Bird of prey
Accipitriformes
Cathartidae
Pandionidae
Accipitridae
Sagittariidae
Falconiformes
Falconidae
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A
bird of prey or
raptor is a
bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on
mammals or other birds.
Diurnal birds of prey hunt with their
beaks and
talons. They belong to the order
Accipitriformes and
Falconiformes in several groups including:
For an alternative taxonomy, see also
Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy.
Nocturnal birds of prey -- the
owls -- are separate from the diurnal families, and are in the order
Strigiformes.
Other birds may also hunt large prey items, such as the
shrikes, and some
kingfishers, like the
Kookaburra.
Although, as above, the term is sometimes used more broadly, in general it refers to diurnal species such as the
hawks,
eagles,
buzzards,
falcons and
vultures.
Although other groups may fill similar ecological roles and sometimes appear closely related on first sight, this is largely because of
convergent evolution.
Common terms and categories
Many terms are used to describe particular types of birds of prey, both by specialists and lay people, in ways that vary a good deal.
- Eagles are large raptors with long, broad wings and massive legs. True eagles have feathered legs and build large stick nests. (Non-specialists often use the term very broadly, to indicate almost any raptor.)
- Kites are raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. In general they take live prey but mostly feed on carrion.
- Falcons are small to medium sized birds of prey with long pointed wings. Unlike most other raptors, they belong to the Falconidae rather than the Accipitridae. Many are particularly swift flyers. No falcons build nests; instead, they appropriate old nests of other birds or lay their eggs on cliff ledges or in tree hollows.
- Harriers are large, slender hawk-like birds with long tails and long, thin legs. Most hunt by gliding and circling low over grasslands and marshes on their long, broad wings.
- Buzzards are wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings, or, alternatively, any bird of the genus Buteo.
The F/A-22 Raptor is a fighter aircraft of the United States Air Force.
In the fictional Star Trek universe, Bird of Prey is an alternate term for a type of Romulan impulse cruiser also known as a "War Bird," and later refers to one of several classes of small Klingon combat vessels. See Bird of Prey (Star Trek) for more information.
Birds of Prey is a comic book published by DC Comics that features the adventures of a group of superheroes based in Gotham City. It was also a live action television series loosely based on the comic book. See Birds of Prey for more information.
