Various birds of prey. Order Birds of Prey (Falconiformes)

On the pages of our website we have already written hundreds of times about dog breeds, caring for them, and made selections based on certain characteristics. But today we will take a break from earthly affairs and, for the sake of variety, we will talk about the lords of the sky - birds of prey. Of course, it will not be possible to list them all, because there are thousands of species, so we will talk about the most famous birds in Russia, Ukraine, as well as on the American continent.

Birds of prey of Russia - photos with names

Among the representatives of birds of prey in Russia there are both day and night hunters. The first include, for example, the families of hawks and falcons, and the second include barn owls and owls. They all have similar characteristics (sharp claws, good eyesight), but at the same time they are very different in size, feather color, hunting method, etc.

Black kite (shulika)

Birds of Prey of Russia - Black Kite (photo by Tim Ebbs).

Anyone who has ventured outside the city has probably seen this bird, albeit from afar - the kite flies quite high. The shulika (as the kite is often called) has a relatively small size, only 50-60 cm in length and 800-1100 g in weight. But the one and a half meter wingspan makes this predator more impressive.

The genus of kites includes several subspecies and their habitats are extensive - this bird of prey is very often found in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and is also distributed throughout Africa (except the Sahara), in southern Asia, and in Northern Australia. It is worth noting that the kite is sometimes found even in big cities(Novosibirsk, Barnaul, etc.).

The diet includes fish, rodents, birds, frogs, insects, crustaceans, mollusks and even worms. Accordingly, the black kite most often nests in forests near lakes and rivers.

White-tailed eagle

Birds of prey of Russia - White-tailed Eagle (photo from Donald Ogg).

The white-tailed eagle is another bird of prey of the hawk family, which lives throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. These sky hunters are very large - their body length is from 70 to 90 cm, they weigh from 4 to 7 kg, and their wingspan reaches 230 centimeters. Interestingly, males are significantly smaller than females.

Looking at the photo above, it’s not difficult to guess that their names this type received eagles because of the white color of the tail. By the way, in the list of the largest birds in Europe, the white-tailed eagle is placed in fourth place.

Black vulture

The black vulture is Russia's largest bird of prey (photo by Josh More).

Although this bird of prey is considered the largest in Russia, it lives only in the southeast of Altai and then in small numbers. Body length is from 75 cm to 1 meter, weight is from 7 to 12 kg, and the wingspan can reach three meters!

It is interesting that black vultures can fly great distances (up to 400 km) every day in search of food (they feed on carrion). They succeed in this thanks to their skillful ability to use rising currents of warm air for soaring flight.

Golden eagle

Diurnal birds of prey - Golden Eagle (photo by Pionites melanocephalus).

Among the most famous birds of prey in Russia, of course, there is the Golden Eagle. Moreover, it lives throughout the Northern Hemisphere (including America), mainly in the mountains. Its large size (body length from 76 to 93 cm, weight from 2.8 to 6.7 kg and a wingspan of up to 2.4 meters) allows this bird to hunt not only rodents and birds, but also hares.

Very often, golden eagles are tamed and used for commercial hunting of the same hares, as well as foxes and even wolves. In the hawk family, the golden eagle is the largest of the genus of eagles.

White Owl

Birds of Prey of Russia - Snowy Owl (photo by Colby Stopa).

This bird of prey is the largest of the order of owls that live in the tundra. Body length - from 55 to 70 cm, weight from 2 to 3 kg, wingspan - up to 166 cm. From the name it follows that the main color of the feathers is white, on which there are transverse dark streaks. This color allows the bird to camouflage itself against the background of snow.

Unlike many owls, the snowy owl hunts not only at night, but also during the day. The main diet is mice, especially lemmings (one owl can eat up to 1,600 of them in a year). Although this hunter also does not refuse small hares, partridges and fish.

Birds of Prey of America - photos and names

Of course, there are many different birds of prey in North and South America, and one page is definitely not enough to tell about them all. Therefore, we will only touch on this topic by showing only a few interesting representatives of them.

Andean condor

Andean condor (photo by Paul Balfe).

It is the largest flying bird of prey in the Western Hemisphere - its wingspan reaches 3.1 meters and its weight is 15 kg. In addition, the Andean condor is a real long-liver - life expectancy is up to 50 years. Like other griffins, this predator is not a hunter, but a scavenger.

Barn owl

Birds of Prey of America - Barn Owl (photo by Dave Curtis).

We mentioned this bird of prey not only because of its prevalence (it lives on both American continents, except Canada and the northern regions of the USA), but also because of its unusual appearance. In Russia, the barn owl is found only in the Kaliningrad region.

These are nocturnal hunters, although their daytime vision is slightly impaired relative to the dark time of day. The diet of these birds is based on small rodents - rats, voles, hamsters, gerbils, etc.

Birds of prey of Ukraine - photos and names

Among the most common birds of prey on the territory of Ukraine is the shulika (aka the black kite, which we talked about above). Also, many of the birds described above partially live in this country.

Kobchik

Birds of Prey of Ukraine - photo by Kobchik (by Michele Lamberti).

This bird of prey from the genus of falcons has quite small dimensions - a wingspan of up to 77 cm, and a maximum weight of 200 grams. It is not difficult to guess that the falcon will not catch a hare - the basis of its diet are beetles, dragonflies, and grasshoppers. Sometimes it also catches lizards, small mice, and sparrows.

Gray owl

Photo of birds of prey - Great Gray Owl (photo by Sue Cro).

Another bird from the owl family, widespread throughout almost all of Europe. Its dimensions are average - body length up to 38 cm and weight from 400 to 640 g. In nature, they are nocturnal hunters.

Video: hawk on the hunt

This concludes our small selection of birds of prey. Let us remind you that there are still very, very many of them in the world, but our moment of diversity is ending and in the next article we will return again to our pets - dogs.

Feathered hunters united common features to capture prey, they are classified as predators. They all have sharp eyesight, a powerful beak, and claws. Predator birds inhabit all continents except Antarctica.

In taxonomy, they do not form a taxonomic group, but are always distinguished on the basis of the characteristic that unites them - the ability to carry out air attacks on mammals and birds. Large feathered predators catch young antelopes, monkeys, snakes; some species feed on fish and carrion.

The following units are predatory:

• hawks;
• ospreys;
• falcons;
• secretaries;
• American vultures.

IN birds of prey family includes species of owls and barn owls, which are characterized by nocturnal activity. The hawk community has the largest number of species, many of which live in Russia.

Griffon Vulture

The vulture lives in the southern part of Eurasia and North Africa. A large bird, weighing up to 10 kg, brown in color with a characteristic white collar of feathers. A distinctive feature is the finger-shaped wings, which span more than 2 m, and the square tail.

The long neck and curved beak are adapted for cutting victims. It settles on steep cliffs, not far from open landscapes for hunting in pastures. It looks out for prey from a great height and descends in spiral turns. The name “vulture” was given to the bird for its hoarse sounds, which are especially audible in mating season.

Golden eagle

Lives in forest areas of Asia, America, Europe, Africa. Its large size does not allow it to go deep into thickets, so it settles along the edges of dense forests and in copses. Hunts foxes, hares, roe deer, black grouse. The golden eagle has long been of interest to hunters with birds of prey.

In flight, it uses currents of warm air. The “openwork” silhouettes of the golden eagle are known; they can be observed during the mating season. Like many birds of prey, in the nest the older chick suppresses the younger one, sometimes, if there is a lack of food, it eats it.

Marsh (reed) harrier

The body of the harrier is elongated. The bird has a long tail and high legs. The color of the male is brownish-reddish, the tail and part of the wings are gray. The color of the female's plumage is uniform, chocolate-colored, and her throat is yellow. The bird is attached to damp areas with aquatic plants.

