Tag Archives: Flight

Body plans and shapes: identifying birds in flight!

Left to right: Osprey, Turkey Vulture, Adult Bald Eagle, Subadult Golden Eagle

We’re going to be counting Golden Eagles for the National Eagle Center and Hawkwatch International on January 21, so I decided to brush up on my knowledge. Understanding a species’ behavior, seasonality, and body plans can help you identify birds in flight. Bald and Golden Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Ospreys Bald Eagles: Flat Soar | Driftless Area: Year Round | Favorite Food: Fish | Genus: Sea Eagles Bald eagles are built for soaring, with long broad wings, large wing slots,

Identifying birds of prey in flight

Silhouettes of birds of prey in flight

Bald Eagle or Turkey Vulture? Is that a Peregrine Falcon or something else? Understanding body plans can be helpful in identifying soaring, stooping, and flying birds. Coming to our After the Fledge party in Decorah? Get ready for Turkey Vulture or Not with this article!  Bald eagles are soaring generalist hunters that eat almost anything they can catch. Peregrine falcons are energetic, acrobatic flyers that specialize in catching birds in the air. Both are birds of prey, but their body