Birds of Prey

Birds of prey are simply carnivorous hunting birds that kill and feed on other vertebrates, including reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and even other birds. Still, the term ‘birds of prey’ would not refer to birds like pelicans and kingfishers, even though they also hunt and eat other animals. The term indicates specific physical characteristics shared by all birds of prey, including their sharp talons to catch prey, curved beaks to tear flesh, ability to spot prey from great heights, and strength.

These birds are also known as raptors, a name derived from the Latin word ‘rapio,’ which means ‘taking by force.’ Raptors are usually quite large, with the biggest ones including the Andean condor, bald eagle, and bearded vulture. Falcons and kestrels include most of the smallest raptors, like the American kestrel and Merlin.

All raptors belong to the clade Telluraves. It is a broad classification that includes all predatory birds, along with a few other groups like woodpeckers, hornbills, and parrots. However, rather than following any complicated scientific classification, the common birds of prey are listed according to the groups they belong to.

Birds of Prey

List of Different Types of Raptors

1. Eagles

  • Golden eagle
  • Harpy eagle
  • Bald eagle
  • White-tailed eagle
  • Steller’s sea eagle
  • Steppe eagle
  • Tawny eagle
  • Black eagle
  • Black hawk-eagle
  • Pygmy eagle
  • Booted eagle
  • Haast’s eagle
  • Chaco eagle
  • Crested eagle
  • Bonelli’s eagle
  • Martial eagle
  • Little eagle
  • Wahlberg’s eagle
  • Wedge-tailed eagle
  • Crowned eagle
  • Bateleur

2. Buzzards

  • Red-tailed hawk
  • Common buzzard
  • Red-shouldered hawk
  • Broad-winged hawk
  • Swainson’s hawk
  • Red-backed hawk
  • Grey hawk
  • Ferruginous hawk
  • Grey-lined hawk
  • Zone-tailed hawk
  • Rough-legged buzzard
  • White-tailed hawk
  • Augur buzzard
  • Long-legged buzzard
  • Archer’s buzzard

3. Harriers

  • Montagu’s harrier
  • Hen harrier
  • Northern harrier
  • Western marsh harrier
  • Eastern marsh harrier
  • African marsh harrier
  • Swamp harrier
  • Papuan harrier
  • Malagasy harrier
  • Réunion harrier
  • Long-winged harrier
  • Spotted harrier
  • Black harrier
  • Cinereous harrier
  • Pallid harrier

4. Kites

  • Black kite
  • Red kite
  • Swallow-tailed kite
  • White-tailed kite
  • Black-shouldered kite
  • Mississippi kite
  • Brahminy kite
  • Whistling kite
  • Black-eared kite
  • Black-winged kite
  • Yellow-billed kite
  • Hook-billed kite
  • Grey-headed kite
  • Long-tailed kite

5. Falcons and Kestrels

  • Peregrine falcon
  • American kestrel
  • Gyrfalcon
  • Common kestrel
  • Red-footed falcon
  • Amur falcon
  • Sooty falcon
  • Red-necked falcon
  • Aplomado falcon
  • Eurasian hobby
  • African hobby
  • Merlin

6. True Hawks

  • Cooper’s hawk
  • Shikra
  • Sharp-shinned hawk
  • Eurasian sparrowhawk
  • Northern goshawk
  • Grey-headed goshawk
  • Red-chested goshawk
  • African goshawk
  • Black sparrowhawk
  • Grey goshawk
  • White-bellied goshawk
  • Chinese sparrowhawk
  • Crested goshawk
  • Chestnut-flanked sparrowhawk
  • Brown goshawk

7. Owls

8. Vultures and Condors

9. Seriemas

  • Red-legged seriema
  • Black-legged seriema

10. Ospreys

  • Osprey

11. Secretarybirds

  • Secretarybird

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