The reed harrier is found in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. A significant part of the diet is occupied by mallards, snipe, corncrakes, and quails. Many hunters are familiar with the sharp calls of harriers. Depending on climatic conditions, birds lead a sedentary, nomadic or migratory lifestyle.

Meadow Harrier

Birds of medium size, with pronounced sexual dimorphism. Males are gray, noticeable are the black stripe running along the wing, and reddish streaks on the sides. Females are brown. They fly low and silently. The birds live in Eurasia and winter in the tropics of Africa and Asia. Feathered inhabitants of meadows are common in Russia.

Birds of prey of the Moscow region, along with the golden eagle, peregrine falcon, and gyrfalcon, they include the meadow harrier, which patrols lakes and forest-steppe areas. In flight, it describes large circles, looking for prey. In areas with a good food supply, it forms groups of several dozen individuals.

Harrier

The birds are distinguished by their grayish-gray plumage of a noble shade, which became the basis of the well-known comparison - gray-haired, like a harrier. On the wings, unlike the meadow harrier, there are no black stripes, only dark tips of the feathers. Harriers are unsurpassed masters of flight, in which they make sharp turns, make intricate turns, fall sharply and soar, and somersault.

The prey is taken by surprise. The habitat covers wide areas of central and northern Europe, Asia, and America. In the south of the range they lead a sedentary life, in the north, in the forest-tundra zone, they lead a migratory life.

Bearded vulture (lamber)

A large predator that does not have unfeathered areas on the neck, chest, head, like other vultures. The beak is decorated with stiff feathers similar to a beard. The cream color of the upper part of the body turns into a reddish-red hue in the lower half.

The wings are very dark. It feeds mainly on carrion, but young and weakened animals become prey. The bearded man throws carcasses from rocks to break large bones. They are found in hard-to-reach places in the mountainous regions of southern Eurasia and Africa.

Snake eater

Medium-sized migratory birds. The specialization of snake eaters is manifested in the destruction of reptiles. Birds of prey have a large head, yellow eyes, and very wide wings. Gray color, striped tail.

They live in Europe and winter in the tropics of Africa. They prefer forest areas with alternating open edges and sunny slopes. During flight, they hover in one place, looking for prey. Birds are protected from poisonous snake bites by durable scales on their paws. Snake eaters swallow victims from the head.

Red kite

An elegant bird of reddish-red color with dark streaks. Kites are widespread in Europe, living in arable fields and meadows near forests. Excellent flyers, hunters of live prey.

It is found in cities in garbage dumps, where birds also look for carrion and garbage. They raid agricultural paddocks, where they can steal a chicken or duck or feast on domestic pigeons. Repelling birds of prey becomes a pressing task for many poultry farmers.

Black kite

The inhabitant of forest and rocky areas has dark brown plumage. The diet is varied, including fish, waste, and carrion. The predator has been seen stealing prey from other birds. The dexterity of kites is manifested in the fact that they snatch contents from food baskets even from people, without any fear of humans.

Lesser Spotted Eagle

Widespread inhabitants of Europe and India, leading a migratory life with winter quarters in Africa. The bird's appearance is characterized by fairly long wings and a tail. The color of the plumage is brown, light shades. Prefers deciduous forests for habitat, hilly and flat places with wetlands. It nests on the forks of trunks. The sonorous voices of birds can be heard from afar.

Common buzzard

A bird with a dense body, brownish color with transverse streaks. The rounded tail and neck pressed to the body are clearly visible in the air. Large birds of prey They live in various landscapes, in forest and rocky places, on plains. It glides for a long time at altitude, and catches prey on the fly. The birds got their name from their characteristic sounds, similar to the meowing of a hungry cat.

Common Buzzard

The color of the birds varies between whitish and brown shades of plumage. Characteristic streaks are observed in the lower part of the body. The weight of an adult bird is approximately 1.5 kg. The main habitats are in forest areas of Europe and Asia. Buzzards spend the cold season in Africa.

The diet is based on insects, mainly wasps. Dense feathers protect the bird's eyes and beak area from the bites of stinging wasps. Food supplements for the honey buzzard include small birds, amphibians, and small reptiles.

White-tailed eagle

Large, stocky birds of a dark brown color with a wide white tail edge. Adherents of the water element, nesting for centuries on rocky cliffs along rivers and sea coasts. Hunts large prey and does not disdain carrion.

Vulture

A medium-sized feathered predator of a contrasting color of black and white tones, with a characteristic area of ​​bare skin on the head. There are long feathers on the back of the head and neck. Vultures are common in Eurasia and Africa.

Daytime birds of prey often hover over pastures and are found near human settlements. The food is based on waste, carrion at a late stage of decomposition. They easily adapt to any living conditions. Birds bring undoubted benefits by fulfilling the mission of orderlies.

Sparrowhawk

The predator is a small representative of the hawk family. Sexual dimorphism is reflected in the colors of birds' plumage. Males are gray on the upper part, the chest and abdomen are cross-striped with a reddish color. Females are brown above, the lower part of the body is whitish, with streaks. A notable feature is the white feathers above the eyes, like eyebrows.

The eyes and tall legs of the hawk are yellow. Sparrowhawks are common in Central and Northern Eurasia. They hunt small birds in a lightning-fast attack, looking for prey in the air. Lifestyle depends on the area. Northern populations migrate towards winter closer to the southern borders of the habitat zone.

goshawk

The birds are larger than their sparrowhawk relatives. Masters of ambush hunting, they feed only on fresh prey. The speed is gained in a few seconds. They live in forests of various types, including mountain ones. Stick to certain areas. Predator birds the osprey family is represented by a single species.

Osprey

The large feathered predator lives all over the world, except South America and most of Africa. It feeds exclusively on fish, so it settles along rivers, lakes, and less often seas. If water bodies freeze in winter, it flies to the southern part of its range. The color is contrasting - dark brown on the top and snow-white underparts. Tail with transverse stripes.

The osprey fishes from a height with its long legs extended forward. The retracted wings have a characteristic bend at the carpal joint. The bird's outer toe rotates freely backwards, which helps in holding prey. Greasy feathers protect from water, nasal valves protect from water when diving.

The falcon family is distinguished by its high flying qualities. Falcon beaks have an additional tooth on the beak. The most famous species are found in South America and South Asia.

Kobchik

A small migratory bird that winters thousands of kilometers from its nesting sites. Lives in open spaces, preferring uncultivated fields and wetlands. It feeds on insects, especially chafers. When hunting, it plans low. Males are painted in a rich gray color, the abdomen is light. Females have a red head and lower body. Black stripes run along the gray back.

Common kestrel

Birds adapt well to various landscapes. The kestrel can be found in the mountains, forest-steppes, deserts, in city squares and parks. A lot of birds nest in Italy. In winter, their number increases due to migratory individuals.

The birds are multicolored. Gray head and tail, red back, light brown belly, yellow paws. A black border runs along the tail, dark spots are scattered throughout the body. A special feature of the kestrel is the ability to hover in the air in one place with its tail lowered and its wings fluttering.

Peregrine Falcon

A densely built bird with a large head. The wings are pointed, like many falcon representatives. Weight approximately 1.3 kg. The uniqueness of birds is their speed. The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird among all living creatures on Earth. At its peak, the speed reaches 300 km/h.

Mastery of flight allows predators to catch a variety of prey. The plumage of the peregrine falcon is black in the upper part of the body. The chest and abdomen are light in color, with dark longitudinal stripes. The beak and paws are yellow. Peregrine falcons live in Australia, Asia, America, and Europe.

