Birds of prey belong to the order of real birds, which consists of five families. Skopins, hawks, secretaries, falcons and American vultures, there are about three hundred species. The smallest bird of prey (baby falcon) has a body length of 15 cm and a weight of 35 g. And the largest (condor), respectively, 1 m 10 cm and 15 kg. Birds of prey are distributed almost throughout the Earth, with the exception, of course, of Antarctica. From the northern and temperate latitudes for the winter, part of the species flies south. Birds of prey in Russia number up to fifty species. There are no zones and landscapes of nature that they would not occupy.
The bird of prey has a strong, hook-shaped beak, the base of which is covered with a smooth, brightly colored wax. Just in it and open nostril openings. The legs of a bird of prey are strong, with sharp and long claws. The toes on the side of the sole have pads in order to conveniently hold the prey. A bird of prey is distinguished by a dense physique. The plumage is quite rigid, adjacent to the body. Its color is dominated by brown and gray tones. The non-feathered part of the neck and head are characteristic of those species of birds that feed on carrion. Females are colored the same as males, but differ from them in larger sizes. And only in American vultures are they smaller than their partner.
The bird of prey feeds mainly on small mammals. The largest of them can catch even sloths, monkeys, dogs and small antelopes. There are species that prefer fish or reptiles, especially snakes. Arthropods are rarely the main food, more often - additional. Vultures and vultures feed on carrion. Since the beak helps to cut prey, the strongest and strongest it is in fish-eating eagles, which have to deal with a slippery, thick-covered catch, and scavengers. Some are used to hunting from an ambush, others look out for a victim in flight and attack it or pursue it in the air. Some species are active at dusk and at night, although most are daytime birds of prey.
Polyandry is known for buzzards, and polygyny for some moons. But mostly birds of prey are still monogamous. Pairs select separate sites during nesting. Small falcons and vultures are kept in colonies. Both parents participate in the construction of platform nests from branches. They build them on the ledges of rocks or on trees. Falcons often settle in ready-made nests of ravens or other birds (birds of prey). In the clutch there are from one to six eggs and the female hatch them from 25 days to two months. During this period, the male brings her food. When the chicks appear, both parents get food for them. Due to the uneven development of the brood in many species, older ones kill younger ones. Or parents themselves do it. The larger the bird of prey, the longer its chick depends on its mother and father. For example, for almost six months the only young harpy eagle from South America has been sitting in the nest. And then, having learned to fly, he remains for six months to live near the nest of his parents and continues to receive food from them.
Forty-six species of birds of prey nest in Russia. The largest representative of the forest zone and mountains is the golden eagle. It feeds on hares, foxes, deer and roe deer calves, marmots, partridges, ground squirrels, black grouse, ular, ducks, geese and coots. Deaf and old forests are inhabited by a goshawk. His food is birds and mammals. Peregrine Falcons, Saker Falcons and Gyrfalcons, whose flight speed reaches 200 km / h, catch prey directly in the air. Common buzzard is found in the middle zone of the country, winter buzzard - in the tundra, and Buzzard - in the steppes.
Since ancient times, birds of prey have been used in many countries during hunting. Today, this hobby is massively preserved in the East. In Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, one can still see horse hunting with a golden eagle.