Birds of Prey

The Birds of Prey,aka raptors,are a family of meat-eating birds with hooked bills and talons that are extremely strong and are also diurnal.The term "raptor" derives from the Latin word "rapere" which means to seize or take by force.They also have good eyesight which allows them to detect prey during flight.The types of raptors include accipiters,buteos,eagles,hawks,falcons,kites,vultures.

Species of Birds of Prey native to North America
New World Vultures Hawks,Kites,Eagles,Allies Accipiters-have comparatively long tails and short,rounded wings give these woodland birds extreme agility Buteos-High-soaring hawks,among easiest of birds of prey to spot Caracaras and Falcons-these powerful hunters are distinguished by their long wings,which are bent back at the "wrist" and,except in the Crested Caracara,narrow and pointed.Females are much bigger than males.Birds of the genus Falco use their notched bills to kill prey by severing the spinal column at its neck
 * Turkey Vulture
 * Black Vulture
 * California Condor
 * Osprey
 * Mississippi Kite
 * White-tailed Kite
 * Swallow-tailed Kite
 * Double-toothed Kite (from Mexico,now countable)
 * Snail Kite (Florida only)
 * Hook-billed Kite
 * Northern Harrier
 * Golden Eagle
 * Bald Eagle
 * Steller's Sea Eagle (from Asia)
 * White-tailed Eagle
 * Sharp-shinned Hawk
 * Cooper's Hawk
 * Northern Goshawk
 * Common Black-Hawk
 * Harris's Hawk
 * Zone-tailed Hawk
 * Short-tailed Hawk (found only in Florida)
 * Roadside Hawk
 * Broad-winged Hawk
 * Gray Hawk
 * Red-shouldered Hawk
 * Red-tailed Hawk
 * Swainson's Hawk
 * Rough-legged Hawk
 * Ferruginous Hawk
 * White-tailed Hawk
 * Eurasian Hobby
 * Aplomado Falcon
 * Crested Caracara
 * American Kestrel
 * Eurasian Hobby
 * Merlin
 * Prairie Falcon
 * Peregrine Falcon
 * Gyrfalcon


 * Red-footed Falcon (from Africa and Europe,seen in Martha's Vineyard)
 * Collared Forest-Falcon (from Mexico)