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With a heart-shaped face, this bird is distinctive and much-loved.

British Birds - Falcons, Owls and Swifts

Falcons, owls and swifts live very differently. Learn how to spot fast hunters, silent night fliers, and sky-dancing insect eaters by shape, flight and habitat.

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Fascinating Fact:

Hobbies have long, pointed wings and can look like a “giant swift”, they often chase insects and small birds such as swallows and martins.

In Specialist Nature, falcons, owls and swifts are a great comparison because they are built for very different jobs. Falcons are daytime predators with sharp talons and rapid, agile flight. Owls are often nocturnal hunters, using excellent hearing and soft feathers for quieter flight. Swifts are not birds of prey at all, they are aerial specialists that spend huge amounts of time flying as they feed on insects and travel long distances. Watching wing shape, hunting style and time of day can help you identify them confidently.

Key Terms

Raptor: A bird of prey that hunts animals using talons and a hooked beak.
Nocturnal: Active mainly at night rather than during the day.
Aerial insectivore: An animal that catches and eats insects while flying.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How can I tell a falcon from a hawk in the UK?

Many falcons have long pointed wings and a faster, more direct flight, while many hawks have broader wings for soaring or woodland manoeuvres. Falcons often chase prey at speed in open areas.

Why do owls fly so quietly?

Owls have special soft-edged feathers that reduce noise, helping them sneak up on prey. Quiet flight also makes it easier for owls to hear small animals moving on the ground.

What is the difference between swifts and swallows?

Swifts have sickle-shaped wings and spend far more time in the air, often screaming in groups over towns in summer. Swallows have forked tails and frequently perch on wires or fences.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Steve Garvie

Common Kestrel

Peregrine Falcon

Snowy Owl

Short-eared Owl

Group: Typical Owls
Binomial: Asio flammeus
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species Or Winter Visitor
They are commonly seen hunting during the day.
It is known to lure predators away from its nest by appearing to have a crippled wing.

2 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of http://www.fws.gov/

Snowy Owl

Peregrine Falcon

Merlin

Little Owl

Group: Falcons
Binomial: Falco peregrinus
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
The courtship flight includes a mix of aerial acrobatics, precise spirals and steep dives.
The male passes prey to the female in mid-air. She flies upside-down to receive the food from his talons.

3 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Arturo Nikolai

Merlin

Little Owl

Snowy Owl

(Eurasian) Hobby

Group: Typical Owls
Binomial: Athene noctua
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Status: Resident Introduced Population
It will bob its head up and down when alarmed.
If living in an area with a large amount of human activity, they may grow used to man and will remain on their perch, often in full view of humans.

4 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of http://photo-natur.de/

Common Swift

Little Owl

Peregrine Falcon

Common Kestrel

Group: Falcons
Binomial: Falco tinnunculus
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
Have adapted readily to man-made environments and can survive right in the centre of cities.
It is sometimes seen, like other birds of prey, as a symbol of the power and vitality of nature.

5 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Floyd Davidson

Barn Owl

Common Swift

Tawny Owl

Snowy Owl

Group: Typical Owls
Binomial: Bubo scandiacus
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Status: Rare Vagrant
These birds breed on the Arctic tundra.
Parents are territorial and will defend their nests against all comers.
Is a patient hunter that perches and waits to identify its prey before soaring off in pursuit.

6 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Tom Tarrant (Aviceda)

(Eurasian) Hobby

Common Swift

Tawny Owl

Little Owl

Group: Falcons
Binomial: Falco subbuteo
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
They nest in old nests of crows and other birds. The tree selected is most often one in a hedge or on the extreme edge of a spinney.
It is a very bold and courageous bird and was used in falconry.

7 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Pau Artigas

Peregrine Falcon

Common Swift

Tawny Owl

Barn Owl

Group: Swifts
Binomial: Apus apus
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Apodidae
Status: Breeding Summer Visitor
This species spend most of their lives in the air, living on the insects they catch in their beaks. They drink, feed and often mate and sleep on the wing.
They form 'screaming parties' during summer evenings.

8 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Raj Boora

Snowy Owl

Common Kestrel

Short-eared Owl

Merlin

Group: Falcons
Binomial: Falco columbarius
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
They rely on speed and agility to hunt their prey.
Often hunt by flying fast and low, typically less than 1 metre above the ground, using trees and large shrubs to take prey by surprise.

9 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Bohus Cicel

Snowy Owl

(Eurasian) Hobby

Tawny Owl

Short-eared Owl

Group: Typical Owls
Binomial: Strix aluco
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
The asymmetrically placed ears are key to its hunting because they give the bird excellent directional hearing.
Its nocturnal habits and eerie, easily imitated call, have led to a mythical association with bad luck and death.

10 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Peter Trimming

Tawny Owl

Short-eared Owl

Barn Owl

Common Swift

Group: Barn Owls
Binomial: Tyto alba
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Tytonidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
With a heart-shaped face, this bird is distinctive and much-loved.
Studies have shown that an individual may eat one or more rodents per night; a nesting pair and their young can eat more than 1,000 rodents per year.

Author: Sarah Garratty

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