bird of prey

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Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

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Prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus) in mid-flight.

11 Questions About Birds Answered

Common, or southern, cassowary (Casuarius casuarius).

8 Birds That Can’t Fly

Spider monkey swinging in a tree. (primate, jungle animal)

Why Do Animals Have Tails?

animal. Amphibian. Frog. Anura. Ranidae. Frog in grass.

Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World

Hungry Pelican waiting to be fed, beak open, Australia

Why Don’t Birds Have Teeth?

Discover

Titanic infographic. The 30th anniversary of its discovery is September 1, 2015. SPOTLIGHT VERSION.

Timeline of the Titanic’s Final Hours

Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

Entrants falling and tumbling over while chasing the cheese at the 2016 'Cheese Rolling' held at Cooper's Hill, in the Cotswolds, Brockworth England

7 of the World’s Most Dangerous Festivals

Small, white rat (genus Rattus) on a glass table. (rodent, laboratory, experiment)

Cruel and Unusual Punishments: 15 Types of Torture

Lusitania sinking, illustration from The War of the Nations (New York), December 31, 1919. World War I, WWI. This image is one of three on the page. (See source file for the other two.)

7 of the World’s Deadliest Shipwrecks

Ahura Mazda - relief of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda at the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Also known as Ormazd Zoroastrianism,

Which Religion Is the Oldest?

Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.

Why Is Ireland Two Countries?

bird of prey: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Falconer ‘extremely close’ to catching hawk attacking Hertfordshire villagers • Mar. 22, 2025, 6:08 AM ET (The Guardian)

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Topics

falconiform owl What Are the Differences Between Hawks and Falcons?raptor apex predator bird pigeon flightless bird songbird wren sparrow poultry waterfowl ratite oxbird oxeye

Quiz

vulture. An adult bearded vulture at a raptor recovery center. The Gypaetus barbatus also known as the Lammergeier or Lammergeyer, is a bird of prey and considered an Old World vulture.

Animal Factoids

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Animals, mammals.

Ultimate Animals Quiz

turkey vulture. vulture. Close-up of a head and beak of a Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura).

A Little Bird Told Me

Great Grey Owl or Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa), Alaska. Wood owls, birds.

All About Birds Quiz

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Lion (panthera leo)

Deadliest Animals Quiz

pigeon. pigeon and dove. member of the order Columbiformes, family Columbidae

Ultimate Bird Trivia Quiz

List

Common, or southern, cassowary (Casuarius casuarius).

8 Birds That Can’t Fly

White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. (birds)

15 of the Best Birdsongs (According to Britannica)

Prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus) in mid-flight.

11 Questions About Birds Answered

animal. Amphibian. Frog. Anura. Ranidae. Frog in grass.

Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World

Demystified

Black-headed gulls perching on a roof with bird droppings, often seen in flocks around London, England, in winter time. The "black head" develops during the breeding season. (black headed, birds, guano, bird poop)

Do Birds Pee?