Birds of Prey in North Carolina

Hawks, kites, falcons, vultures, owls, and eagles make up the North Carolina birds of prey. The large raptors of the state are the red-tailed hawk, northern goshawk, golden eagle, bald eagle, and great horned owl. Of them, the red-tailed hawk is a common raptor of western North Carolina. The pictures help in identifying the birds.

List of Birds of Prey in North Carolina

Eagles

• Bald Eagle
• Golden Eagle

Falcons

• American Kestrel
• Crested Caracara
• Gyrfalcon
• Merlin
• Peregrine Falcon

Hawks

• Broad-winged Hawk
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Northern Goshawk
• Northern Harrier
• Osprey
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Sharp-shinned Hawk

Kites

• Mississippi Kite
• Snail Kite
• Swallow-tailed Kite
• White-tailed Kite

Owls

• American Barn Owl
• Barn Owl
• Barred Owl
• Burrowing Owl
• Eastern Screech-Owl
• Great Horned Owl
• Long-eared Owl
• Northern Saw-whet Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Snowy Owl

Vultures

• Black Vulture
• Turkey Vulture