Raptor Identification: How to Spot and Identify Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons in Your Area

Raptors — birds of prey — are among the most awe-inspiring animals in the sky. From the soaring Bald Eagle to the darting Peregrine Falcon, these predators demonstrate evolutionary perfection in hunting, flight, and sensory capability. Learning to identify raptors opens up a whole new dimension of bird watching.

Common Raptors

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Size: 28–40 inches

Weight: 6.5–14 lbs

Lifespan: 20–30 years

Diet: Fish (especially salmon), waterfowl, carrion

The Bald Eagle is an icon of North America and the United States. Adults have distinctive white heads and tails contrasting with dark brown bodies. They are powerful soarers that spend most of their time near large bodies of water where fish are abundant.

Fun Fact: The Bald Eagle was nearly driven to extinction by DDT in the 1960s-70s, with only 417 nesting pairs remaining. Thanks to the DDT ban and conservation efforts, the population has rebounded to over 300,000 individuals — one of conservation's greatest success stories.

Raptor Gallery

Bald Eagle in flight

Red-tailed Hawk soaring

Cooper's Hawk in forest

Flight Patterns

Eagles and hawks soar on thermal updrafts with wings held flat. Falcons hunt with rapid wing beats and dramatic stoops. Kites wheel and hover in unpredictable patterns. Recognizing flight behavior is often the fastest way to identify a raptor at a distance.

Raptor Migration

The Mississippi Flyway concentrates raptor migration at landmarks like Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania and Cerro Prieto in Mexico. Millions of hawks, eagles, and falcons pass through these choke points each fall. Our AI feeder can capture raptor visits year-round, especially during migration periods.