Most birds are concentrated in tundra zones. The population of Mediterranean island birds is distinguished by its small size and reddish abdomen. Falconry enthusiasts often destroy bird nests, taking chicks, thereby reducing the population.

Hobby

The bird is a type of small falcon that lives in vast areas with a temperate climate. The bird's weight is only 300 grams. Names of birds of prey sometimes replaced by comparisons. Thus, based on the similarity of color, the hobby is often called a “peregrine falcon in miniature.”

Birds migrate long distances before the seasonal cold snap. Prefers deciduous forests interspersed with open spaces. Sometimes birds fly into city parks and poplar groves. Hunts at twilight on insects and small birds.

Lanner

The second name of the species is Mediterranean falcon. A large population is concentrated in Italy. In Russia it sometimes appears in Dagestan. Prefers rocky places, cliffs along the coasts. Lanners are quite silent, calls of birds of prey can only be heard near nests. Human disturbance leads to population declines.

Secretary bird

In the order Falconiformes large bird is the only representative of its family. The weight of an adult is approximately 4 kg, height 150 cm, wingspan over 2 m. There are several versions of the origin of the unusual name of the bird.

The most common explanation is the similarity of appearance - the color of the bird's plumage resembles a men's secretary's suit. If you pay attention to the imposing gait, protruding feathers on the back of the head, long neck, slender legs in strict black trousers, then the birth of the name-image becomes clear.

Huge wings help to fly perfectly and soar at heights. Thanks to his long legs, the secretary runs excellently, reaching speeds of up to 30 km/h. From a distance, the bird's appearance resembles a crane or a heron, but the eagle's gaze and powerful beak indicate the true essence of a predator.

Secretaries live only in Africa. Birds live in pairs, remaining faithful to each other throughout their lives. American vultures are distinguished by their large size, food addiction to carrion, and soaring flight.

Condor

The species of Andean and Californian condors are stunning in their power and size. Giant birds of strong build, with a wingspan of up to 3 m. Notable are their long bare red neck with a white collar of feathers, a hooked beak with leathery earrings.

There is a fleshy outgrowth on the forehead of males. The range of condors is tied to mountain systems. Resident birds can be seen on rock ledges among high mountain meadows. They rise into the air with a long run or take off from rocky ledges. During a gliding flight, they may not make a single flap of their wings for half an hour.

Despite their threatening appearance, the birds are peaceful. They feed on carrion, eating a large amount of food in reserve. Birds are amazing long-livers. In nature, they live 50-60 years, record holders - up to 80 years. The ancients revered condors as totem birds.

Urubu

The species of American black cathart, the second name of the bird, is distributed over a vast territory of North and South America. The size is inferior to the condor, weight does not exceed 2 kg. The head and neck in the upper part are without feathers, the skin is strongly wrinkled, gray in color.

Thick paws seem better suited for running on the ground. They prefer open lowlands, deserted places, sometimes birds look into city dumps. In addition to carrion, they feed on plant fruits, including rotten ones.

Turkey Vulture

The bird is considered one of the most common in America. A special feature of the turkey vulture is its disproportionately small head compared to its voluminous body. There are almost no feathers on the head, the bare skin is red. The color is very dark, almost black.

Some feathers on the lower part of the wings have a silvery tint. Turkey vultures prefer to feed near pastures and farmland, looking for carrion. A keen sense of smell helps to find food in shelters under the branches of bushes. Birds are considered quiet, calm, but sometimes you can hear sounds of birds of prey, similar to grunting or hissing.

Royal vulture

The name of the birds is justified by their impressive appearance and isolated way of life outside the flock. In addition, when fighting with their relatives for prey, royal vultures often emerge victorious in fights. Birds are attracted to carrion; sometimes the diet is supplemented by dead fish, small mammals, and reptiles.

Night birds of prey, unlike most daytime hunters, they are represented by owl and barn owl species. The special anatomical structure allows us to distinguish a special order of owl-like predators.

Owl

The radiant corolla of feathers forms the so-called facial disc. All nocturnal raptors have large eyes located in front of the head. A special feature of vision is farsightedness. Unlike many birds, the owl has ear openings covered with feathers. Acute hearing and sense of smell exceed human capabilities by 50 times.

The bird can only look forward, but the ability to turn its head 270° provides a complete view of its surroundings. The neck is almost invisible. Soft plumage and plenty of down ensure silent flight.

Sharp claws, a movable outer finger that curves back, are adapted for holding prey. All owls have a camouflage color - a combination of gray-brown-black streaks and white stripes.

Barn owl

An unusual bird in appearance, which is said to have the face of a monkey. It’s like a white mask on the head adds mystery to the nocturnal predator. The body length of a barn owl is only 40 cm. An unexpected meeting at twilight with a small bird will leave a lasting impression.

Silent movement and sudden appearance are the usual tricks of a predator. The bird got its name from its hoarse voice, similar to a cough. The ability to snap its beak terrifies night travelers. During the day, the birds sleep on the branches, indistinguishable among the trees.

The diversity of birds of prey is represented by species that live in almost all corners of the planet. The skill of feathered hunters has been honed by nature since the ancient times of the creation of the world.

Man is a special case of God | Just because you are evil is not a reason to lose!

Eh, I love etymology, damn it.
I will post here the interesting material I found.

BALUBAN is the name of a large falcon (Falco cherrug.). A similar name BALABAN is noted in the dictionary of A. G. Preobrazhensky (1959), in the meaning of “big hawk”, as a Siberian dialect. The etymology of the name in relation to one of the species of noble falcons is absent in the specialized literature. Authors of the report "Birds" Soviet Union"They believe that this word was unknown until the 18th century and indicate that it came from the Persian name for birds. Iranian falconers call these migrating birds balaban, and the birds of the nesting population sharg (sharg). The word sharg is close to their Indian name "cherrug" , from which the specific Latin is derived (Dementiev, 1951). Most likely, the word for the Russian name of this hunting falcon was borrowed from the Turkic languages, where there are a number of words of similar sound and similar semantics - balaban in the meaning of “big” and balban - “strongman”, “fighter” (Yudakhin, 1965). In our opinion, the more accurate meaning of these words is “combatant”.

BERKUT is the name of the large eagle Aquila chrysaetus. It is believed that, most likely, the word “berkut” (burkut, byurkyut) came into Russian from the Turkic languages ​​- Old Uzbek (Chagatai) - bкркьt, or Eastern Turkic (Kazakh) - bьrkьt. In Kyrgyz - golden eagle, in Tatar - bircut, in Teletskoye - mкркьt, mьrkкt, in Mongolian - bьrgьt (M. Vasmer, 1996). The presence in the word of the Proto-Indo-European root *er (or, ar) in the possible meaning of divine, the similarity of the names of the bird in a number of Slavic languages: - Ukrainian - golden eagle, Polish - berkut, bircut, Turkic and a number of other languages, high rank in the mythology of most Eurasian peoples, testifies to the deep antiquity of the word. In particular, in the pre-Islamic mythology of the Turkmens, the deity Burkut-baba (Burkut-divan - literally Burkut - the highest god) is represented - the lord of clouds, lightning and rain, equal in position to Allah himself (Basilov, 1994). The root *er (ar, or) brings the word “golden eagle” closer to the word “eagle” and the word “raven”. It is obvious that the details of the mythological image of Burkut-bob bring his prototype - an eagle - closer to a raven, and these elements of mythology go back to the early and middle Paleolithic eras. The deep antiquity of the origin of the word is also indicated by the fact that the inhabitants of Wales have the word “bargud” to designate large birds of prey (Dementyev et al., 1951), the similarity of which to “golden eagle” is clearly not accidental and its origin is associated with the era of the Indo-European linguistic community of peoples .

