Birds of Pray

EAGLES

WHITE-TAILED EAGLE (HaIiaeetus albicilla)

100 cm tall. Our biggest bird of pray. The white tailed eagle has a yellow beak and large, almost rectangular wings and a short round tale. Old bird gets a completely white tale. Sound, ku-ku-ku when someone approaches the nest.
Nests on the coast from Bergen to West-Finnmark.

GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysaetos)

95 cm tall. Dark brown with yellow top and neck. Floating majestic in the sky without moving the wings. It has calm strokes of the wings. Our second biggest bird of pray.
Nests in the mountains area from the county of Agder to east Finnmark.

OSPREY (Pandion hallaetus)

60 cm tall. Black brown back and a white underside with a dark spot on the chest. The head is white with dark lines around the eyes. Dives into the water to get its pray. Sound, pjyppjypp-jypp-jypp.
Nests wide over the eastern parts of the country up to the county of Finnmark.

FALCONS

PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco peregrinus)

56 cm tall. Not very spread. The upper side is blue or slate grey with white spots on a line on the back. The underside is white with brown spots. Nests over the whole of Norway, mostly in the mountain.

GRYFALCON (Falco rusticolus)

45 cm tall. Black lines on the upper side and black lines on the chest, belly and on the sides of the body. Powerful black moustache line on the face. The wings are powerful and pointed and the tail is quite short. Nests over the whole country of Norway.

MERLIN (Falco columbarius)

35 cm tall. Red brown back. The male has black spots on the back. The female has black stripes on the back. The tale is longer than the Merlin. Stands still in the air on flapping wings.
Warning sound, gigg-gigg-gigg-gigg.
Nests all over Norway.

COMMON KESTREL (Falco tinnunculus)

29 cm tall. Our smallest bird of pray. The under side has powerful stripes along the body. The wings are pointed and constantly in movement when chasing.
Sound, ki-ki-ki-ki, when disturbed near the nest.
Nests all over Norway in mountainous areas.

HAWKS

ROUGH LEGGED HAWK (Buteo lagopus)

60 cm tall. Lookes like a very big Sparrowhawk. Does not glide in the aire over forests and open landskape like the Sparrowhawk. Sound, short and fast, kekk-kekk-kekk on the nesting place. Nests over the whole country.

WESTERN HONEY BUZZARD (Pernis apivorus)

58 cm tall. Various feather coat. The chest/belly can be dark brown or white with spread spots. Big as a a Eurasian Buzzard or Goshawk, but you can recognise them on their thin wings and long tale.
Nests in southern Norway up to Trøndelag.

EURASIAN (common) BUZZARD (Buteo buteo)

55 cm tall. Light chest with a black spot under each wing. A large black belt over the belly and the upper side of the tale is white. The most common bird of pray in the mountains.
Sound, complaining, piiaeh.
Nests in high lying mountain forests and mountains over the whole country.

GOSHAWK (Accipiter gentilis)

53 cm tall. Looks dark under flight. The underside of the wide wing, it has a large black line on the front of the wing. It lacks the white rump.
Nests in forests, Northeast from Vest-Agder to Trøndelag.

SPARROWHAWK (Accipiter nisus)

50 cm tall. The male has a dark rusty overside. The tale is ash grey and has black poinet wings. Gliding low over the fields.
Spring sound, vaei-vaei, on the nest, ki-ki-ki-ki-ke-ke. Is to be seen during the summer months in south Norway.

NORTHERN HARRIES (Circus cyaneus)

45 cm tall. The male is blue grey with black pointed wings. White tale. The female is brown with white tale.
Nests from Northern Gudbrandsdal and to Dovre mountain. Rarely in east Finnmark.

WESTERN MARSH HARRIER (Circus aeruginosus)

35 cm tall. The overside of the male is blue grey, often with a redish belt on the underside. It is the only bird of pray that visits regularly big and smaller city's. Glides in the air, calmly on stiff wings.
Nests from south of Norway up to Troms.