Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey
Hawks, Eagles, Falcons and Owls

These are the winged hunters of other vertebrae, most often occupying the top of the food chain. Birds of prey, or raptors, are characterized by sharp talons and hooked beaks adapted to captur-ing and tearing meat. This grouping includes primarily the eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and vultures. I find these carnivorous species to be the most fascinating of birds.

(As opposed to my other albums, most of the birds pictured below are captive individuals, usually photographed at bird shows. In this album the exceptions are the Bald Eagles, the soaring Red-tailed Hawk, the Short-eared Owls, and the Northern Harriers. These were free birds, photographed in the wild.)

Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine is not only the fastest animal in the world, but also one of the handsomest. Once threatened with extcinction, they have made a recent rebound from the abyss.

Bald EagleWith his distinctive white head feathers, the Bald Eagle is the undisputed king of the birds of prey. He's a large and powerful bird about 33 inches long, weighing 10 pounds, and with a wingspan of 7 to 8 feet. After a period of serious decline, the bald eagle is swiftly recovering and growing in numbers. This female and her offspring, following, were photographed in the Hudson Valley, NY.

Bald Eagle

This is an immature Bald Eagle, in fact it's a baby, having taken flight for the first time the same day this photo was shot. Eagle chicks grow incredibly fast and reach full adult size in less than 3 months. It takes another 4 years before they get the distinctive white head and tail feathers. The mature eagle pictured just above this one is his mother.

Red-Tailed Hawk
Of all the live-prey raptors, the one most commonly observed in the wild is the Red-tailed Hawk. If you look skyward for soaring birds, only the vultures are likely to be seen more often than the Red-tailed. As pictured below, they are commonly seen soaring and riding the thermals, on the hunt. They can be found across virtually the entire lower 48 United States.

Red-Tailed HawkThese are large hawks, almost 2 feet long with large, broad wings about 4 feet long.

Red-Tailed Hawk

Eagle OwlThe Eagle Owl, native to Europe and Asia, is one of the world's largest owls. Reaching about 25 inches in length and weighing up to 7 or 8 pounds, they are capable of preying on larger prey like squirrels, rabbits, and even young deer. In comparison, the Barn Owl (below) averages 1 pound.

Eagle Owl

Barn Owl

The Barn Owl's luxurious coat often brings to mind the ornate and colorful robes of 18th century royalty. It's said they have the most acutely developed sense of hearing of all the owls, able to pinpoint prey with 100% accuracy in total darkness. They often nest in barns and other old structures.

Barn Owl

Gyrfalcon

Peregrine FalconThe Peregrine is a fairly large falcon that preys on small to medium-sized birds in mid-air. It's particularly known for being the fastest of all animals, capable of reaching speeds approaching 200 mph during its spectacular dives. Even in level flight, Peregrines can reach speeds of almost 70mph.

Peregrine Falcon

This photo shows a young Peregrine.

Harris HawkThe Harris Hawk is a medium-large hawk frequently used by falconers, much like the Gyrfalcon, because they are easy to train. It's native to the southwestern U.S, south through Central America and into much of South America. It's attractively multi-colored for a hawk.

American KestrelThe American Kestrel is North America's smallest falcon, ranging from 8 to 10 inches in length and weighing just 3 to 6 ounces. They make up for their diminutive size with ferocity. They are also North America's most common falcon, as they can be found across virtually the entire 48 mainland United States.

Spectacled OwlThe Spectacled Owl is a large predator native to the tropics and rainforests. It's found in Mexico, Central America, and through much of South America. Despite the shy expression on this individual, these owls are commonly known to attack and kill prey larger than themselves.

Southern White-faced Owl This is a relatively small owl native to the southern portions of Africa.

Steppe Eagle

This is a large eagle of similar size to the Bald Eagle, about 30 inches long with a wing span of about 7 feet. The Steppe Eagle breeds in Europe and Asia but migrates to Africa to overwinter. It favors wide open areas with few trees like deserts, semi-deserts, or semi-arid prairie areas called "steppe".

Steppe EagleIntense-looking fellow.

Barred Owl

This is a large owl, averaging about 18 inches long with a wingspan of up to 40 inches. Common in the entire eastern half of the United States, it is also known as the hoot owl due to it's distinctive 'hoot-hoot' vocalizations.

Short-Eared Owl

Unlike most owls that hunt only at night, this owl prefers to hunt at dusk or dawn. This gives photographers like myself opportunity to photograph them, whereas photographing nocturnal owls in flight is virtually impossible. This medium sized owl hunts very much like the Northern Harrier (below), flying low over open fields and marshes, looking and listening for prey to quickly pounce upon.

Northern Harrier

This is a medium-sized hawk which sports a curious round, owl-like face, a unique feature that enables the Harrier to hunt by sound as well as vision. This photo demonstrates typical hunting technique, flying low over grasslands looking and listening for rodents. Harriers and Short-eared Owls (above) not only hunt similarly, but when prey is plentiful they frequently hunt the same territory side by side.

Saker Falcon

The Saker is a large falcon 20 inches long with a wingspan of about 40 inches. Native to eastern Europe and Asia, these raptors are seriously threatened by human collectors for falconry. This particular bird has been used at a major New York airport to reduce populations of sea gulls which pose a serious threat to aircraft.