I dont know what this means just yet but thought i would share. it was given to me.

Bird of prey, any bird that pursues other animals for food; it is a famous apex predator (meaning without a natural predator or enemy). Birds of prey are classified in two orders: Falconiformes and Strigiformes. All birds of prey have hook-tipped beaks and sharp curved claws called talons (in nonpredatory vultures the talons are present but atrophied). In spite of the similarities between the two groups, many authorities believe that they are not closely related but rather that they developed similar methods of living a predatory life.

barn owl

barn owl

Common barn owl (Tyto alba).

Diurnal birds of prey—hawks, eagles, vultures, and falcons (Falconiformes)—are also called raptors, which comprise more than 500 species. The word raptor is derived from the Latin raptare, “to seize and carry off.” (The name raptor is sometimes synonymous with the designation bird of prey.) The condors (species of vultures) and the eagles are the largest and strongest members of this group, and they are among the largest and strongest of all living birds. The nocturnal birds of prey are the owls (Strigiformes), a group made up of more than 200 species. Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators have keen eyesight for detecting prey from a distance or during flight, strong feet with sharp talons for grasping or killing prey, and powerful, curved beaks for tearing off flesh.

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Thomson also recommended that the small, white eagle used in Barton’s design be replaced with an American bald eagle, and Congress adopted this design on June 20, 1782. (Contrary to legend, there’s no evidence Ben Franklin protested to Congress about the choice of the bald eagle and lobbied for the turkey, although in a 1784 letter to his daughter he did label the bald eagle “a bird of bad moral character.”)

As the design went on to appear on official documents, currency, flags, public buildings and other government-related items, the bald eagle became an American icon.