A bird of prey is a type of bird that hunts and eats other animals to survive. These birds have special tools for hunting: sharp, curved talons (claws) for grabbing prey, hooked beaks for tearing meat, and incredibly keen eyesight that lets them spot a mouse from hundreds of feet in the air.

Hawks, eagles, owls, falcons, and vultures are all birds of prey. Each hunts differently. A falcon might dive at speeds over 200 miles per hour to catch another bird mid-flight. An owl hunts silently at night, its special feathers making almost no sound as it swoops down on a rabbit. An eagle might snatch a fish right out of the water with its powerful talons.

The word prey means an animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal, so a bird of prey is simply a bird whose way of life involves hunting prey. Some people call them raptors.

These birds sit at the top of the food chain in their ecosystems, helping control populations of rodents and other small animals. In medieval times, people trained falcons and hawks for hunting, a practice called falconry that continues today as both a sport and an art.