Family Reference
Raptors
Diurnal birds of prey — hawks, falcons, eagles, kites — for the birder learning to read silhouettes against the sky.
The Complete Raptors Guide: Hawks, Falcons, Eagles & Kites
Field reference to diurnal raptors: silhouette, flight style, hunting behaviour, taxonomy, and how to read a bird against the sky.
Read the guide →Species & Profiles
All articles in this section
Why Are Vultures Circling Over My House?
Vultures circling over your house usually means they are riding thermals or checking a food source nearby. Learn what it means, when to worry, and what to do.
Cooper's Hawk vs Sharp-shinned Hawk: The Accipiter Diagnostic
Head projection, tail shape, and wingbeat cadence separate Cooper's Hawk from Sharp-shinned Hawk. Sex-based size overlap, hunting style, and feeder-station behaviour.
Why Is a Hawk at My Bird Feeder?
A hawk at your feeder is ecologically normal. Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks hunt concentrated prey. Identification, what to do, and legal status.
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis): The Forest Accipiter
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), the largest North American accipiter. Field profile covering identification, habitat, hunting, breeding, and the recent American Goshawk split.
Red-tailed vs Red-shouldered Hawk: Buteo ID for the Eastern US
Size, tail pattern, and the diagnostic primary windows separate Red-tailed Hawk from Red-shouldered Hawk. Habitat, voice, and flight silhouette for eastern North America.
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus): Recovery & Identification
Identification and ecology of Haliaeetus leucocephalus: adult and immature plumages, fish diet, nesting, scavenging, and post-DDT recovery.
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus): Migrant of the Kettle
Profile of Buteo platypterus: compact forest buteo, identification, woodland breeding, amphibian and small mammal prey, and spectacular autumn kettles.
Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius): The Owl-faced Harrier
Field profile of Circus hudsonius: low quartering flight, facial disc, marsh and grassland habitat, vole prey, nesting, and open-country conservation.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus): The Specialised Fish Hawk
Profile of Pandion haliaetus: fish-hunting anatomy, plunge-diving, identification, migration, nest platforms, breeding biology, and contaminant recovery.
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius): Identification & Why It's Declining
Field profile of Falco sparverius: small-falcon identification, hover-hunting, nest cavities, prey, and the documented North American decline.
Red Kite (Milvus milvus): A British Conservation Success
Profile of Milvus milvus: forked-tail identification, scavenging ecology, British reintroduction history, feeding behaviour, breeding, and poisoning risk.
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo): Britain's Most Numerous Raptor
Identification and ecology of Buteo buteo: variable plumage, British recovery, mewing calls, roadside hunting, carrion, rabbits, and woodland nesting.
Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni): Long-distance Buteo Migrant
Field profile of Buteo swainsoni: prairie breeding, long-winged identification, insect diet, migration to Argentina, and pesticide mortality.
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii): Identification & Backyard Predator
Field profile of Accipiter cooperii: identification, urban feeder predation, woodland hunting, breeding biology, and separation from Sharp-shinned Hawk.
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos): Holarctic Mountain Predator
Complete guide to the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos): how to identify in flight, hunting behavior, diet, nesting, range map, and wind farm collision risks explained.
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis): Identification & Hunting Behaviour
Field profile of Buteo jamaicensis: distance identification, belly band, morph variation, hunting behaviour, and roadside habitat use.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus): The Garden's Bird-hunting Accipiter
Field profile of Accipiter nisus: British and Eurasian garden predation, identification, sexual size dimorphism, woodland nesting, and songbird prey.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus): The Stooping Apex Falcon
Profile of Falco peregrinus: identification, stoop mechanics, urban nesting, bird prey, breeding biology, and recovery after DDT-induced eggshell thinning.
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus): The Smaller Accipiter
Identification and biology of Accipiter striatus, the small woodland accipiter often confused with Cooper's Hawk at feeders and migration watchpoints.
Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis): Insect-hunting Aerialist
Profile of Ictinia mississippiensis: graceful flight, insect diet, southern breeding range, urban nesting, migration, and nest defence behaviour.
Merlin (Falco columbarius): The Compact, Fast Falcon
Field profile of Falco columbarius: a compact falcon of direct flight, bird prey, open-country hunting, conifer nesting, and separation from kestrel.