GRIF - the name refers to the so-called “book borrowings,” that is, entered into the Russian language through literature. It is generally accepted that the name comes from the Latin “gryps” and goes back to the ancient Indian “garutmant” - vulture (Vasmer, 1996). In Eastern mythology, vultures are considered the prototype of the garuda bird. It is also believed that the griffins represented in Greek mythology - monstrous mythical creatures with an eagle's beak and the body of a lion - are based on vultures.
In our opinion, such opinions are not convincing enough, since existing images of “griffins” do not have common, characteristic features with real vultures. At the same time, a characteristic feature of all Old World vultures is a relatively thin neck, devoid of feathers and covered with short down, which sharply contrasts with the powerful body and large wings of the bird, as well as a peculiar collar of feathers at the base of the neck. It is the protruding thin neck and the “necklace” or “collar” on it that are the most striking features and, in the perception of ancient people, should have served as the basis for the name of birds. Most likely, the name comes from the common Slavic base “griva” with the root *gr, and related words are such words as “mane” meaning neck, common Slavic grivьna and Russian “grivna” - neck decoration, as well as the ancient Russian gurlo, Bulgarian gurlo, Serbo-Croatian grlo, Slovenian grlo - “neck, throat”, etc., which resulted in the Greek gruj - “vulture”. As P. Ya. Chernykh (1994) points out, the common Slavic basis goes back to the Indo-European *guriua in the meaning of “neck, mouth”, close in meaning to the ancient Indian griva - “neck, back of the head”, and the Avestan (Avesta) griva - “back of the head”. The closeness of the common Slavic base and the words derived from it with such bases as “mouth”, “throat”, “absorb” is also noted, which also indicate one well-known feature of vultures - if possible, they gorge themselves on carrion until they lose the ability to fly. Large bones swallowed by birds sometimes protrude from the throat.
It is also possible that semantically, as well as phonetically, *gr is close to the Proto-Indo-European root *kr, close to the root *or (er, ar) "garutmant" - and also having a divine, high meaning - associated with the other world, and in addition - sunny, fiery, hot. From this root in modern Indo-European languages ​​arose words associated, in particular, with funeral rites, which in a number of ancient religions, for example, in the beliefs of the Parsis, are directly related to birds - predators and scavengers. For this reason, the root *kr is present in the names of the raven and many birds of prey in a number of languages ​​of the Indo-Iranian family.

KANYUK - the name of a bird of prey (see also SARYCH) - in the ancient Slavic language the name existed in the variant "kanja" (Bulakhovsky, 1948). The etymology of this name suggested by dictionaries is most often associated with the characteristic plaintive cry of birds (moaning - plaintively begging, pestering with requests). The bird has a semantically similar name, reflecting a plaintive cry, in a number of other languages, for example, in Germanic languages ​​it is called buzzard or bussard from the Old German Bus-aro, which means “meowing eagle” (Dementyev et al., 1951).
At the same time, in Russian the origin of the name may be different. Perhaps the word “buzzard” originally sounded like “kanuk” and was associated with the Old Russian “kanuti” meaning “to fall.” Falling on its prey is a characteristic feature of the behavior of buzzards during hunting.

KOBCHIK (KOBETS) - the name of the falcon Falco vespertinus, noted in the most ancient Slavic, is found as “kobs” (Bulakhovsky, 1948). In Ukrainian - kobec, in Bulgarian - kobec, Slovenian - kobec, skobec, Polish - kobiec - kobchik, Albanian - shkabe meaning eagle, kite. The ending "chik", traditionally in Russian, indicates a diminutive value from a certain form *kob, (kob), and the presence in Karelian and Veps habuk - "falcon", in Finnish havukka, haukka, in ancient High German habuh, habich, habech , in modern German habicht - hawk, in English hobby - hobby (diminutive of hob), in Latin capus - hawk, in Etruscan - capys, indicates the significant antiquity of the stem *kob (hob, hop, kop) meaning bird of prey. Max Vasmer (1996) gives a variant of "kobuz" - falcon. Thus, the Russian “kobchik” is a diminutive of the ancient stem “kob” - falcon, literally “small falcon, falcon”.

KITE - the name is apparently very ancient. Russian kite, korshak, Ukrainian, Bulgarian kite, korkun, Slovak krsak, krso - kite, Estonian harksaba - kite, most likely going back to the Avestan (Avesta) - kahrkasa "kite" and just like the names of other predators, containing the root * or (ar, er). It is possible that the word kite is the result of a vocalization of the similar name of the bird of prey krachun, given by V. I. Dahl (1882) (without explaining the source of borrowing and etymology), as “an overseas bird of prey Circaеtus (snake eater), close to eagles, feeds on reptiles.” . It is important to note that the kite and the snake eagle are quite similar in appearance, have similar wings in size and shape, as well as a similar food spectrum - dead fish, amphibians, reptiles. It is possible that the roots of the name are most likely in the Turkic languages, since, for example, in Kazakh there is a similar sounding word “karchaga” - meaning hawk, in the language of the Crimean Tatars karcheya - meaning a small eagle, in Tatar karsyga - hawk, in Teleut - karsiga, Chagat, Sagai - karсiga, karsigai, - in the same meaning (Vasmer, 1996).

KRECHET - the name of the falcon Falco rusticollus, known from the Church Slavonic - gyrfalcon and noted in the "Tale of Igor's Host" (XII century). A similar variant is found in Ukrainian - gyrfalcon, Polish krzeczot (Fasmer, 1996). The existence of the name in the living language of the Russians living along Pechera and Timan and the presence of a similar name in the Old Hungarian “kerchkt” or “kerechen” indicates a significant antiquity of the origin of the word (Dementyev et al., 1951). The origin of the name, as suggested by etymological dictionaries, is very vague and doubtful. Most likely, the name is very ancient and is a complex word consisting of two roots “kr” (“ker”) and “even”. By the same analogy in Russian, “che” - “chet” is formed - a male tap dancer and “ko” - “chet” - kochet - a rooster (the same in Polish “koczot” (ko-czot). In our opinion, the name comes from the Proto-Indo-Aryan root *kr in the meaning of divine. From this root in Egyptian mythology the name of one of the highest gods is derived, which is transcribed in Latin as Kr, and in the Russian version is known as Horus - the deity ruler of the sky and heights with the head of a noble falcon. the word “chet” in Russian indicates belonging to the masculine gender - “kre-chet, ko-chet, che-chet”, for example, the similarity of the Russian gyrfalcon with the Mongolian - kyруyt, in the meaning of “hawk”, indicates the significant antiquity of the word. "(Vasmer, 1996).

