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You can often see them circling majestically in the sky: birds of prey. But what kind is it exactly? We present eight small, native species in more detail.
In a nutshell
- Birds of prey are diurnal birds of prey
- hit their prey with clawed feet
- the most common small bird of prey is the kestrel
- is often found in villages and towns, nests on church towers
- sparrowhawks, reminiscent of small hawks, are also frequently encountered
8 small birds of prey
Birds of prey are raptors and are only active during the day. Typical of all species of birds of prey are the strong, clawed feet with which the birds grab and kill their prey. Therefore, the species of this group are also referred to as "predators". The prey is crushed with the powerful, downward-curving and sharp beak. The keen eyes recognize the prey from a great distance and, in the case of the osprey, even under water.
Notice: A total of 22 different species of birds of prey live in Germany. However, depending on the region, most of them can only be found very rarely: more than every second predator sighted is either a kestrel or a common buzzard.
hawks
The long tail and the pointed wings are typical of all falcon species. All falcons also have the so-called falcon tooth, which is a jagged formation on the front part of the upper beak, which is bent downwards like a hook. Hawks have large, mostly dark eyes and, unlike the larger griffins, are active fliers. While hawks and buzzards mainly use the updraft to fly, hawks move through the air using their own muscle power. Another difference from other birds of prey is that hawks do not build nests. Instead, falcon parents breed in abandoned nests of other birds or in natural hollows on buildings (like the kestrel), in trees (tree falcon), or on rock faces.
Wood Hawk (Falco subbuteo)
Source: Imran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan, Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) (23341381161), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Body length: 30 to 36 centimeters
- Wingspan: 70 to 85 centimeters
- Weight: 140 to 350 grams
- Coloration: Dark brown to bluish on top, head with a dark stripe of beard that stands out sharply from the white cheeks and light-colored throat, light underside with strong, black vertical stripes
- Migratory bird: long-distance migrant, winters in Africa and southern Asia
- Call: pointed, high "kikiki" in long rows of calls
- Special features: the rust-colored "pants" in adult animals are typical of the species
Notice: The tree falcon is not very common and is one of the endangered species.
Merlin (Falco columbarius)
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region, Photographed in Warwick, RI. (8575464956), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
- Body length: males 25 to 30 centimeters, females significantly larger
- Wingspan: males about 60 centimeters, females up to 67 centimeters
- Weight: about 190 grams
- Colouration: Males slate-grey upperparts, rust-coloured nape area, light to rust-coloured underparts with dark markings, gray tail with black terminal band; Females dark brown upperparts, white underparts with dark spots, dark banded tail
- Migratory: yes, breeds in Northern Europe and winters in Central Europe
- Call: Very rarely heard in winter quarters, but closely resembles the call of the kestrel
- Special features: pronounced sexual dimorphism, ground nesting
Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus)
male specimen; Source: Andy Morffew, Red-footed Falcon (Male) (19973885145), edited from Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
- Body length: 29 to 31 centimeters
- Wingspan: 60 to 75 centimeters
- Weight: males 115 to 190 grams, females 130 to 197 grams
- Coloration: varies with age, old males are solid dark slate gray with black tail, red "trousers" and undertail coverts, bright red feet and narrow red eye-ring; female birds are more inconspicuously colored
- migratory bird: breeds v. a. in the Hungarian lowlands, is sometimes in Germany as a summer guest and v. a. observed in spring and autumn
- Call: similar to the tree falcon, but higher and slower ("kjiiiie-kjiie")
- Special features: juvenile, not yet fully colored specimens are easily mistaken for the tree falcon
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
If you see a small bird of prey, especially when it's in or near towns, it's probably a kestrel. The kestrel is very versatile when it comes to choosing its breeding site: It uses old nests of crows and magpies on trees or high-voltage pylons, but also breeds in rock and building niches. The species likes to inhabit church towers and other buildings within towns.
