Longwings, Shortwings & Broadwings

Longwings

A Falcon is a long wing bird and it is built for speed and agility. When a falcon is hunting it uses hot air thermals to rise up so it can find quarry to chase. Once it has chosen the quarry to chase, it goes into a stoop, it folds it’s wings back, drops out of the air and strikes the quarry using its feet.
		Lanner Falcon

The impact stuns and can sometimes even break the neck of the quarry.

Once the prey is caught the falcon prepares it to eat by plucking out most of the feathers which it would have a problem swallowing.

It is easy to identify a falcon in flight by its long pointed wings, which are bow shaped.


Shortwings
 

		Hawks are short wing birds built for speed but mainly agility. Short wings make the hawk able to manoeuvre quickly through enclosed woodland, using the element of surprise to catch quarry such as small birds, pheasant, rabbits, and other woodland animals.
Harris Hawk

Hawks also possess a long tail which makes them very agile in flight allowing them to turn amazingly quickly whilst giving chase to prey.

You can identify a hawk in flight by the short rounded wings.

Broadwings
 

Broadwing birds are the largest group out of the three. These consist of eagles, vultures, buzzards and the largest group of broadwings, owls. Buzzards, eagles and vultures are built for soaring flight, which they use to search for food.
		Tawny Owl

Vultures lead a lazy life mainly eating carrion and sometimes eggs.

Eagles and buzzards eat carrion as well but will also catch live prey such as rabbits and hares.

Owls catch live prey and the way they do this is different to any other bird of prey. Also lazy, owls use a perch and pounce method of hunting to catch quarry.

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