Birds of prey are normally birds that are larger than the average size of birds. They normally prey on other animals for their food. Unlike other birds, their main tool of hunting is not the beak but rather their talons. Their vision and flight skills are some of the best in the animal kingdom. Compared to other birds, the talons and beaks of birds of prey are extremely powerful. The female birds of prey are normally larger than the males. This article looks at some of the most popular birds of prey that there are.
Eagles
Eagles are probably the most popular raptors in the world. They are very large and very powerful. They normally build their nests on very high places. It is very rare to find an eagles' nest below 75 feet. Rather than use twigs and leaves to build their nests like other birds, eagles use sticks instead. The whole process of building an eagle's nest usually takes at least 6 months. The reason behind eagles' ability to glide in the air for a long time without flapping its wings is that it has a very wide wingspan. Eagles usually lay only two eggs. However, it is very common for the dominant chick, which is normally female, to kill its younger and weaker sibling.
Falcons
Falcons are not as large as eagles. However, they are some of the fastest birds in the air. Some species of falcon can fly at up to speeds of 200 miles per hour. Falcons' wings are tapered and, unlike other birds, they do not build their own nests. The birding practice of falconry is a very popular one today. This is the practice of using trained falcons to hunt.
Hawks
Hawks and falcons have more or less the same size. They hunt for prey in two main ways - by flying and by walking. Similar to their larger relatives, the eagles, hawks' nests are built of sticks. However, compared to eagles, hawks lay more eggs. A single female hawk can lay up to 6 eggs and, sometimes, even more.
Kites
Compared to the other birds in this list, kites are not as powerful and aggressive. Their main foods are snails, insects and small animals. Kites are also scavengers. They feed on dead animals and garbage.
Osprey
Ospreys are of only one species. Their main habitats are near water bodies. These hunting bodies are their main sources of food. It is common to see ospreys hovering above a water body and upon seeing prey (normally fish), they dive at a very fast speed and catch the prey.
Owls
Owls are nocturnal birds of prey. Their eyes face forward and their face is in the shape of a disc. This disc-shaped face helps them to detect sounds at night. It is almost impossible to hear an owl fly at night due to the fact that its feathers are normally very soft.
Vultures
Vultures are the last birds of prey to be discussed in this article. They are scavengers and so their main diet is dead animals' bodies. They do not have any hairs on their heads. This helps them to remain clean even when they poke their bodies into the bloody flesh of dead animals while eating.
A good website that can be useful to find more information on birds of prey, binoculars to watch them, figurines of your favorite birds and books on birds of prey is http://www.birdsofpreyinfo.com/
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