Raptors
Representative Birds
- Hawks
- Eagles
- Vultures
- Kites
- Osprey
- Harriers
- Secretary-bird
The order Accipitriformes is composed of 4 families consisting of 72 genera and 242 species. There are 3 families (Accipitridae, Pandionadae and Carhaetidae) and 27 species found in Eastern NA. The birds in this order include mostly large diurnal prey birds. Aside from the Secretary-bird, Accipitriformes reside near bodies of water. They feed on a variety of animals including fish, rodents, and snakes. They are identified by large broad wings suitable for soaring flight. They typically have sharp hooked bills and talons. According to Peterson, eagles, hawks, kites, harriers and ospreys, vultures are found almost worldwide. There are a number of each of these species found in NJ. The secretary-bird is a large terrestrial bird endemic to Africa.
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| Turkey Vulture |
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| Osprey |
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| Bald Eagle |
Wow, these are amazing birds. Even though they are found worldwide, are these really birds we might see out birding in NJ? That would be fantastic! I think Bald Eagles are endangered, right?
ReplyDeleteYes, they are really cool! I hope we will but I am not sure if we will see these birds. From what I have read they are found all over North America (beside the Secretary bird). The Osprey and the Bald Eagle are normally found near bodies of water as they rely on fish for food. The Bald Eagle is no longer on the endangered species list as the population has stabilized but they prefer areas away from people as they are sensitive to human activity.
ReplyDeleteLooks really good! One thing, you need to add the number of families, genera and species found in Eastern NA. You can get this from your field guide.
ReplyDeleteAs for what we can see in NJ, I can tell you we do have a pretty good chance of seeing several species of Accipitriformes. I'm pretty much guaranteeing at least one tomorrow at the Shark River (probably 2 or 3)!
I absolutely love this group of birds. There was a bald eagle nest near my house in northern New Jersey - it was so close to a major road that people were worried they were going to get hit by a car! But I suppose the location works for that pair, since they come back to the nest every year.
ReplyDeleteIf I am right all of them are birds of prey. I wonder where they all roost at night.
ReplyDeleteI always see Eagle flying around the same place when I am driving. I am thinking they probably have their nest around that area.
ReplyDeleteSeeing that the Secretary bird is endemic to Africa. It has a striking resemblance to the Osprey. Except that the Secretary bird seems like it has a war head dress.
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