If you're looking for a solid Flying-type to spice up your team in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Brilliant Pearl, it's hard to go wrong with Staraptor, as its great speed and attack stats can make it a valuable addition to your lineup. However, you won't be able to catch one in the wild. Here's how you can get Predator Pokémon on your team.
The only way to acquire a Staraptor is to level up a Staravia until it evolves to level 34. Fortunately, both Staravia and its former form, Starly, are found in abundance in the Sinnoh region. You can find Starly wandering the tall grass on Route 201 right outside the starting location of the Twinleaf game, and you can also catch Staravia quite early as you travel on Route 209 or 212.
To save time searching for a Staravia (and to save Pokéballs), we recommend that you catch a Starly shortly after exiting Twinleaf and keep it on your team throughout the game. Leveling up Pokémon here is easier than ever thanks to the EXP sharing mechanic, which means that even if your Starly doesn't see much action, it will still gain experience points, level up, and at level 14 it will evolve into Staravia, which, in turn, will eventually evolve into Staraptor at level 34.
