Synonyms

bird of prey

American

noun

any of numerous predacious, flesh-eating birds, as the eagles, hawks, kites, vultures, falcons, and owls, having a sharp, downwardly curved beak, talons, and, usually, soaring flight.

bird of prey British

noun

a bird, such as a hawk, eagle, or owl, that hunts and kills other animals, esp vertebrates, for food. It has strong talons and a sharp hooked bill

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bird of prey

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We deal with violations regarding raptors and birds of prey on a relative frequency but I haven’t seen anything to this level of disregard for the animal in quite a while.”

From Los Angeles Times

Shortly after, a pair of eagles nested on the north side, bolstering Big Bear Valley’s role as vital habitat for the birds of prey.

From Los Angeles Times

They are predators and scavengers, similar in some ways to birds of prey, and play an important role in cleaning up carcasses.

From Science Daily

For another, many birds of prey have little to no sense of smell.

From Literature

A Southern California driver made a startling discovery Sunday morning when they found a live bird of prey stuck in the grille of their car.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023