OIL - the name is found in both the Old Russian neyasit and in Church Slavonic - ne()syt, and is considered a book borrowing from Greek. Despite the mention of this word in Church Slavonic texts, its etymology is not clear. According to L.A. Bulakhovsky (1948), it is formed from the negation of “not”, the connection of “I” and the word “sat” in the meaning of “food, food”. In this version, the name was understood as “insatiable, predatory” and was close to the ancient name of one of the Dnieper rapids - Neasht (Vasmer, 1996). The synonym for tawny owl - voracious, according to etymologists, persists even at a later time. The dictionary of V. I. Dahl (1882), presenting the understanding of the word in the second half of the 19th century, indicates that the name means: “woman bird // Kind of scarecrow, eagle owl. // Fabulous, voracious, insatiable bird.”
However, apparently, the etymology of this name is somewhat different. To understand the origin of the "tawny owl" as the name of owls of the genus Strix, it is important to note that in the lexicons of the 14th-16th centuries that used the Church Slavonic language, the name refers to a number of birds, in particular, the pelican, raven, eagle owl, owl, to the hawk. In our opinion, the Church Slavonic word not (to eat), apparently coming from Greek (from - “sht”) with biblical texts, should be understood as “not food, not edible” - an animal that cannot be eaten. This is indicated by the presence in the Old Church Slavonic language of independent words, such as “sat” - food, “yasti” - eat, devour, Church Slavonic “yasti, yastvo” - eat, food, etc., which are combined with negation " not" may have the meaning mentioned. The existence of a ban on eating various “tawny owls” is directly indicated by the Bible in the book of Leviticus:
11 Eat every clean bird.
12 But these you must not eat
of which: eagle, vulture and sea eagle,
13 And the kite, and the falcon, and the gyrfalcon
with their breed;
14 And every raven with his kind,
15 And the ostrich, and the owl, and the seagull and the hawk
with his breed,
16 And the owl, and the ibis, and the swan,
17 And the pelican, and the vulture, and the fisherman,
18 And the herons and the herons with his kind,
and hoopoe and bat.
Obviously, with the transition to Christianity, the ban on eating certain animals was fixed in the language as a proper name, and later, the surviving word tawny owl, i.e. not food, became a proper name and was assigned first to all owls, and later it was transferred as a name to owls of the genus Strix - Strix aluco - gray owl, Strix nebulosa - great gray owl and other related birds. And so, the tawny owl is literally “not food.”

EAGLE is a general name for large birds of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae - hawks, the genus Aquila - eagles. The word “eagle” exists virtually unchanged in many languages ​​of the Indo-European language family. In the oldest Slavic it is found in the variant “орьлъ” (Bulakhovsky, 1948), in Ukrainian orel, in Bulgarian - orel, in Serbo-Croatian - orao, in Slovenian and Czech - orel, in Slovak - orol, in Polish - orzel, in Upper Sorbian - worjol, in Low Sorbian - jerel, in Lithuanian - erмlis, in Latvian - mrglis, in Old Prussian - arelie, Middle Breton - erer, in Cornish (Celtic) and Breton - er, in Gothic - ara, in Old High - German - aro, arn, Aar "eagle", in Greek - orniz, in Hittite - hara, harana (Vasmer, 1996), in Scottish Erne, in Scandinavian Orn (Dementyev et al., 1951). This commonality indicates very ancient roots and the fact that the origin of the name goes back to the Indo-European root *or, (ar, er) (Chernykh, 1994), meaning “supreme, divine”. A similar high sacred meaning of the bird and the word denoting it is preserved, for example, in Turkic languages, for example, in New Persian the word aluh (aluh), very close to “allah” Allah, has the meaning “eagle”.

KESTREL - the name of a small falcon Falco tinnunculus - common kestrel and Falco naumanni - steppe kestrel. The word is presented in very similar versions in a number of Slavic languages: in Ukrainian kestrel, in the dialect forms of Russian kestolga, pusterga, in Slovenian - postуlca, in Czech - potolka, in Polish - pustolca or pustulca. V. I. Dahl's dictionary refers the name to words formed from the word “empty”, meaning insignificant, uninteresting, absurd; in relation to the bird “Hawk, Falco tinnunculus, which catches only mice and insects” (1882). G.P. Dementyev (1951) adheres to the same opinion, pointing out the unsuitability of the kestrel for falconry. Etymological dictionaries either do not contain this name, or also derive it from the word “empty” (uninteresting, meaningless) or “desert” (Preobrazhensky, 1959; Vasmer, 1996).
However, it seems strange that, although, as a rule, large, noble falcons were used more often for hunting, the name associated with uselessness was assigned only to the kestrel, although in hunting small birds the kestrel is sometimes used, like other small representatives of the genus. In our opinion, the origin of the name of the bird is connected with the peculiarities of its biology, or more precisely, with the most striking feature of the behavior of birds - the method and place of its hunting. For hunting, the kestrel chooses open spaces traditionally used by humans for grazing livestock. In many Indo-European and, in particular, in Slavic languages, words associated with the process of herding and feeding livestock are derived from the stem *pas (graze, pasture, shepherd, etc.). Most likely, the name of the bird that hunts in pastures comes from the same basis. It is important to note that in the Old Indian language the word pbZyati means “looks”, and the Avestan spasyeiti - “looks out”, the Latin specio - “I look”, the Old High German spehfn “to look out”, the Albanian pashё - “I saw” (Vasmer, 1996). It is by hovering in the air and looking out for prey that the kestrel hunts over the meadows. Thus, the name was originally formed from the stem “pass”, it initially sounded, apparently, “pastelga” or something similar and had the meaning “looking out”. It is interesting to note that the larks that live in the same biotopes as the kestrel have very similar names in the Turkic languages: in the Khakass, postargai, in the Altai, bostorkoi, in the Nogai, boztorggai - “lark.” Most likely, such similarity in the names of the lark and kestrel hovering over the pasture is not accidental and indicates both the significant antiquity of the origin of both names, and a connection with certain features of the habitats and behavior of birds (see lark).

SAPSAN is the name of the large falcon Falco peregrinus, which appeared in Russian zoological literature from the second half of the 19th century. The dictionary of V. I. Dahl (1882) and the main etymological dictionaries of the Russian language do not contain this word. According to G.P. Dementyev (1951), the word peregrine falcon was borrowed into the Russian language from Kalmyk.

SIP is the name of the genus Gyps and a species of large bird of prey, the scavenger Gyps fulvus. In the etymological literature, the Russian name is considered to be sound-descriptive, coming from the word “to hiss” (Preobrazhensky, 1959), and supposedly describing the characteristic cry made by birds. In our opinion, a more acceptable assumption is that it arose as a tracing paper from the Latin Gyps meaning light, white (hence the name white building material"gypsum") in Russian Sip. This idea is suggested by the fact that in the languages ​​of the peoples living in the territories inhabited by the vulture, the main distinguishing feature of the birds is their light coloring, and not their voice, which is similar to the sounds made by other predators. So, translated from Latin Gyps - the color of gypsum (white), in Kyrgyz sip - “ak-kajir” - literally, “white lime”, the word “ak-kajir” has the same sound and meaning in Arabic.

Barn owl is the name of the owl Tito alba, genus Tito and family Titonidae (Barn owls). Etymological dictionaries and V.I. Dahl's dictionary do not contain this name. Most likely, it arose as a sound description, conveying the characteristic voice of birds - a hoarse, hissing rattle.

SCOPA - name. The etymology of which, available in the specialized literature, is vague and very confusing. In addition to the commonly used form of osprey today, it is noted in Russian dictionaries, in relation to a bird, in the variant “skopets” (male), in Ukrainian osprey, in Slovenian - skуpec, genus. pad. Skopca. Some etymologists identify the osprey with the kobets (falcon), but we, like M. Vasmer (1996), consider this to be very unlikely.
In our opinion, the birds got their name from the light part of the plumage on the top of the head, which sharply contrasts with the overall dark background of the back. The bird's head is, as it were, “shaved” or “scalped” (scalped) and resembles the tonsure of Catholic monks. This feature sets the osprey apart and makes it easily recognizable among other birds of prey. The word itself comes from the common Slavic root *skopiti, which, in turn, goes back to the Indo-European *(s)kob(h) in the meaning of “scrape” or “kapoti” - to rip off. In the oldest Slavic language it is noted in the variant *skopъсъ (Sreznevsky, 1893), that is, we are talking about the external similarity of the heads of birds with the heads of monks.
Another version derives the name “osprey” from the Greek zkoreo - I observe, I look, and connects the origin of the name with the bird looking for fish at the time of hunting. Most likely, this version is also unacceptable, since “looking out” for prey is a characteristic hunting feature of many feathered predators (kestrel, buzzard), and its origin from the Greek root refers the name to the Church Slavonic language, making it younger in historical terms.