- Body length: 32 to 39 centimeters
- Wingspan: 65 to 82 centimeters
- Weight: about 200 grams
- Colouration: pronounced sexual dimorphism, males reddish-brown, darkly spotted upper side, chest also densely spotted, gray tail with black terminal band, brownish head
- Migratory bird: resident bird
- Call: piercing ki-ki-ki-ki-ki…
- Special features: the shaking flight is typical, whereby the bird “stands” in the air with its tail fanned out, quickly flaps its wings and looks out for prey
Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
Source: Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/), Accipiter nisus 2 (Martin Mecnarowski), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
In contrast to the very persistent falcons, which can persistently pursue their prey over long distances, the sparrow-hawk can only briefly pursue its - mostly small birds - and therefore has to launch surprise attacks.
- Body length: 28 to 38 centimeters
- Wingspan: 55 to 70 centimeters
- Weight: males about 140 grams, females about 230 grams
- Coloration: males bluish-grey upperside, reddish-brown banded underside; Females grey-brown upperparts, white underparts with black banding
- Migratory bird: resident bird
- Call: long rows of calls, also in duet "gi-gi-gi-gi…"
- Special features: yellow eyes
Notice: Sparrowhawks are easily confused with the related goshawk, especially in flight. However, with a wingspan of up to 165 centimetres, it is significantly larger and also more massive.
consecration
Harriers also belong to the hawk-like family of birds of prey (Accipitridae) and are thus related to sparrowhawks and hawks. They are medium-sized, very slender birds of prey with long and broad wings. A swaying search flight is typical of all harrier species, during which the bird flies close to the ground with its wings raised in a V-shape and "sways" around its own axis.
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
Source: Imran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan, Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) (45960863151), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Body length: 42 to 55 centimeters
- Wingspan: 97 to 118 centimeters
- Weight: Males up to 400 grams, females slightly heavier
- Coloration: Males very lightly colored with light bluish-grey upperparts, light gray head and forebody, white underparts, black wingtips; Females and juveniles, on the other hand, are brown with longitudinally striped undersides
- Migratory bird: depending on occurrence, resident bird up to long-distance flyer
- Reputation: very different between the sexes
- Special features: is on the red list of endangered species in Germany, only a few breeding pairs left
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Source: Paco Gómez from Castellón, Spain, Circus aeruginosus Valencia 2, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Marsh harriers breed primarily in reed deposits and on grain fields.
- Body length: 48 to 56 centimeters
- Wingspan: 110 to 130 centimeters
- Weight: males approx. 540 grams, females 740 grams
- Coloration: brown back with light brown head, wings brown-grey-black
- Migratory bird: medium or long-distance migrants
- Call: croaking calls during courtship flight; cackling when in danger
- Special features: strikingly long legs
Notice: The nest is mainly built by the female while the male brings the nesting material.
Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)
Source: José Antonio Lagier Martin, Aguilucho Cenizo (107614637), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0
- Body length: 43 to 47 centimeters
- Wingspan: 105 to 120 centimeters
- Weight: around 300 grams
- Coloration: males solid dark grey, reddish-brown spotted abdomen; Females solid medium brown with white rump
- Migratory bird: long-distance migrant
- Reputation: cackling series of calls during courtship flight of the male, such as "kä-kä-kä"
- Special features: Breeds and hunts primarily in moors and meadows
Notice: The Montagu's Harrier breeds on the ground, sometimes in loose colonies. In addition to mice, she eats large insects, lizards and small birds.
frequently asked Questions
Do owls also belong to the birds of prey?Owls are also birds of prey, but not birds of prey. Birds of prey are diurnal, while owls hunt at dusk and at night. Incidentally, the smallest native owl is the pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum), which is less than 20 centimeters long.
Which is the smallest bird of prey?The Merlin is the smallest falcon in Europe and is primarily native to northern Europe. Here the species is mainly encountered as a winter visitor and during the migration periods in spring and autumn.
Which bird of prey is the most common?The black hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga) is probably the most commonly encountered bird of prey worldwide. This can be found in large parts of Europe, Africa and Asia as well as in Australia and New Guinea. In Germany, both the buzzard and the kestrel are among the most common species.