Bird of prey
|Bird of Prey|
| Galapagos Hawk|
Bird of prey is the generic term for birds within the orders of Falconiformes (hawks, falcons, vultures, etc.) and Strigiformes (owls), and characterized by the active hunting and killing of prey animals with their feet.
Although not closely related, members of Falconiformes and Strigiformes share similar characteristics which enable them to be successful hunters. Both have extremely powerful vision, enabling hawks to see rabbits with clarity at distances greater than a quarter of a mile, or owls to detect a mouse in near-total darkness. Both possess hooked bills made for tearing flesh. And both possess talons capable of killing their prey as soon as a strike is made.
Falconiformes are daylight (diurnal) hunters, consisting of five families and more than 200 species:
- Condors, New World vultures.
Strigiformes are nocturnal, hunting only at night, and consist of two families of more than 120 species:
- Typical owls.
- Barn and bay owls.