A Short Guide to Popular Birds of Prey

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/

Why Birds Don't Need Rudders

Well, as a pilot myself I have a fascination for anything that flies whether imagined or actual. Therefore, I have no problem sitting in a park and watching birds fly by putting on a private air show going about their business and doing their thing. They seem to enjoy flying sideways, and their maneuverability is extremely proficient along with their ability to morph their wings and feathers to come in for the perfect two point landing. Their level of agility has been a fascination of mankind, aerospace designers, and today's modern pilots. Okay so let's talk.

It seems we like to copy nature for most of our technological designs. As well we should, because evolution has created the most efficient solutions to the challenges of mobility in this domain. It seems humans have a tough time building an airplane without a vertical fin. They have trouble keeping it going straight. Interestingly enough, birds don't seem to have a problem flying straight, and their bodies are not shaped like a fin, they don't have fins like fish at all. Have you ever asked yourself why?

It's not that evolution couldn't have provided this, it has provided fins for other animals that move through other mediums such as water, but when it came to birds apparently they didn't need the extra fin or the rudder to help steer them. It seems to me there's a simple reason for this, and it is the same reason that someone flying a hang glider doesn't need a vertical fin. The hang glider can shift his weight from side to side and if he keeps his body perfectly situated to the relative wind there's not a problem with lateral control.

When a bird wishes to turn, they just lean a certain way, or they can crab into the wind and fly sideways without any problem at all. They don't seem to be challenged by crosswind landings or steering in any regard. The gentleman that flies the Delta-wing jet on his back after he parachutes from an airplane, tells audiences and enthusiasts that he just leans in the direction he wishes to travel. His wing doesn't even change shape, but he still has full control.

Maybe airplanes don't really need wings they just need a way to shift their weight and morph the fuselage slightly, something that living species can learn very quickly. Species which include all of the birds, bats, insects, and humans with Delta wings and hang gliders strapped to their back. I ask that you close your eyes, and think about this for a few moments. Then go design something, something that flies straight and true. Please consider all this.

Why Are White Birds Becoming the Most Popular?

The other day, I went into a pet store because I was looking for something to write on the topic of pet birds. As I was talking to the pet store owner, a local well-known business person, in fact, I can vouch for Sam, we've even worked on some local community projects together. We got to talking about the cost for caring for a large bird, such as an African gray. He explained to me that the new thing was that people wanted birds which were white in color.

He wasn't sure what the fascination was, although he did say that white little designer dogs and white cats are also on the request list, and there are fewer at the pound, as they generally get adopted quickly as well. I told him a theory that the CEO of BMW had mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. He called it the "Apple Affect" and that people were buying white BMWs to match their Apple iPhones, and other products. He laughed, and said he wouldn't be surprised.

Interestingly enough, I did meet someone last month at Starbucks, and she had bought a cover for her Apple iPad. Then she mentioned that all of her wardrobe now contained that same color, it's even painted her fingernails and toenails to match. It seems, that white is in, even for pet birds. The problem is due to supply and demand, many of the very colorful parrots are not selling so well, people want the white ones, therefore the price has risen. Sam told me it wasn't his fault, his costs had also gone up, so he had to pass those costs on to the consumer.

He showed me a white parrot, boy was it beautiful, he said; "this bird has already been sold," and the parents said; "I am sold, I am sold." Wow I thought, that's pretty funny, and it turns out that one of the girls who works there taught the parrot to say that because people kept asking how much it was. And then the parrot said; "look over there, look over there." And sure enough, there were other birds on the next row, also for sale, birds which had not been sold yet.

This is why white pet birds are becoming the most popular right now, and Sam wasn't sure how long that trend would last, previously they were not in such high demand. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it if you are shopping for a pet bird.