OWL is a general name for a group of nocturnal birds of prey that have a similar appearance, although they differ greatly in size. The word served as the basis for the names of the owl order - Strigiformes and the owl family - Strigidae, which includes 11 genera, represented in the fauna of our country by 17 species.
Known in the Old Slavic language in the variant “sova” (Bulakhovsky, 1948), it is present, practically unchanged, in most Slavic languages: in Ukrainian - sova, in Serbo-Croatian - sova (stsva), in Slovenian - sуva, in Czech and Slovak - sova, in Polish - sowa, Upper and Lower Sorbian - sowa, in Polabian - sywу, which indicates a significant antiquity of origin from the common Slavic base *sova, (Chernykh, 1994; Vasmer, 1996). In the Old Russian language the word has been celebrated since the 11th century. "owl" (Sreznevsky, 1893). The etymology given in dictionaries is very confusing and not always convincing. In our opinion, the convergence of the stem *sova with the Indo-European onomatopoeic root *kдu (kгu) proposed by P. Ya. Chernykh (1994) is interesting, giving Lithuanian kaыkti - in the meaning of “howl”, “buzz” (Chernykh, 1994), phonetically close to English kow - cow, Old German hуwo - owl (Vasmer, 1996), which, in turn, is related to the Latin Bubo - "eagle owl", from "bu", meaning "big", "cow" and with the ancient Indian Zbvas - " strength", Zbvi-thas - "the strongest", Avestan sava - "strong, powerful" (Vasmer, 1996). It is possible that initially the proto-form *sova corresponded specifically to the strongest (largest) “eagle owl” and was later transferred to the entire morphologically similar group.
Another possible way of forming the name connects the stem *sova with the Greek Sojia - Sophia (Sophia) - wise. It is well known that in Greek mythology Sophia and the owl were a symbol (personification) of wisdom and knowledge. The goddess Athena, as a sign of wisdom, was called “owl-eyed” and one of her symbols was the owl. These views are preserved in the Old Testament tradition, where the concept of wisdom takes on a personal appearance: the self-revelation of God was supposed to take on the character of a “face” or “as if a face” (Myths of the Peoples of the World, 2, 464, 1994) - the owl with its characteristic facial disc gradually turns to the anthropomorphic Sophia (read Sjvia). In the Slavic tradition, in particular in Lithuanian mythology, among the highest deities is “Owl” - a god associated with the other world, fortune telling and wisdom. Thus, the name owl takes on the meaning “wise.”

FALCON is a name known in the ancient Slavic language in the variant “sokolъ” (Bulakhovsky, 1948). In most Slavic languages ​​it is preserved practically unchanged: Belarusian - sokol, Ukrainian - sokil, Old Russian, Church Slavic - sokol, Bulgarian - sokul, Serbo-Croatian sokf, Slovenian - sуkol, Czech and Slovak - sokol, Polish sokу Upper and Lower Sorbian soko, Lithuanian sгkalas, which indicates great antiquity of origin. The etymology is not entirely clear and the options offered by etymological dictionaries are unconvincing. In our opinion, this name comes from the Proto-Slavic phrase so-kol - “so” - meaning “like, similar”, “kol” - “sun, circle” in general “like the sun, sun-like”. The mythology of many Eurasian peoples connects these birds with the highest solar deity. The name of one of the species of the so-called noble falcons “gyrfalcon” (see), in Russian, has a common root with the name of the highest of the deities of the Egyptian pantheon, the sun god “Hr” (in Russian transcription Horus). A close variant is found in Arabic - sakr "hunting falcon", but literally the same "sa" - like, "kr" - Kr, Horus, sun; hence the Italian sagro, Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese - sacre (Vasmer, 1996), French sacret, German - Sacker Falke - saker falcon, hence the variant "falcon" from the Latin root *sac, (sacri) - meaning sacred, sacred, ritual , ritual and other variants in related languages ​​with the same meaning.
Other variants of the etymology of the word "falcon", in particular, the origin from i.e. the root *sok in the meaning - to follow, to pursue, proposed by the dictionary of P. Ya. Chernykh (1994), is hardly acceptable. Rather, this use of the Indo-European root is secondary, originally derived from the above “kr” and associated with the use of birds of prey in hunting.

OWL is a name that summarizes several genera and species of small owls. In the oldest Slavic language, the name is presented in the variant “sytjь” (Bulakhovsky, 1948), although it is not attested in the monuments of Old Russian writing. At the beginning of the 17th century. it is noted as “zпch” along with other names of owls (Chernykh, 1994). In Slavic languages, the word sounds quite similar: in Ukrainian - sich, in Bulgarian - tsitsъ, in Czech syc, syеk. The word is noted in V. Dahl's dictionary and in the main etymological dictionaries, however, the proposed variants of its origin from the stem meaning “to hiss” are hardly acceptable. Among the vocalizations of owls, hissing is perhaps one of the rarest sounds, which the bird makes only in extreme fear. Evidence of this can be, for example, the onomatopoeic name in the Bulgarian language - “kukumyaka”, which copies some variants of the calls of these owls.
In our opinion, the name is most likely close to the Church Slavonic sysati meaning “to whistle” (Vasmer, 1996). It is whistles that are the most common sounds of owls, and in this regard, the name “owl” is appropriate to compare with the word “gopher, gopher” - the name of the animal, for which whistling is also the main form of vocalization. Thus, the name “owl” arose as an onomatopoeic name and literally means “whistler.”

TUVIK is the name of the small hawk Accipiter badius. The fact that this word is absent from V. Dahl’s dictionary and etymological dictionaries of the Russian language suggests its dialectal origin. Most likely, the name arose as an onomatopoeic, copying the vocalization of birds, which is a drawn-out whistle.

EAGLE OWL is the name of the largest owl, Bubo bubo, all existing variants of its etymology are unreliable (Vasmer, 1996). In Russian, the name in the variant jelпn, among the names of owls, has been documented in books since the 17th century, although “Kuzmenko Filin” has been known as a nickname since 1491 (Chernykh, 1994). The most interesting variant of the etymology of this name is the hypothesis proposed in the etymological dictionary of P. Ya. Chernykh (1994) - from the common Slavic stem *kviliti or *kvilмti, close to the Ukrainian “khvilya, hvil” in the meaning of “blizzard, blizzard” (howling wind) , "kviliti" - to cry plaintively (about birds), to Czech - kvileti "howl, howl." That is, the name arose as a sound descriptive, comparing the cry of eagle owls with the howl of the wind, the howling of a blizzard, etc. “quility, hvilya, owl.” Later, the root “khvil” on Russian soil became “quil” and “fil”.
Another possibility of occurrence is suggested by the relatively late appearance of the word in the Russian language, the existence of other names, according to Dahl: “pugach”, “div”, “sirin” and the similarity of “jelпn” with the Latin feles (felis) - “cat” and felinus - “ feline". It is important to note that V.I. Dal indicates in his dictionary: “scientists divide this family into owls, barn owls, scarecrows, tawny owls, eagle owls, owls, buzzards and sirens,” that is, the concepts of “eagle owl” and “scarecrow” were previously separated. Actually, the species Bubo bubo most likely originally corresponded to the concept of “scarecrow”. This name is found in other Slavic languages ​​(Ukrainian “pugach”, Belarusian “pugach”, Polish puchacz, the Bulgarian “booze” and the Serbo-Croatian bu-ina are also close. It is also significant that all these names, like the Latin Bubo, begin with the syllable "bu" ("pu") - a particle denoting in Latin "bъ" - "enormousness" (Dvoretsky, 1996).
At the same time, in the Slavic and Christian traditions, owls became close to louses - an owl is a winged cat. This rapprochement was based on the twilight activity of both animals, on the use of mouse-like rodents in food, and on the known similarity of vocalizations. It is possible that the Latin basis of the name for cats was used for the name of some owls, and was later transferred bookwise to the eagle owl.

