Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey

Introduction From far away, a large bird spots a mouse. In a powerful burst of speed, it dashes down and grabs the rodent with its sharp claws. Then the bird lands and uses its beak to tear apart its food. Birds of prey, also called raptors, are impressive predators. They have three important features that allow them to hunt and eat their prey. Their strong feet have talons that they use to grab prey. Their sharp, curved beaks can easily tear apart food. Birds of prey also have excellent eyesight that helps them spot prey from far away.

Birds of prey live all over the world. They can survive in many different habitats, from prairies to deserts. A few kinds of birds of prey even live in cities. Scientists separate birds of prey into two groups. One group is nocturnal-active at night. The other group is diurnal- active during the day.

Owls Owls are nocturnal birds of prey-they hunt at night and sleep during the day. Owls have short tails, rounded wings, and sharp talons. Their large heads have flat faces, big eyes, and curved beaks. Owls don't have eyeballs. Their eyes are more like tubes held in place by bones. This means they can't really move their eyes. To follow prey they have to turn their heads. Owls can even turn their heads backward and see behind them!

Owls hunt by watching and waiting for the right moment to pounce on their prey. When it's totally dark, owls rely on their sensitive hearing instead of their sense of sight. Unlike other birds, owls have special feathers. As they fly, their feathers don't make any sound. Their silent flight allows them to sneak up on their prey as well as hear its movements. When they are ready, owls quickly drop down and use their talons to catch their prey by surprise. Then they crush their prey with their beaks. Most owls eat small birds, mice, lizards, or insects.

Falcons Except for owls, all birds of prey are diurnal-they are active during the day. Falcons are one example. These medium-sized birds of prey have long, pointed wings. Unlike owls, which hunt by silently surprising their prey, falcons hunt using speed. Their amazing eyesight allows them to spot prey from far away. Their pointed wings help them fly fast and turn quickly as they chase their prey. Falcons attack by diving-or stooping- headfirst after their prey. Then they strike it hard, snatch it with their talons, and kill it with their sharp beaks.