Raptor (bird) in the context of "Osprey"

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known simply as the peregrine, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts and a black head. As is typical for bird-eating (avivore) raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. Historically, the bird has also been known as the "black-cheeked falcon" in Australia, and the "duck hawk" in North America.

The breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests. The only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. That makes it the world's most widespread raptor and one of the most widely found wild bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area, domestic and feral pigeons, owe their success to human-led introduction. Both are domesticated forms of the rock dove, and are a major prey species for peregrine populations. Due to their greater abundance in cities than most other birds, feral pigeons support many peregrine populations as a staple food source, especially in urban settings.

The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), sometimes known as the "sea eagle", is a large bird of prey, widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which also includes other diurnal raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers. One of up to eleven members in the genus Haliaeetus, which are commonly called sea eagles, it is also referred to as the white-tailed sea-eagle. Sometimes, it is known as the ern or erne (depending on spelling by sources), gray sea eagle and Eurasian sea eagle.

While found across a wide range, today breeding from as far west as Greenland and Iceland across to as far east as Hokkaido, Japan, they are often scarce and spottily distributed as a nesting species, mainly due to human activities. These have included habitat alterations and destruction of wetlands, about a hundred years of systematic persecution by humans (from the early 1800s to around World War II) followed by inadvertent poisonings and epidemics of nesting failures due to various manmade chemical pesticides and organic compounds, which have threatened eagles since roughly the 1950s and continue to be a potential concern. Due to this, the white-tailed eagle was considered endangered or extinct in several countries. Some populations have since recovered well, due to governmental protections, dedicated conservationists and naturalists protecting habitats and nesting sites, partially regulating poaching and pesticide usage, as well as careful reintroductions into parts of their former range.

The pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) is a species of wader in the Recurvirostridae family, the only member of the genus Recurvirostra found in Europe.

This characteristic wader of coastal lagoons and marshes is easily recognizable by its long, upturned bill, long legs, and striking black-and-white plumage. Measuring approximately 40 cm (16 in) in length with a wingspan of about 70 cm (28 in), it is a relatively large species that feeds on various invertebrates in water and mudflats, captured using its distinctive bill. It typically nests in colonies of 10 to 70 pairs on islets or dikes near water, laying usually four eggs in a simple, shallow scrape in the sand. Highly territorial when defending its chicks against conspecifics or predators—such as various raptors, corvids, and mammals—the pied avocet has a lifespan of about 20 years, with a record of 27 years.