CHEGLOK is the name of a small falcon Falco subbuteo, also found in the variants: "choglok, cheglik". The etymology of this name is not entirely clear. The dictionary of M. Vasmer (1996), suggesting a connection between “cheglok” and the Old Russian “chegl” - in the meaning of “primordial, genuine”, combines it with “tshegl” in the meaning of “lonely, only” and further with * ььglъ - “goldfinch”, which is pointless. In our opinion, the word "cheglok" is semantically directly related to "chegl" in the meaning of "real, genuine." In the tradition of hunting with birds of prey, it is customary to divide into real - “noble” falcons, which include the gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, saker falcon and other smaller falcons (kestrel, falcon, etc.). The Hobby - although inferior in size to noble falcons, is similar in appearance to the peregrine falcon, and in addition, its hunting behavior is similar to the behavior of noble falcons. Most likely, the name arose as confirmation of the inclusion of the species Falco subbuteo among the noble, hunting falcons. Hobby literally means “real hunting falcon.” Interestingly, the ancient word “chelig”, noted in the dictionary of V. I. Dahl (1882), is clearly semantically related to “cheglik”, although it has lost the sound “g”, and has the meaning “young bird of prey, gyrfalcon, nest (fledgling)”.

SHAKHIN is the name of a relatively large, noble falcon Falco pelegrinoides, also called the desert or red-headed falcon. V. I. Dahl’s dictionary and the main etymological dictionaries of the Russian language do not contain this word. G. P. Dementyev (1951) points out. That the name Shahin is found among falconers of Iran and India. Most likely, the etymology of the name is directly related to the New Persian вh in the meaning of “king, shah” or the Old Persian xвyaqнya in the meaning of “lord”. Thus, in relation to the name “Shakhin” its exact meaning is “belonging to the Shah or the Shah’s falcon.”

HAWK is a name whose origin can be attributed to the ancient Slavic language, where it is found in the “astreb” variant (Bulakhovsky, 1948). Ukrainian - hawk, hawk, Serbo-Croatian jastrijeb - hawk, giving the adjective jastrebast - “motley, speckled”, Czech - jestrab, Old Czech - jastrab, Polish - jastrzab, Upper Lusatian - jatrob, and Lower Lusatian - jastreb; interesting is the Latin astur - (Vasmer, 1996). The name is most likely formed on the basis of the ancient Slavic root *str in the meaning “speed” ostrъ (swift, arrow, rapids, rod). The ending rebъ means “pockmarked, motley”. A characteristic feature of a hawk's hunting is the lightning-fast final lunge on the prey, and the transversely variegated pattern on the chest is well known and gives the adjective “hawk-like” in the language.

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Each representative of the animal world fights for its existence and survives only thanks to the qualities that nature has endowed them with: strength, agility, speed, visual acuity, powerful wings, sharp claws, etc. Today we will tell you about the ten most dangerous birds of prey living on our planet:

10. Eagle owl

This nocturnal killer preys on other birds, small mammals, fish and invertebrates. Their habitat is quite wide - Europe, Asia and North Africa.

9. Martial Eagle




A bird of prey from the hawk family, which lives in Africa, feeds on small and medium-sized mammals, including the ability to attack a dog.

8. Bald Eagle






The main food of the predator is small mammals, fish and carrion. Mainly hunts in the morning. It lives in Canada, the USA, the island of Miquelon and the island of Saint-Pierre.

7. Steller's sea eagle




Considered a heavyweight among eagles. Like the white-headed one, it feeds on carrion, fish and small mammals. Habitat: Japan and Russia. The species is listed in the International Red Book as vulnerable.

6. Golden Eagle




It chooses the method of attacking its prey depending on the weather. Attacks hares, turtles, ferrets, baby sheep, roe deer, and deer. It lives in North Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.

5. Philippine eagle (or Philippine monkey-eater, or Philippine harpy)



It is the national symbol of the Philippines. One of the rarest, largest and strongest birds on our planet. Attacks monkeys, woolly wings and small mammals. The species is listed in the International Red Book as critically endangered. Protected by local authorities.

4. Bearded vulture (or vulture)



He likes to feast on bone marrow: he breaks bones, throwing them from a height onto stones. The same is done with caught turtles. It also feeds on small mammals and carrion. Lives in Central Asia, Southern Europe and Africa.

3. South American Harpy




It has long claws that can break the skull of its victim. Attacks sloths, monkeys, anteaters and other mammals. It also feeds on reptiles and other birds. Lives in Central and South America.

2. African long-eared vulture



Is largest representative vulture subfamily. Has an aggressive character. It feeds mainly on carrion, but can attack, for example, antelope. Lives in Africa.

1. Crowned eagle




It is the most dangerous feathered predator due to its powerful paws and wings, sharp claws and beaks, as well as excellent eyesight. It stalks its prey while sitting on a tree, and the victim can be 5 times larger than itself. It feeds on monkeys, small antelopes, foxes, etc. Lives in Central Africa.

Diurnal predators hunt during the day, a few - at dusk - these are wide-mouthed and other twilight kites, sometimes alets, hobbies, at night - none.
The birds are medium in size, but there are also small ones - pygmy falcons, with a wingspan of about 25 centimeters, and very large ones - the black vulture, condors: a wingspan of up to 3 meters. Fewer, however, are pelicans, marabou and albatross. The weight of eagles is up to 9, condors - up to 12, black vultures - up to 14 kilograms.

Monogamous. Some couples do not break up for years, for example, hawks and golden eagles. Only females incubate (hawks, harriers, forest falcons, hobby falcons, saker falcons, snake eaters, secretaries, etc.). Some also have males (buzzards, kites, vultures, vultures, caranchos, vultures, buzzards, etc.). However, the issue of the division of labor between female and male has not been completely resolved. Many, including such renowned researchers as Oscar Heinroth and G.P. Dementyev, argue that in all, at least typical diurnal birds of prey, the female incubates. The male only brings her prey, sometimes for a short time, for two hours, and replaces her.

Nests are in trees, in hollows, in niches of rocks, less often on the ground (harriers, steppe eagles, sometimes carancho, peregrine falcons, merlins, falcons, ospreys), even sometimes in burrows (kestrels). They often occupy ready-made nests (for example, all true falcons) built by other species of birds of prey, ravens, herons, etc. Usually the same pair occupies the same nesting site year after year. Annual movements within the nesting area have been noted for species with an unstable food supply (common species of rodents, locusts, etc.).

In the clutch of large predators there are 1-2 eggs, in medium-sized ones 3-4 and up to 9 in small ones. They incubate from the first egg for about a month, large species - twice as long. For most chicks, chicks leave the nest after a month; for large vultures, after 3-4 months. The chicks appear well-furred and sighted, but need feeding, heating and protection from enemies. There are two down outfits, replacing each other. The young leave the nest for small and medium-sized predators at about a month of age, for large eagles, vultures and especially condors - at 3 months or more. Sexual maturity in large birds (California condors) is 6 years.
Eagles live in captivity up to 50 years or more, hawks - up to 25 years. And one condor lived in the Moscow Zoo for 69 years!

There are about 270 species in the order, according to other estimates - 291 species. The range of the order is the whole world, except for Antarctica and some small islands.

Five families:

American vultures: 6 - 7 species
Secretaries: 1 species (lives in Africa)
Ospreys: 1 species
Accipitridae: 198-208 species
Falconidae: 58-60 species

Some taxonomists do not distinguish the osprey into a special family, combining it with hawks. There are other divisions of the order of birds of prey.

