (?all)
> extant birds of prey, has a pes designed for grasping and holding
> prey.

New World vultures (aka cathartids or vulturids) have weak feet with
poorly developed trochleae and flexor tubercles, shallow collateral
fossae and only gently curved unguals when compared with other birds
of prey. As is well known, they have poor grasping abilities and don't
use their feet to manipulate objects.

Do birds like vultures which scavenge on carrion qualify as "birds of prey"? Hence they don't need strong grasping abilities - the "prey" is already dead.
Therefore good grasping abilities might be true of raptorial birds (ie. birds of prey) but not scavenging birds.

Chris F.


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