Birds of Prey

The African spotted eagle owl is the most common species of eagle owl in Southern Africa and can be found in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

They have distinctive 'ear-tufts' on tops of their heads and have wings that are finely serrated so that they can fly through the air silently.

The Asian brown owl is one of the larger species of owl. These birds are nocturnal and little is known about these secretive birds.

They mainly feed on small mammals but they have been known to also feed on birds up to the size of pheasants, fruit bats, reptiles, and even some insects.

The great grey owl is one of the largest owl species in the world.

They can be found living in a range of forested habitats, and they use the trees for nesting, resting, and roosting.

Unlike some species of owl, such as the snowy owl, these birds do not migrate but will sometimes venture out of their normal range when food is scarce. 

The Turkmenian eagle owl is a subspecies of the Eurasian eagle owl. It is among the largest species of owl in the world. They can stand between 56cm-75cm in length and weigh up to 4.2kg.

They are mostly nocturnal predators and are capable of living in a diverse range of habitats, from coniferous forests to the edge of deserts!

The Lanner falcon is found throughout Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. They are capable of living in a wide variety of habitats including deserts, forests, woods, plains, and savannahs, but they do need rocky crags or cliffs nearby for nesting.

Unlike some birds of prey that swoop down on their prey from above, the lanner falcon hunts by horizontal pursuit.

The Harris hawk is not actually part of the hawk family and is more closely related to the buzzard family. They were given their name by John James Audubon, a famous nineteenth-century naturalist, who named the birds after his friend, Edward Harris.

The Harris hawk is a large bird of prey, with a wingspan of between 100cm to 120cm. The females are usually around 40% bigger than the males!

The common kestrel is the second most common bird of prey in the UK and can be found living across the UK in grassland, farmland, or even urban habitats.

They are quite small in comparison to other raptors, reaching just 32–39 cm in height and 180g in weight. They will feed on field voles, mice, shrews, small birds, and even worms or insects.

The striated caracara is a bird of prey that is found on the Falkland Islands and Tierra del Fuego.

Despite being a part of the falcon family, these raptors actually spend most of their time on the ground and will use their strong powerful legs to turn over rocks in search of food beneath them!