Falcons, eagles, and vultures are all majestic birds of prey in their own right. While there are a number of similarities between these species, there are also several significant characteristics that differentiate them.
Learn why eagles are the ultimate hunters and how you can quickly identify a vulture by looking at its neck. Plus, the key characteristics that help you tell the difference between these beautiful birds.
What Are Falcons?
The term “falcons” describes around 40 birds of prey distributed among every continent apart from Antarctica. They are among the best hunters in the avian world, using their speed and efficiency to bring down prey. They are the fastest documented animal ever, with recorded diving speeds of up to 242 miles per hour.
This phenomenal pace is thanks to an aerodynamic torso and point wings that streamline the body, plus an impressive respiratory and cardiovascular system that enables them to flap their wings up to four times in a single second without tiring. In addition, they sport a sense of vision that is eight times stronger than humans – allowing them to see prey up to two miles away.
While they are solitary hunters, spending most of their lives alone, these birds form monogamous relationships and come together during mating season. And peregrine falcons can travel as many as 15,500 miles between continents to find their mate or adequate food supplies.
Humans have a long history with these magnificent birds; ancient artwork dates falconry practices at least 3,500 years old in ancient Mesopotamia and Mongolia. And several notable figures enjoyed this hobby, including Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great.
What Are Eagles?
The term eagle is used to describe several large birds of prey. Among the 60 eagle species, the majority live in Eurasia and Africa. There remaining 14 species are located as follows: two in North America, nine in Central and South America, and three in Australia.
Eagles come in various sizes; the little eagle is only 45-55cm, while Steller’s sea eagle can grow to 91-106cm with a wingspan of up to two-and-a-half meters. In general, eagles are larger than other birds of prey, with muscular legs, sharp talons, and mighty hooked beaks that allow them to rip flesh from prey.
An eagle’s eye can account for as much as 50% of its total head volume and weigh a similar amount to a human eye. But their vision is far superior to ours (around five times better), and they have a greater field of view. While we see three primary colors, an eagle can see five, and its eyes can also detect UV light.
Eagles also practice monogamy and have one partner for life. A clutch generally contains between one and three eggs, and eagles return to nesting sites yearly. The location of these nests varies with species; the bald eagle uses tall trees, while the golden eagle prefers a cliff face.
What Are Vultures?
Vultures are birds of prey that feed on carrion (the remains of dead animals) rather than hunting for their own food. An excellent sense of vision allows them to scan a large area of ground, and they will swoop down once they spot food. Due to their lack of hunting prowess, the claws of a vulture are much smaller than other birds of prey, but they have strong feet for walking along the ground as they eat.
African and Asian brown vultures are relatives of hawks and eagles. These ravenous birds will often eat a whole animal in one sitting, sometimes making it difficult to return to the sky. In Africa, vultures eat an estimated 25 million kg of food per year, which is more food than all other predators consume together.
Sight is not the only sense these scavenging birds use to find food; they also have a keen sense of smell. Vultures are bald on the neck and head to help prevent mess when they eat, while a sharp beak helps to tear flesh from the dead animals. If they can’t rip the meat open, they will allow another predator to break open the flesh, which is why they can often be found around animals like coyotes and hyenas.
What’s the Difference Between Falcons and Eagles?
At a glance, falcons and eagles can appear to be very similar birds as they are both large avians classed as birds of prey, but several differences help us tell the two apart.
Eagles are taller and heavier than falcons and possess a much greater wingspan. The wings of a falcon are pointed, while the wings of an eagle are broad and round. Falcons reach much greater speed when they dive than eagles do. Another way to differentiate the pair is to look at their beaks; the falcon has a short beak with a sharp point. It is curved but not as significantly as the eagle’s beak, which is also longer than the falcon’s.
Humans train falcons far more often than eagles because the former possess a far softer temperament. And while falcons kill their prey immediately, eagles may grasp hold of it and save the kill for a later time.
What’s the Difference Between Eagles and Vultures?
The most significant difference between the eagle and the vulture is that the former hunts for and kills its own prey, while the vulture often scavengers from the kills of other animals. Vultures have a strong sense of sight, but it is less sharp than the impressive vision of the eagle.
This means that, in general, eagles are more talented and reliable predators than vultures. In addition, the eagle can use its powerful talons to injure a vulture, sometimes even killing these mighty birds of prey. Because of their diverse food retrieval methods, the eagle and vulture have different diets; both are carnivorous, but the vulture is likely to feed on larger prey and carrion, while the eagle eats mainly small mammals and fish.
A comparatively compact body defines eagles with bright beaks and long claws. In contrast, the vulture possesses a scrawnier body, fewer feathers around the head area, and duller coloring.
What’s the Difference Between Vultures and Falcons?
There is quite a contrast between the vulture and the falcon; the former is a medium to large, carrion-eating scavenger, while the latter are small birds of prey, classified as some of the greatest hunters in the avian world. Vultures do hunt, but they are more likely to feed on the remains of prey captured by another animal.
Falcons are smaller than vultures, with a short, hooked beak; plus, falcons have an even covering of feathers on the head and neck. In contrast, the vulture often lacks feathers around the head and neck area to avoid mess when they eat.
