Birds of Prey UK: Identification Guide

Thanks to massive conservation efforts over the past few decades, many birds of prey are once again a familiar sight across the UK, in farmlands, grasslands, and even urban green spaces.

With these large birds soaring in our skies, we want to know which ones call our local area home, but with many birds of prey species looking similar, identifying which species they are can be tricky. This guide will give you everything you need to know about how to identify birds of prey.

What Are Birds of Prey?

Birds of prey are species of meat-eating birds that feed on small mammals, amphibians, insects, rodents, and even other birds.

Common Features of Birds of Prey in the UK

Birds of prey in the UK, also known as raptors, share a number of distinctive features that make identification easier. These include sharply hooked bills designed for tearing flesh, powerful talons used to catch and kill prey, and exceptional eyesight for spotting food from a distance. Most UK birds of prey also have rounded or broad wings and strong flight muscles, allowing them to soar, glide, or hover depending on species.

How to Identify Birds of Prey

Buzzard

The Common Buzzard is a common bird of prey in the UK. Usually, the plumage of a Buzzard is brown, with white patches underneath its wings. However, its appearance and colourings can be quite variable.

Its wings are long and broad with 'fingers' at the end. When they fly, this species holds its wings in a raised 'V' shape. The Common Buzzard's beak is yellow.

Goshawk

The Goshawk is similar to the Sparrowhawk, except it's quite a bit bigger. This species is powerful in flight and features a long tail and broad wings.

Goshawks have a strong, stocky build with broad wings and a long, rounded tail. Adults are usually slate grey on the back with pale grey or white underparts covered in fine dark bars. They have a distinct white stripe (eyebrow) above bright yellow to red eyes, giving them an intense expression.

Sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawks have blue-grey backs and orange barring on their underbody. Females and juveniles are brown and grey with pale underparts.

When flying, this bird has a T-shaped silhouette.

Hobby

The Hobby is a bird of prey that is similar in size to the Kestrel. The main difference is that they have longer, sharply pointed wings and a short tail.

It has dark blue-grey upperparts, white cheeks, and a black “mask” around the eyes. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and it has rust-colored thighs and undertail, which stand out in flight.

Kestrel

The kestrel is a medium-sized bird of prey commonly seen across the UK, including south-west and south-east England. It has mottled brown plumage, with reddish-brown upperparts, dark streaking, and grey barring underneath. Males often show a blue-grey back, grey head, and grey tail with a dark band, while females are darker brown overall.

They have a longer tail when compared to other flacons.

Hen Harrier

The Hen Harrier is a medium-sized bird. The males have a blue-grey back and pale underparts, and black-tipped wings.

Females are mainly brown, with a streaky body and wings and black bars on their tails. They also, most notably, have a white rump.

This species beak is yellow, and they have a rounded, owl-like face shape.

Osprey

The Osprey is a large bird of prey, and one of the easiest raptors to identify. It has long, broad wings with a bent or tapered shape when flying.

Its body has white underparts, a white throat and a dark brown to blue-grey back. A bold black moustache stripe runs through the eye, which is yellow and forward-facing, aiding its keen eyesight.

The wings are marked with dark barring underneath, and the tail is pale with dark banding.

Red Kite

The Red Kite has a long, deeply forked tail, angular wings and white patches underneath. At one point, this species was on the brink of extinction, but it has since recovered and is often seen soaring through the skies.

They have a reddish-brown plumage with dark streaking and a pale grey head. Its beak is yellow with a black tip.

Marsh Harrier

Compared to the Hen Harrier, the Marsh Harrier is larger and stockier. Females are a chocolate brown colour with cream patches on their throat and crown of their head; the young look similar.

Males are brown and chestnut, with tri coloured wings (brown, grey, and black).

Merlin

The Merlin is the UK’s smallest bird of prey, noticeably compact and fast-flying. It has short, broad wings, a short tail with dark banding, and a rounded head. Plumage is typically dark brown to slate grey, with heavy dark streaking on the white or buff underside.

Males show a blue-grey back, while females are browner overall. Merlins have dark eyes, sharp talons, and a rapid, low flight style, often seen hunting small birds over moorland, coastal areas, and open countryside.

White Tailed Eagle

The white-tailed eagle is the largest bird of prey in the UK, instantly recognisable by its massive size, broad wings, and short, wedge-shaped white tail in adults. Plumage is mostly dark brown, with white patches underneath the wings and tail base. It has a large hooked bill, strong feet, and yellow eyes.

Often seen soaring over coastal cliffs, lochs, and islands, this species was once near extinction but has returned due to massive conservation efforts.

Tawny Owl

The Tawny Owl is a medium-sized owl with a rounded head, dark eyes, and mottled brown or gingery plumage. Unlike barn owls, it lacks a white face and instead shows speckled underparts with dark streaking. Tawny Owls have broad, rounded wings, a short tail, and forward-facing eyes adapted for hunting small mammals at night.

Barn Owl

The barn owl is one of the easiest owls to identify due to its heart-shaped white face, dark eyes, and pale white underside. Upperparts are mottled silver-grey and buff, with black speckling. It has long, broad wings and a slow, floating flight, often seen hunting over fields at dusk.