Whereas the Bald Eagle hunts mostly fish or other birds such as gulls. The Golden Eagle will go after a wide variety of prey including rabbit, squirrel, swam, deer, coyotes, and bobcats. There are two species of eagle that live in Florida: the Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle. They are the largest birds of prey and have long and broad wings combined with massive talons for grabbing and killing prey. Eagles have very similar features when compared to hawks, but just on a much larger scale. Interestingly, Eagles are found under the same family as hawks. Buteos hunt primarily on small ground mammals including rabbits, voles, mice, but can also take larger prey such as grouse, ducks, and hares due to their larger overall size as a bird of prey. In Florida, this genus includes Red-shouldered Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Short-tailed Hawks. They are also referred to as Buzzards or Broad wings. Accipiters hunt primarily birds including doves and quail, but can also catch ground mammals like mice and squirrels.īuteos are larger Hawks with broad wings for soaring in the sky looking for prey in large open areas. ![]() The only accipiter in Florida is the Coopers Hawk. This genus of hawks is also referred to as short wings as their evolutionarily adapted wings are an excellent identifying characteristic. They have excellent eyesight, long tails for steering, and short rounded wings to manoeuvre effectively through tight forested areas. The main differences between these two genuses of hawks are their habitat, prey of choice, and body and wing size.Īccipiters are medium sized hawks that are ambush-type hunters, swopping down from a concealed perch to catch their prey. Similar to Owls, Hawks catch and kill prey with their strong feet and talons. Hawks are separated into two main genuses including Accipiters and Buteos. In fact, a great horned owl can hear a small rodent about ¾ of a mile away under up to 4 feet of snow. The shape of their face and asymmetrical ears on either side of their head help to amplify sound and help target prey from large distances. Owls can rotate their neck up to 270 degrees and their eyes are specialized to provide binocular vision assisting in depth perception and keen hunting at night. In contrast to the falcons, owls capture and kill their prey with their strong and powerful feet and talons. Owls are generally specialized for low light and night-time hunting. specialized feathers help to reduce air turbulence over their wings, allowing them hunt with total silence. ![]() Typical owls, those found under the family Strigidae, include all other owls that were previously listed and up to 190 species total around the world, excluding Antarctica. Barn owls have heart-shaped faces, which are characteristic of the family Tytonidae, and they also vary from Typical Owls because of their short tails, small eyes, and other structural features including their beak and sternum. All of these Owls belong to the same family, except for the Barn Owl. In Florida, there are 6 different species of owls found in the wild including the Burrowing Owl, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Short-eared Owl, and Barn Owl. Falcons have long pointed wings making them particularly swift flyers. Falcons are also known to take over the old nests of other birds instead of building their own, and will occasionally lay their eggs on cliff ledges or in the hollows of trees. Merlins take a different approach by attacking at high speeds from either horizontally or from underneath, chasing their prey upwards until they become an easy catch. ![]() The Peregrine falcon will soar at very high heights, than quickly fall into a stoop at speeds of up at 242 mph for an unexpected attack and a quick kill. This feature allows falcons to quickly sever the spinal cord of their prey although they all do not have the same hunting style. ![]() Unlike other birds of prey, falcons have a triangular shaped notch on their upper mandible called a tomial tooth. While they may be the smallest of all birds of prey, they have some unique features that make them quite fierce. Falcons primarily hunt other birds by catching them mid-air. In Florida there are 3 species of falcons that are found in the wild Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, and American Kestrels.Īlthough Peregrine Falcons do not breed in Florida, they do pass through the state during migration. Wild Raptors/Birds of Prey found in Florida Include: Falcons Family: Falconidae
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