Birds of prey commonly found in England include the buzzard, red kite, sparrow hawk and of course the peregrine Falcon (plus a BUNCH of others).
There are plenty of birds of prey to be found in the UK, so I’ll cover just a few examples in this blog and leave you to research the rest on your own!
Common Buzzard
Starting our birds of prey list is the buzzard. The buzzard is the most common and the most wide-spread bird of prey in England. The greatest number of buzzards can be found in the Lake District and South-West England, but they can be found throughout the entire country.
They can be found in many habitats, primarily woodland and moorland. They can even be seen in towns and cities! You may have seen them yourself, soaring over you in particularly clear weather. When they’re soaring, they make a shallow V-shape with a fanned tail (something to look out for!) You may have even heard their distinctive call, reminiscent of the eagle sound you might hear in a John Wayne movie. Seen all year round, Buzzards are a very easy to find bird!
They are fairly large with wide, rounded wings spanning and a short neck and tail. They are usually a dark brown hue, but can also be quite pale. With dark wing tips and striped tail feathers, the buzzard is a hard bird to miss; especially with their bright yellow feet and beaks.
They eat small birds and mammals as well as any animal carcasses they happen upon. On occasion, they will also eat large insects and worms. Hey don’t judge, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Red kite
Red kites were at one point only found in Wales, but conservation efforts have brought red kites back to many parts of England, mostly central England. They can be found all year round in woodland and farmland, sometimes very rarely in urban areas as well.
There call is probably best described as that of a broken recorder played by a child hopped-up on sugar. They have a red-brown body (shocker) with angled wings spanning almost 2 metres when fully grown and a forked tail. Similarly to buzzards, they have yellow legs and feet. Their wings are black and white (mostly black) and quite gorgeous to look at.
They mostly eat worms and animal carcasses, but when they’re feeling brave they will attempt to hunt small mammals.
Peregrine falcon
Perhaps the most infamous of the birds of prey in the UK, next up is the peregrine falcon. Peregrines are found throughout England above rocky sea cliffs and upland areas, all year round (sensing a theme here). Their call is similar to that of a seagull.
Peregrine falcons are smaller than you’d expect, pointed wings spanning around a metre (only half that of a red kite). They are mostly blue-grey but have a white chest with black stripes. Their beaks and feet are yellow, yet another reoccurring theme of this list.
They eat the largest prey out of the others on this list, including medium-sized birds such as pigeons and ducks.
Extra information
Animal-Club provides animal parties or animal handling workshops. You will be able to see, learn and interact with many wonderful animals with the help of our presenters. Our mobile zoo has many friendly animals such as rabbits, tarantulas, geckos, vinegaroons and more, perfect for an animal party. We can also come over to your school for an animal school visit or arrange for an animal workshop with us where the children can learn about looking after animals and animal behaviour, and have fun too