Hawks, vultures and eagles
Mixed group of 'birds of prey' or 'raptors', with hooked bills. Hawks include the bird-eating hawks such as the sparrowhawk, with broad, rounded wings and long, slender tails; and the buzzards, mostly larger, longer-winged, substantial birds, which use broad wings for soaring. Eagles of similar size or larger (white-tailed is one of Europe’s largest flying birds) with deep, arched, sharply-hooked bills, long, strong, curved claws. Vultures have weaker feet, blunter claws, not used for catching or killing prey, but they excel in soaring flight over great distances, with little expenditure of energy, in search of dead animals. Many more species outside Europe. Members of this familyThis list only includes birds that occur regularly within the UK. The commonest UK bird of prey |  |
A huge bird of prey, with only the white-tailed eagle larger in the UK. With its long broad wings and longish tail, it has a different outline to the smaller buzzard. It likes to soar and glide on air... |  |
A large hawk, almost reaching buzzard size. When seen close to it has a fierce expression with bright red eyes and a distinctive white eyebrow. Its broad wings enable it to hunt at high speed, weavi... |  |
Of the UK's birds of prey, this is the most intensively persecuted. Once predating free-range fowl, earning its present name, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot is the cause of mode... |  |
The honey buzzard is a large bird of prey that is similar to the buzzard. It has got broad wings and a long tail. The plumage is very variable across all ages; typical adults are greyish-brown on its ... |  |
The largest of the harriers, it can be recognised by its long tail and light flight with wings held in a shallow 'V'. It is distinguishable from other harriers by its larger size, heavier build, broad... |  |
The Montagu's harrier is a slim, medium-sized, long-winged bird of prey. It has a long tail, is smaller than a buzzard, and has more pointed wings than the similar hen harrier. The male is grey above.... |  |
This magnificently graceful bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail. It was saved from national extinction by one of the world's longest running p... |  |
Adult males have a slate grey back and white underparts, closely barred with orange. Their grey tail has 4-5 dark bars. Females are larger, with brown upperparts, a white stripe over the eye and dark ... |  |
The white-tailed eagle is the largest UK bird of prey. It has brown body plumage with a conspicuously pale head and neck which can be almost white in older birds, and the tail feathers of adults are w... |  |
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