Birds of prey are extraordinary animals that have undergone various changes in their body that benefit them when it comes to catching their prey. These birds can be found all over the world. They feed essentially on the meat of their game and can be very vulnerable if their habitat undergoes radical changes that harm the environment in which they feed. Let's get to know a little more about them.
Characteristics of birds of prey
You might be wonderingwhat are birds of prey? These are merely carnivorous animals that have physical qualities that have adapted so that their diet can be carried out without any inconvenience, because unlike other types of birds, they have unparalleled agility for hunting that makes them assertive in almost one hundred percent of the cases. These qualities or characteristics that make them so special are:
- Vision: These birds are characterized by having a vision called "binocular vision" which allows them to focus only on their prey and also increases their field of vision. Birds of prey especially rely on their sense of sight to find their food. Its eyes are large and are equivalent to 15% of its weight.
- Peaks: These animals have sharp, strong and dangerous beaks that make them stand out from other bird species. This anatomical part of their body is vital, as they use it to tear their prey apart, although some birds of prey also use their beaks to take the life of their catch.
- Legs: These are usually full of strong muscles and sharp claws that will vary depending on the bird, since not all of them have the same thickness, length or shape and their characteristics will depend on the type of prey that the bird consumes. All birds of prey have four fingers which can be distributed in this way: 3 to the front and one back or 2 to the front and two back, this will depend on the species of the animal. The arrangements of their fingers help them to better grip their prey, being safer when their orientation is equally divided towards both sides.
- Hearing: the auditory sense of these animals is usually very good because this is very important for locating their prey, especially for birds of prey that hunt during the night hours and those that live in areas full of different animals that can make constant noises. Many of these birds are characterized by having a particular plumage that forms the shape of a disc and that is located on their heads, near their auditory canals and that serve as sound amplifiers, making their hearing much more acute.
- Digestive system: These animals have a particular digestive system, they have a crop in which the food is stored, but it is not digested in this place, its shape looks like a sack. In that crop those pairs of the pear that cannot be digested are stored, an example would be the bones or nails of the animal, these are stored there and are later expelled through regurgitation.
- At: Birds of prey that live in places such as jungles or forests have slightly shorter and more circular wings that allow them to move while they fly without colliding with trees or bushes and getting entangled in them. On the other hand, birds that are found in wide places and without so many obstacles have much longer wings and more defined feathers towards the tips. The feathers of this part of the body of birds of prey have unique patterns that make them able to go unnoticed when they fly.
types of birds of prey
Two Types of birds of prey, they may have some similarities of their species, however, they do not have any resemblance within their taxonomy. So, we would be talking about birds of prey that do not share their taxonomy any more, however they have some similarities between them, one of these characteristics that they share may be their way of obtaining their prey and the type of it. The two types of these birds are:
- diurnal birds of prey
- Nocturnal birds of prey (in this type there may be birds that have some diurnal behaviors)
Names and Examples of Diurnal Birds of Prey
First of all, we must know that diurnal birds of prey belong to two types of orders, the Falconiformes and the Accipitriformes, these in turn are categorized within families and genera to which each of them belong.
Now, we are going to know which are the families that are within the order of the birds of prey Falconiformes:
- Cathartidae
- Pandionidae
- Accipitridae
- Sagittariidae
- falconidae
On the other hand, the birds of prey of the order Accipitriformes are divided into the following families:
- Accipitridae
- Cathartidae
- Pandionidae
- Sagittariidae
Having already known this, we are going to talk about some species of birds of prey and find out what their main characteristics are that make them unique among their kind.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
El Bald eagle It is a bird belonging to the North American continent, it is within the order of the accipitriformes. These can measure up to two meters in wing length, so they are considered a large bird of prey. They are exceptional hunters that can live in different types of habitats.
They can constantly be seen stealing the prey of other smaller eagles which they chase relentlessly until they achieve their goal. These birds are considered a very particular species, this is due to their large size and the white plumage that is found all over their heads, as this is a clear distinctive that characterizes them and makes them unique and highly recognized worldwide.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Belonging to the order of the falconiformes, these birds are categorized into 19 subspecies, they can be found in different places on the planet, this means that they are birds that have traveled the entire world and have become accustomed to these different places.
They have a size of around 60 centimeters in the body, if their extended wings are measured they can be approximately 120 centimeters, so we can assume that each wing has a length similar to that of its own body. You're beautiful raptors They are very showy due to the design of their plumage both on the body and on their face, which resembles a mask.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Wth0g-zpU
Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)
This is considered one of the largest birds of prey, this is because its size can reach up to one meter, while the size of its two extended wings mostly exceed two meters in length, in addition to this, these incredible eagles They have extremely sharp and powerful claws that can easily reach 15 centimeters, which makes them potentially dangerous and magnificent hunters.
El Harpy eagle It belongs to the order of the accipitriformes and its natural habitat would be the humid forests that are found from the southern zone of Mexican territory to the northern zone of Argentine territory. One of their most striking characteristics, apart from their size, is that when these birds feel in danger, the feathers on their heads tend to bristle and form a kind of crest that makes them look even more beautiful, larger and more powerful.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
These are birds that we can find in almost the whole world, their environment is usually found in the mountain ranges and on those cliffs where there is a great variety of rocks, since the golden eagle tends to make its nests among the rocks that are In those places.
They are large birds that can exceed two meters in length when we refer to their wing size, while their body can reach 90 centimeters or one meter in length.
