INDEX - North America
INDEX - World 
BIRDS of THE WORLD

RAPTORS of North America

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, Golden Aquila chrysaetos   Found: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Hawaii
Photographed by: 1, 3) Dick Daniels - Carolina Raptor Center    2) Dick - Jungle Island of Miami   4) J. Glover of Atlanta, Georgia



Genus Haliaeetus
Fish eagles, also know as sea eagles.

Eagle, Bald Haliaeetus leucocephalus   Found: North America
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels -Anchorage Zoo, Alaska    2) Dick - Brookfield Gardens, South Carolina   3) Ted Grussing  
    4, 7) Dick - Homer, Alaska  5) Dick - Carolina Raptor Center   6) Dick - Wyoming
5) Young adult  6, 7) Juvenile






OSPREY

Order Accipitriformes  (disputed)     Family Pandionidae   - 1 genus


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






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.