• Found: Africa, southwards from Egypt to East Africa

The African Hooded Vulture is the smallest of the vultures on the African continent. So named because of the woolly feathers that surround the lower neck. It is often found scavenging among rubbish dumps and has adapted well to living in man's environment so it has flourished. It tends to lose out on food when the larger vultures arrive so has to wait it's turn. Left to it's own devices it will feed on small insects and lizards. One characteristic they share with humans is the 'blushing' on the face and neck when they get excited or aggressive.

• Found: Africa

The Bateleur Eagle is one of the smaller species of eagle that live on the open plains of Africa. The name "Bateleur" comes from the French meaning tightrope walker, as they have a very small tail and have to balance well when flying. Their diet consists of mostly carrion, small mammals and reptiles. It takes six to seven years for a juvenile bird to reach full maturity and be ready to breed.

• Found: Worldwide

The Kestrel is commonly seen hovering over motorways and roadsides hunting mice and other small rodents. There is a clear distinction between males and females; the male has a grey/blue head and a single strip at the end of his tail, whereas the female has stripes all the way down her tail. Also as with the majority of birds of prey, the male is smaller and lighter than the female, which is why she is the dominant bird of the partnership.

• Found: South America from Peru to Tierra del Fuego and Falkland Islands.

This bird belongs to the falcon family and is also known as the Mexican Eagle. They are both predators and scavengers, feeding on a variety of invertebrates and also penguins. They are also known to steal food and leftovers out of rubbish bins. They are top of the pecking order amongst the New World vultures and are often seen driving the vultures away from the carcasses.
Unlike true falcons who commonly lay their eggs on cliff faces, caracaras build their nests in trees.

• From: Northern Europe, Asia, Alaska, Canada and North Western USA

One of the World's largest Owls, the Great Gray Owl is dark grey overall interspersed with bars and flecks of light grey and white. When perched, they appear very bulky because of their dense, fluffy plumage, long wings extending past the body, a relatively long tail, and a large head. Although a very large Owl, small rodents are their primary prey include rats, mice, shrews, squirrels, rabbits, and moles. Infrequently they will capture birds like crows and small hawks for food.

• Found: Eastern and Southern Africa

The Mackinders Eagle Owl is happy in many types of terrain, but prefers wooded gullies in high country and shady ravines or scrubby slopes with scattered boulders in lower country. It visits more open terrain at night for hunting. They prefer larger prey for efficiency, but this does limit the number of birds in an area. They will take mole rat, hyrax, hare, mongoose, barn owl and kestrels. It is most active around dusk and dawn, when its main prey is active, and spends its days roosting in deep shade. They are generally ground nesting, making a shallow scoop perhaps on a rock, between boulders or in a tangle of roots. Two or rarely three eggs are laid at intervals of up to four days and incubated for 34-36 days.

• Found: Indian sub continent across to the Himalayas

The Bengalese Eagle Owl inhabits a variety of environments including rocky hills, wood scrub, ravines and old mango orchards. It preys mainly on rodents although birds, reptiles, frogs, crabs and large invertebrates also supplement its diet. They are not globally threatened, but they are very common in the ranges they are found.

• Found: Central to Western Siberia

The Siberian Eagle Owl prefers mountainous forest, semi-desert and rocky slopes. Being the biggest owl in the world it will take large birds, a variety of small and medium mammals, rabbits and hares, roe deer fawns, young foxes, hedgehogs, frogs, newts, crabs and farmyard cats. Whereas most diurnal birds rely on speed of impact to kill their prey, the Siberian Eagle Owl uses its 250 pounds per square inch crushing power (in each foot!) to obtain its meal. The Siberian Eagle Owl will have between one and three offspring, with each owlet taking twelve weeks to go from egg to fully grown owl.
Status: Widespread but scarce everywhere, locally endangered.

• Native to: Artic Tundra

The male snowy owls have a pure white plumage whereas the females are speckled and barred with brown. This darker colouring allows the females to be better camouflaged whilst incubating their eggs on a ground nest-site.
Snowy owls can also be seen in Scotland where they may travel during the winter periods when the Artic Tundra becomes too cold. They often eat lemming and they catch prey up to the size of snow hare and ptarmigan.

• From: Africa south of the Sahara

Hunting amongst scrub and bush, woodland with sparse ground cover, forests and savannas, like other small owls, the White Faced Scops Owl is generally insectivorous, although they may take small birds, rodents and other small mammals. they often nest in abandoned nests of other birds, from pigeons to eagles. They will also use tree hollows and have also been known to use ground nest sites. Two to four shiny, white eggs are laid at intervals, incubation beginning immediately. From the day of laying, incubation takes about 30 days.

• Found: From Southern Mexico south to Paraguay, Southern Brazil and Argentina.

Occupying a variety of habitats from thick, humid rain forests and mangroves, to open woodlands, Spectacled Owls hunt for insects, tree frogs, reptiles, birds, small mammals and even crabs. At times they will tackle skunks and opossums. Nesting can occur from January to August. Spectacled Owls are cavity nesters, seeking out holes in trees to nest in. Clutch size is normally two white eggs, with incubation lasting about 36 days.

• Native to: Northern United States, southward to Southern South America

The Turkey Vulture is one of the smaller species of the New World Vultures, They are mainly scavengers, eating carrion and taking advantage of road kills. Vultures are famous for their keen eyesight, locating their source of food whilst soaring hundreds of feet in the air. Many vultures were persecuted after fears of them carrying cattle diseases, but now in the United States, they are protected by law because of their valued role in removing sources of infection.

• From: Southern Alaska down to Mexico

The Western Screech Owl inhabits a large expanse of land covering Southern Alaska, Western Canada, The United States and Mexico. Found in open woodland, parks, gardens and cacti deserts, the screech owl preys mainly on insects, birds and small mammals.
Status: Fairly common. Although loss of habitat in some areas has effected the owl, it has adapted by nesting in parks and gardens.