Birds of Prey (Order Falconiformes)

Description: Birds of prey (Order Falconiformes) include eagles, hawks, kites, the secretary bird, ospreys, and falcons. These birds have superb eyesight, strong legs and talons, a sharp, hooked bill and are adept hunters. Birds of prey are primarily carnovires (that is, they feed on other animals).

Most birds of prey have subdued coloration (such as browns, greys, whites). Their eyes are set facing forward for ease of spotting prey. Tail shape varies depending on behavior. For example those species that require greater in-flight maneuverability have broad tails, species that rely more on speed than maneuverability have short tails, and species that require the ability to fly at slow speeds have forked tails (Source: Burnie and Wilson 286).

Range and habitat: Members of the Falconidae, Accipitridae, and Pandionidae families occur on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Some birds of prey are more local in range, such as the Secretary bird that occurs only in sub-Saharan Africa and the New World vultures that occur only in North and South America. Within their ranges, birds of prey occupy a wide range of habitats from arctic and coastal regions to desserts and forests (Source: Burnie and Wilson 286).

Members of this order: The Order Falconiformes includes the following families:

• Family Sagittariidae (secretary bird)
• Family Pandionidae (osprey)
• Family Accipitridae (kites, eagles, hawks)
• Family Falconidae (falcons)