Bird of prey

Birds of Prey
Harris Hawk
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves
Orders Accipitriformes Cathartidae Pandionidae Accipitridae Sagittaridae Falconiformes Falconidae

A bird of prey is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that hunts mammals or other birds.

Diurnal birds of prey hunt with their beaks and talons. They belong to the order Accipitriformes and Falconiformes in several groups including:

• Accipitriformes
  • Cathartidae: New World vultures
  • Pandionidae: Osprey
  • Accipitridae: hawks, eagles, buzzards and Old World vultures
  • Sagittaridae: Secretary Bird

• Falconiformes
  • Falconidae: falcons

For an alternative taxonomy, see also Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy.

Nocturnal birds of prey -- the owls -- are separate from the diurnal families, and are in the order Strigiformes.

Other birds may also hunt large prey items, such as the shrikes, and kingfishers like the Kookaburra.

See also list of birds.

---

In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Bird of Prey is the class of a Klingon vessel.

It is also a television series, featuring the Huntress[?], based in the DC Comics universe.