Raptors include hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures, ospreys, and owls among others. Raptors range in size from the American kestrel, which is the size of a blue jay, to the Stellar's Sea Eagle, which is the largest flying bird. Raptors have several physical characteristics in common. The most obvious is their hooked beak, and strong feet with large, sharp, grasping claws, called talons. Raptors use these talons to seize and hold their prey, while the beak is used to pull the prey apart into edible pieces.
Vultures feed mainly on carrion and as a result, have weaker feet used to hold their meal.
Another characteristic common to raptors is their excellent eyesight. Turkey vultures use their sense of smell to find food but then use their eyes to find the exact location while soaring in the sky above, however most raptors do not have a good sense of smell. The Raptor Rehabilitation Project has permits to keep all of its birds and educational materials, to rehabilitate injured birds, and a blanket permit to allow its members to handle the birds. All raptors are protected by state and federal conservation laws. You cannot keep a raptor or any part of a raptor without special federal and state permits.