These fantastic hunting machines have brought awe for thousands of years, and while some in the UK like hen harriers and once-common kestrels face an uncertain future, other like red kites have become a fixture across the land.
Here’s a guide on how to recognise the most common 15 species of birds of prey in the UK.
1. Red kite
Kites are beginning to rival buzzards for their ubiquity in certain areas - which is an astonishing fact given their history. In the 1900s they were almost extinct in the UK, with just a few left in remote hills in Wales. After a reintroduction programme, there are now thousands of breeding pairs, which have slowly spread across the country. To recognise a red kite, look for a bird which soars like a buzzard, but appears a touch thinner. The red is not always obvious from the ground when looking at them in the sky - the giveaway is the forked tail and thinner wings, unlike the buzzard’s “squared-off” tail and wing feathers. | RSPB Images
2. Kestrel
Small and thin looking, and grey (male) or brown (female). Most often seen hovering with a stationary head as they track preys. Numbers have declined since the end of the 20th century, but nobody is entirely sure why - increased use of pestkillers, or changes to landscape may be to blame. But certainly the kestrel used to be seen hunting alongside motorways far more often than it is now. Fun fact: The kestrel’s traditional name was the windhover | Jeff Penfold
3. Buzzard
The UK’s most common bird of prey, these medium to large raptors can now seen across the country. They can often be seen gliding high in the air, frequently in groups, and if you see a large brown bird of prey on a telegraph pole, it will inevitably be a buzzard. | Graeme Stark
4. Sparrowhawk
Slightly bigger than a kestrel - and another bird which has seen numbers decline. If you’ve ever come across a bird of prey eating a pigeon in your garden, or speeding through woodland while hunting, chances are it’s a sparrowhawk. Males are grey-looking but have a brighter orange and white underside and legs, while females look bigger - about the size of a pigeon - but are duller. | Julie Parry