We know that many people may think that Raptor Month might have something to do with dinosaurs, especially after watching the 1993 movie Jurassic Park, but this month actually celebrates birds of prey. The word “raptor” comes from the Latin word meaning “to grasp” to describe birds of prey such as falcons, eagles, hawks, osprey, owls, and buzzards.

Sure, there’s a month dedicated to the velociraptors of the late Cretaceous Period, but that is observed in September. Raptor Month is observed in October, and it’s the perfect month for bird fans to pay homage to these predatory birds, either by learning more about them or by heading out into the field and observing some in real life.

The History of Raptor Month

Unfortunately, we were unable to discover the roots of Raptor Month. We looked through every Internet resource we could think of to try to find out where this month began, but we just couldn’t find it.

We suspect that this month was created by a person or organization that loved or studied raptors, but we can’t verify those assumptions. We’ll continue to look for the origins of this month, but until we do, we’ll have to leave it as a mystery.

Amazing Raptor Facts

We all love raptors, so it’s only natural for us to share some great raptor trivia. After a bit of research, we came up with some interesting raptor facts that we think everyone celebrating Raptor Month is going to enjoy. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

• Raptors are found on every continent except for one: Antarctica.
• A barn owl can lay up to 11 eggs. Other birds of prey typically lay only 2 or 3 eggs.
• The Ferruginous Hawk is the largest hawk that can be found in North America.
• The Great Horned Owl can be found in almost all habitats across the United States.
• The Prairie Falcon is a raptor that has adapted to dry landscapes. It can be found from the Great Plains to the West Coast of the U.S.
• The Red-Tailed Hawk can be found in every U.S. state.

Observing Raptor Month

This is the month for everyone to enjoy learning more about raptors and their contribution to the natural order. This can be done by taking a trip to the library, looking up more information on the Internet, or simply heading out into nature and doing a little bit of bird watching.

Anyone who happens to catch a great picture of a raptor should take the time to share it online with raptor lovers around the world by using the hashtag #RaptorMonth.