bird of prey

American  

noun

1. 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.

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bird of prey British  

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of bird of prey

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

Charlotte Caetano, from Bournemouth, has also been photographing the eagles, which are the UK's largest bird of prey, with a wingspan of up to 2.5m.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

How do you share a film set with a notoriously fierce bird of prey?

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

Under a bird of prey is a chivalric saying, “For God and the Empire,” and “Excellentia et Benoveleniia,” a misspelled Latin motto supposed to mean “excellence and philanthropy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025

“He is a mix between a bird of prey, like a peregrine falcon, with extremely streamlined shapes — of course a feline but also a Mexican salamander called an axolotl,” Otto says.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2025

He looked like an overgrown bird of prey.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling