Mannix is welcomed to the island from the United States, "a long way from home". This is just about a minute after flying into the very recognizable Avalon Bay in Santa Catalina Island. Lots of set dressings, but Mannix is only about 50 miles from his home in Los Angeles.
An image from this episode was used as the cover for the novelization of the episode Round Trip to Nowhere (1971), although they have nothing in common.
The title is based on the species of bird that primarily hunt and feed on vertebrates that are large relatives to the hunter.