Human use of birds of prey

The sanitary role of feathered predators is significant, destroying dead animals, as well as selectively catching sick and weak individuals. Even those species that feed, for example, on game animals or beneficial birds, do not cause any real damage to their populations, since such predators are usually few in number. Recently, attempts have been made to use falcons and hawks to scare birds away from orchards and vineyards, as well as at airports. Hunting with birds of prey is now experiencing a revival, the beginning of which dates back to ancient times. A reliable image of a falconer with a hunting falcon was found during excavations at Khorsabad in the Middle East, which flourished 750 BC. In Europe, falconry flourished around the 12th-17th centuries, and its decline at the end of the 19th century. IN Kievan Rus hunting with birds of prey has been known at least since the 10th century; the family emblem of the ancient Rurikovichs depicted a flying falcon. In Central Asia, people hunted with golden eagles probably even earlier. The birds of prey were mainly falcons (gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, shakhin, saker falcon, laggar, merlin), hawks (goshawk, Cooper's hawk, sparrowhawk), and in Asia also eagles (golden eagle). In our country, only in Georgia they still hunt migratory quails with sparrowhawks in the fall, and in some places sport and partly commercial hunting with birds of prey has been preserved in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. The restoration of falconry in Europe and North America is accompanied by its clear regulation, primarily aimed at protecting rare species of birds of prey (large falcons and eagles are included in this category) and their nesting sites.

Birds of prey living in Russia

White-tailed eagle

One of the largest birds of prey in our country, it has a wingspan of more than 2 meters and a weight of 4-7 kg. An absolutely white tail occurs only in adult birds, older than 3-4 years. Juveniles have a dark tail. Because of this, the young eagle can easily be confused with the golden eagle, which occasionally flies into the forest-tundra and southern tundra from the taiga. The main feature to pay attention to is the shape of the tail. In eagles it is wedge-shaped, while in golden eagles it is only slightly rounded.
The nesting area of ​​the white-tailed eagle is vast - most of Eurasia, almost our entire country, except for the very far north and arid deserts. Eagles, like other large predators, are generally rare everywhere, but just in the Tyumen North they are relatively common and noticeable birds. Eagles nest almost exclusively in trees (usually larches), rarely on rocks.

White-tailed eagle. Photo: Vlad Litvinov. Click on photo to enlarge

goshawk

A fairly large bird, one and a half times the size of a crow and weighing 0.7 - 1.5 kg. The most characteristic features of an adult goshawk are clear transverse stripes on the underside of the body, a dark gray upperparts, and bright yellow eyes. Young birds have red and brown tones in color, and the streaks on the chest and belly are not transverse, but longitudinal.
The goshawk has long been classified as a particularly harmful predator and subjected to intense persecution, and now it has become rare. Currently, the goshawk is protected by law, like all other birds of prey.

Goshawk. Photo: lostinfog. Click on photo to enlarge

The most famous bird of prey of the tundra and forest-tundra. Breeds throughout the Yamalo-Nenets Okrug. The main food of the Rough-legged Buzzard is lemmings and voles. The number of many predators, especially buzzards, depends on the number of these rodents. In the same area there may not be any of them at all, or there may be so many that they are constantly visible in the air, and the nests are located 0.5-1.5 km from one another.
The Ruffed Buzzard is a very large bird, much larger than a crow. In addition, the buzzard is quite broad-winged, which is why it appears even larger. The general tone of its color is light, slightly reddish. There is a black spot on the belly, and there are even smaller spots on the underside of the wings. The spots have different shapes, so that buzzards can even be identified individually by their pattern.

Rough-footed buzzard. Photo: Andy. Click on photo to enlarge

The Hen Harrier is a bird mainly found in the open spaces of the forest-tundra, taiga and forest-steppe zones. When there is an abundance of rodents, it nests in the southern tundra. The Hen Harrier is the size of a crow, but more slender and long-tailed. The male and female are colored differently. The male is white, with an ash-gray coating, more intense on the upper side of the body (remember the expression “gray-haired like a harrier”), the tips of the wings are black. Females and young birds are reddish-gray. They are distinguished from other dark birds of prey by their white “loin.”
Harriers always nest on the ground, eggs (3-5) are white or slightly spotted, smaller than chicken eggs and more rounded in shape. This migratory birds, appearing in the spring with thawed patches and flying away in September. They feed mainly on lemmings and voles. Usually they are seen over open areas, when they slowly fly low above the ground and look out for prey.

Harrier. Photo: Dan Pancamo. Click on photo to enlarge

One of our smallest falcons. It has a large range, but in the Tyumen North it nests no further north than the southern tundra. In general, it can be considered quite rare.
The main and almost only prey of the merlin is birds: small passerines and medium-sized waders, which it usually catches in flight, grabbing it with its paws. The arrival of merlins coincides with the appearance of flocks of migratory snow buntings, and with them they fly south.
Merlins most often nest in trees, in old crow's nests. Where there is no forest, they lay eggs directly on the ground, on the slope of a hillock or high river bank.

Merlin. Photo: Drew Avery. Click on photo to enlarge

Merlin

The gyrfalcon lives in the Far North, in the forest-tundra and southern tundra, where there are woody vegetation. This is a very rare bird, endangered, listed in the International Red Book. Nesting sites are surprisingly constant. There are known nests that gyrfalcons occupy for decades. On the river Pike, one might say, is a real natural gyrfalcon reserve. There is no other area on the map of our country where these beautiful birds nest in such relatively large numbers.

Merlin. Photo: Omar Runolfsson. Click on photo to enlarge

Peregrine Falcon

The most famous of all falcons. He was even called a “real falcon” before. Firstly, because from ancient times to this day, it remains the most desirable bird of prey. Secondly, the peregrine falcon is distributed almost throughout the world. The fate of the peregrine falcon is very similar to the fate of the gyrfalcon and almost as sad. They have almost disappeared from all densely populated countries and have become very rare even in sparsely populated areas of mid-latitudes. In America, to “resurrect” this species, breeding falcons are kept in aviaries, the chicks are raised and released into the wild. This is a very complex matter, requiring great skill and great expense.
The peregrine falcon is the fastest living creature, and among birds in particular. Its method of hunting is to dive from above on prey. It grabs medium-sized birds - small passerines and waders with its paws, and larger ones, such as ducks, it hits from the air with the claws of its hind fingers, after which it picks up the falling prey in flight or descends to the ground.

Peregrine Falcon. Photo: Avia Venefica. Click on photo to enlarge

Osprey

Quite a large bird (wingspan 145 - 170 cm) of contrasting color. It differs from all other birds of prey in its white, slightly yellowed underparts; only across the crop there is a small stripe of dark streaks. The bottom of the wing has a characteristic black and white pattern with a dark spot on the carpal fold. The top of the body, wings and tail are uniformly dark brown, appearing black from a distance. A wide black stripe runs along the white head through each eye. The eyes are yellow. The female has a darker stripe on her crop than the male. Young birds have a scaly pattern of light-colored feather edges on their backs.

Osprey. Photo: Mike Baird. Click on photo to enlarge

Preservation and restoration of the number of Falconiformes is an urgent and universal task, especially due to the fact that in the 50-60s. this century there has been a sharp decline in the numbers of many, including rare species of birds of prey due to excessive and unnecessary shooting, widespread use of pesticides in agriculture, changes in natural habitats, constant disturbance, etc. Now all species of birds of prey are protected almost everywhere. Their feeding and attraction is organized, the technique of enclosure breeding of rare species with the subsequent release of young animals into the wild has been developed and successfully used to maintain and restore declining populations.