RAPTORS of Australasia
Raptors are carnivorous. They hunt by sight during the day, are long lived, and have low reproductive rates. The catch their prey via strong claws – three pointing forward and one pointing backward.
The raptors that hunt by day are: hawks, eagle, buzzards, harriers, kites, vultures, falcons, caracaras. Owls hunt by night. Raptors are also called birds of prey.
Eagles
Order Accipitriformes Family Accipitridae
The order Accipitriformes contains the diurnal (active during the day) birds of prey: hawks, goshawks, eagles, kites, vultures, ospreys, secretary birds. These birds have sometimes been considered part of the Falconiformes which contains the falcons, but DNA evidence indicates the orders should be separate.
The Accipitridae family contains the hawks, goshawks, eagles, kites, Old World vultures. Subfamilies are often used to group related species, but the subfamiles for much of Accipitridae are in flux. They will be used here if there is agreement for their members.
Genus Aquila
Eagle, Wedge-tailed Aquila audax Found: Australia
Photographed by: 1) David Cook - Kilcowera Station, via Thargomindah, Queensland
2) Dick Daniels - Featherdale Wildlife Park, Australia 3) Thomas Schoch
1) Male
Genus Haliaeetus
Fish eagles, also know as sea eagles.
Eagle, White-bellied Sea Haliaeetus leucogaster Found: Asia, Australia
Photographed by: 1) MagicFluet1983 2) Dick Daniels - Featherdale Wildlife Park, Australia
3) David Cook - Eden, NSW, Australia
Genus Pandion - 1 species
Osprey Pandion haliaetus Found: all continents except Antarctica
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Florida 2, 4, 5 Dick - North Carolina 3) Dick - North Carolina 6) Charlie Westerinen - California
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All photos on this site are available for general use. Please credit the photographer. Some images have additional constraints such as no commercial use or no modifications. Click the photo credit link for details. Dick Daniels, webmaster.