Giant eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus)
This is a bird of prey that lives in maritime areas, rivers or lakes, its location is focused on some Asian countries such as Japan, Korea and China, however, it can also be found in some places in Russia. It is considered the heaviest of all birds of prey, it can measure more than two meters in its wing length, while its body can reach one meter and sometimes even exceed it by a few centimeters.
In this way, the giant eagle is considered one of the largest birds on earth along with the harpy eagle, which can reach the same or similar size as this bird. The diet of the sea eagle consists of fish, especially salmon, in order to eat this fish that has a hard body, this bird has developed a large beak that makes it easier for it to tear and later eat these fish.
Names and examples of nocturnal birds of prey
Within the group of nocturnal birds of prey we can only find a single order, this is the Strigiformes and it is only made up of two families that subdivide it. Let's learn a little more about this species of birds that usually hunt at night:
Families:
- Tytonidae
- strigidae
It is very easy to know which birds belong to which family, this is because only owls are found in the Tytonidae family, which means that the rest of the birds of prey are grouped in the other remaining family. As we mentioned before, in this species there are nocturnal birds that share attitudes with diurnal birds and can also be active at those times.
Now we are going to know some of these nocturnal birds of prey and what characterizes them:
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
We already know to which family this beautiful bird belongs. These can be found in various types of habitat, it is one of the few birds of prey that can be observed living quietly in urban areas, in addition to this, we can find them in almost every country in the world.
They are birds that can measure around 40 centimeters, so they are considered medium-sized. Its main and most notorious characteristic of this owl is the white color of its feathers which has small spots of other colors.
Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)
Large birds that can measure around 80 centimeters in length and with a wingspan that can exceed two meters. They can be found on the Asian continent, Europe and Russia. Their habitat consists mainly of wooded areas, desert and even tundras, where they live throughout their lives.
Their most outstanding physical appearance are those two crests positioned over their eyes and reaching the back of their heads, these resemble the shape of two ears, so they are easily distinguishable from other species.
Barred Owl (Strix hylophila)
These magnificent birds of prey can be found in the forests and jungles of some South American countries (Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina). These are birds that cannot be seen easily, since they tend to hide very well from humans, they can usually be heard in the distance, but they are almost never seen. They are experts in camouflage with their surroundings, this contributes to making them very difficult to detect and see.
They are cataloged within the medium-sized birds of prey, they measure approximately 40 centimeters. Their plumage has a very particular pattern, as it consists of smooth wavy lines in light and dark colors that make them look very striking but help them blend in with their surroundings so as not to be seen either by their natural predators or by the human eye. In addition to that they have a small black crest that surrounds their entire face.
Scops owl (Otus scops)
These animals are found within the forested and near river habitats of Africa, Asia and Europe, however, they can also be seen in urbanized or semi-urban areas. They are considered the smallest owls within the entire Iberian Peninsula, as they measure only 20 centimeters, which is why they are classified as one of the smallest birds of prey.
Their physical trait is characterized by having crested feathers that give them a very unique appearance and make them one of the most colorful and striking species of birds of prey.
Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus)
This owl is also considered one of the smallest birds of prey, this is because its size does not usually exceed 25 centimeters. They can usually be found in the Alpine areas of the European continent, especially in mountainous areas and forests.
The most striking feature of these animals is usually that they have a slightly larger head than the rest of the owls and in addition to that, they have two black lines positioned over their eyes and that give the appearance of being eyebrows, this It has made them very popular since they are very showy and beautiful.
other birds of prey
Previously we managed to talk a little about the birds of prey that are more characteristic within their groups and families, however, we must take into consideration that there are many others that also have their special characteristics and are therefore unique within. his kind. Next, we will leave you a small list with the names and belonging groups of some other birds of prey that you may want to know:
- Common Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) – Diurnal bird of prey
- Red Kite (Milvus milvus) – Diurnal bird of prey
- Black Kite (Milvus migrans) – Diurnal bird of prey
- Soaring Sparrowhawk (Circus buffoni) – Diurnal bird of prey
- Black Owl (Ciccaba huhhula) – Nocturnal bird of prey
- Tawny owl (Strix aluco) – Nocturnal bird of prey
- Solitary Eagle (Harpyhaliaetus solitarius) – Diurnal bird of prey
- Long-legged Sparrowhawk (Geranospiza caerulescens) – Diurnal bird of prey
- White-legged Owl (Strix albitarsis) – Nocturnal bird of prey
- African Fish Owl (Scotopelia peli) – Nocturnal bird of prey
- Blackish Owl (Asio stygius) – Nocturnal bird of prey
- Iberian imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti) – Diurnal bird of prey
- Brown Owl (Strix virgata)- Nocturnal bird of prey
- Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) – Nocturnal bird of prey
- Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) – Diurnal bird of prey
- White Matamico (Phalcoboenus megalopterus) – Diurnal bird of prey
- Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) – Diurnal bird of prey
- Common Alilicucu (Megascops choliba) – Nocturnal bird of prey
- Cinnamon Owl (Aegolius harrisii) – Nocturnal bird of prey
- Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) – Diurnal bird of prey
All these birds share a similarity, which is that they are birds of prey and that their diet is carnivorous, however, after knowing some of them, we were able to notice that they have very different taxonomic aspects among them, so each one is special and they have Unique features. Some of them may share behaviors and even a few physical similarities, but this does not mean that they are totally the same, even when it comes to subspecies of the same class.
Now that we know a little more about them, we will surely love to see birds of prey pictures or observe them in their natural state while learning much more about the different birds of prey that exist around the world.