Falcons: Aerial hunters of other birds the dark eyed falcons are among the fastest of the raptors, with the infamous peregrine falcon taking the title of fastest animal on earth. Swooping on hapless birds in mid-flight, these masters of aerial hunting are astounding. Pigeons and budgies are carried off through the skies and devoured. Wedge talled eagle: Australia largest bird of prey the regal and awe inspiring wedge tailed eagle soars high through clear skies for over 90 minutes at a time. Able to lift half their own body weight these powerful eagles can carry off joeys and swoop down on rabbits, their victims carried off dangling from immense talons. Pelican: With their comical faces and cartoon like bills, pelicans are among the most loved and well known of the water birds. Although one of the heaviest of the flying birds, air pockets in their skeleton and under their skin make their huge bodies relatively light as they soar on thermals 3000m high. Vulture: Behind the bold headed craggy-necked beauty-less appearance of the vulture lies a truly magnificent creature. The stomach acid of these mighty birds is so corrosive they can digest putrid carcasses. These seemingly unlovable birds mate for life and have extremely high standards of fidelity. Kestrel: One of the smallest of the falcons the exquisite kestrel hawks flying insects and is one of the few raptors that can hover – suspending itself mid air this little hunter hovers 10 – 20 m above the ground waiting for the moment to swoop down on the grasshoppers below.
