''Aviraptor'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

genus of small accipitrid bird of prey known from the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

of Poland. It contains one species, ''Aviraptor longicrus''. It was named in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

by Gerald Mayr and Jørn Hurum based on a single nearly complete specimen. The genus name is derived from the Latin words '' avis'' meaning “bird” and '' raptor'' meaning “thief” and the species name is derived from the Latin words ''

longus Longus, sometimes Longos ( el, Λόγγος), was the author of an ancient Greek novel or romance, ''Daphnis and Chloe''. Nothing is known of his life; it is assumed that he lived on the isle of Lesbos (setting for ''Daphnis and Chloe'') during ...

'' meaning “long” and ''

crus Crus can refer to: *''Crus'', a subgenus of the fly genus ''Metopochetus'' *Crus (lower leg) *Crus, a plural of Cru (wine) *CRUs, an abbreviation of Civil Resettlement Units * Rektorenkonferenz der Schweizer Universitäten (CRUS; English: Rectors' ...

'' meaning “leg”. ''Aviraptor'' closely resembles modern hawks of the genus '' Accipiter'' in overall size and proportions. Like some species of ''Accipiter'', it had long and slender legs. ''Aviraptor'' was very small for a bird of prey, with a body size similar to the modern

tiny hawk The tiny hawk (''Microspizias superciliosus'') is a small diurnal bird of prey found in or near forests, primarily humid, throughout much of the Neotropics. It is primarily a bird-eater, and is known to prey on hummingbirds. Taxonomy The tiny ...

''Accipiter superciliosus'' and little sparrowhawk ''A. minullus''. The bill of ''Aviraptor'' was not as sharply hooked as in most modern accipitrids, but is similar in shape to the modern harrier-hawks of the genus '' Polyboroides''. The size and proportions of ''Aviraptor'' are most similar to those of species that hunt other birds. It was a contemporary of some of the earliest species of passerine and

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

, which may have been its prey. The coexistence of some of the earliest passerines and hummingbirds with the earliest known bird-hunting raptor may indicate that ''Aviraptor'' evolved in response to the diversification of potential prey species. Despite the overall similarity between ''Aviraptor'' and ''Accipiter'', the two genera do not appear to be closely related: ''Aviraptor'' lived approximately 30–31 million years ago, whereas accipitrines are estimated to have evolved approximately 16–18 million years ago. Furthermore, ''Aviraptor'' differs from ''Accipiter'' in anatomical details such as the proportions of its second toe and the shape of the deltopectoral crest of the humerus.

References

Birds of prey Accipitridae Fossil taxa described in 2020 Prehistoric bird genera {{accipitriformes-stub