Medium-sized and large bird with a strong hook beak, and usually with a sharp curved claws, beak ground covered the bare skin - «voskovitsey». From sharing with similar appearances, are dense plumage, the eye: the eyes are located on the sides of the head, and not sent forward, daily way of life and very many features of the internal structure. Feed on animal food: insects, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals or carrion or rubbish. Fly soaring or active flight. Production looks from the air and have it on the fly or the lack of land or have branches. Distributed in all areas of Russia. Extermination birds of prey, though unichtozhayuschih a lot of game can never be justified, especially given that the number of birds of prey almost universally declined dramatically for several reasons: bezdumnoe extermination, worsening terms of nesting (logging, plowing virgin lands) and reducing total fertility or infertility, which is due to eating birds and rodents who had died from poisoning primanok. In a particularly threatened species are now eagles and large falcon (Ivanov, Shtegman, 1978). Within Russia predatory birds represented by three families.

Family Skopinye Pandionidae

Medium-sized piscivorous predators, the color of feathers haraterno combination of dark gray and white. In the family of one genus to another type: Skopje Pandion haliaetus Linnaeus, 1758.

Family Yastrebinye Accipitridae

On the side nadklyuvya no predvershinnogo zubtsa, podklyuve Without a notch. Palatal surface of the cornea nadklyuvya without longitudinal ridge. The line of feathers on the sides issued by the lower jaw forward in a sharp wedge, or plumage does not go to the side of the lower jaw. Biologically this is a very diverse group of birds. In particular, is very different Feeding behavior. For example, among yastrebinyh there are birds feeding on carrion and mostly waste, which finds them, flying soaring flight at high altitude (neck, sipy, Buzzard). Most yastrebinyh birds feed on live prey by smell or podkaraulivayut sitting on high ground or flying search flight, examined a large hunting territory (Eagles, Sarychev, luni). Some forest species (hawks) have very mobility flight and may pursue prey in the forest. His production yastrebinye birds missing on the ground, sometimes chasing her in the theft or missing in the trees or even catch on the fly, suddenly appearing in an ambush, but not beaten, pikiruya from a height as the falcon. Among yastrebinyh birds eat and fish-eating birds (some orlany) (Ivanov, Shtegman, 1978).

Besides listed in the list of species of birds in the territory of Russia are:

The red kite Milvus milvus (L., 1758)
Pinto harrier Circus melanoleucos (Pennant, 1769)
The European tyuvik Accipiter brevipes (Severtzov, 1850)
Korotkopaly hawk Accipiter soloensis (Horsfield, 1822)
Kurgannik Buteo rufinus (Cretzschmar, 1827)
Yastrebiny Sarych Butastur indicus (Gmelin, 1788)
Cristate eagle Spizaetus nipalensis (Hodgson, 1836)
Small clanga Aquila pomarina CL Brehm, 1831
Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus (L., 1766)
Steller's Sea Eagle Haliaeetus pelagicus (Pallas, 1811)
Black sea eagle Haliaeetus niger Heude, 1887
Indian vulture Pseudogyps bengalensis (Gmelin, 1788)
Buzzard Neophron percnopterus (L., 1758)

At the adjacent territories of Russia, in the former Soviet Union, also found:

Smoky kite Elanus caeruleus (Desfontaines, 1789)
Tyuvik Accipiter badius (Gmelin, 1788)
Yastrebiny eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus (Vieillot, 1822)
Himalayan vulture Gyps himalayensis Hume, 1869

Family Falcon Falconidae

On the side nadklyuvya before the peak is well marked a sharp tooth, which corresponds to the tenderloin on the lower jaw. Palatal surface of the cornea nadklyuvya with a sharp longitudinal ridge. The line of feathers on the sides lower jaw has a kind of straight or slightly curved line forward and down. The long sharp wings sokolinyh determine the ability of birds to the rapid flight. All sokolinye birds eat only live prey to catch in the air or on land. The large falcon, hobby and derbnik largely feed on birds, which are beaten, pikiruya during the persecution with great speed. Balobany catch prey (such as gopher) on the ground. Small falcon (kestrel, kobchiki) catch insects and small rodents, vysmatrivaya them from the air during a typical flickering flight when the bird hangs in the air almost at the same place (Ivanov, Shtegman, 1978).

Besides listed in the list of species of birds in the territory of Russia are:

Mediterranean falcon Falco biarmicus Temminck, 1825
Ryzhegolovy falcon Falco pelegrinoides Temminck, 1829
Amur kobchik Falco amurensis Radde, 1863

References.