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The Birds of Prey

BiologyBase Checklist Index

Bird Index

by Robert B. Hole, Jr.

This is the outline of a talk I've given on birds of prey.


go to The Birds of Prey of North America
go to Checklist of the Birds of Prey of the World
go to Checklist of the Owls of the World

Raptor books of potential interest.
Raptor related gifts of potential interest.

Raptor: 1) a plunderer 2) a raptorial bird
(Webster's unabridged dictionary)

Falconry: a long history:


earliest recorded about 4000 years ago, in China
supposedly introduced into Europe by the Crusaders,though Aristotle wrote about it
introduced to England in about 860 A. D.
in the 1600ıs, there were a set of rules of ownership - only certain social classes could own a particular type of bird:

Why are Raptors popular?


They have power, grace, beauty and the history of being ³Royal² birds

What are the Birds of Prey:


They have raptorial (=grasping, siezing, holding) feet
All are carnivores
Order Strigiformes: the ³Nocturnal Birds of Prey²: the Owls
Order Falconiformes: the ³Diurnal Birds of Prey²: the Old World Vultures, Eagles, Hawks and Falcons
Order Cicconiiformes (in part): the New World Vultures

The smallest birds of prey are the Falconets of southeast Asia (Genus Microheirax)
The largest bird of prey is the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) the largest flying bird


The Owls (Order Strigiformes):


mostly night hunters
hunt by sound, have a facial disk to direct sound toward their ears, and their ears are off set - one is slightly higher than the other. This allows hearing in three dimensions. We have to cock our heads slightly to get the same effect in order to tell whether a sound is above or below us.
adapted to silent flight have feathered feet and soft feathers to muffle the sound of air moving over them.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Western Screech Owl (Otus kennicottii)

Barn Owl (found world wide) (Tyto alba)

Diurnal Birds of Prey:


Wing types show differences in the way they make a living. The three primary types are:
  1. long broad soaring wing (Vultures, Eagles, Redtails)
  2. short round flapping wing, manuverable (Cooperıs Hawk)
  3. long tapered zooming wing (Falcons)

General adaptations:
eye: fovea lateralis increases the accuety of vision, overhanging brow shades the ey from the sun
sense of smell in some vultures, particularly the Turkey Vulture is accute.

New World Vultures (Order Cicconiiformes):

Turkey Vulture (Buzzard) (Coragyps attratus):

California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus):

Hawks (Order Falconiformes, Family Accipitridae):

Red-tailed Hawk (Buzzard) (Buteo jamaicensis):

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Eagles (Order Falconiformes, Family Accipitridae):

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos):

Bald Eagle (American eagle, fish eagle, sea eagle) (Haliaeetus pelagicus):

Falcons (Order Falconiformes, Family Falconidae):

American Kestral (Sparrow Hawk) (Falco sparverius):

Peregrine Falcon ("Wandering" Falcon) (Falco peregrinus):


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Original contents copyright © 1995-2007 Robert B. Hole, Jr., All Rights Reserved