Number 10: Royal eagle The royal eagle is a majestic and vicious
bird of prey.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the French Army trains this particular bird species to
find and capture rogue drones.
These magnificent eagles are instructed to grab the hovering drone devices mid-air and
then take them down.
Thanks to a sharp set of talons, the royal eagle has no problem seizing its prey, whether
it’s mechanical or organic.
This bird of prey can apply 500 PSI with its grip.
To put this into perspective, this is the same force an English mastiff applies when
biting its victim.
This bird can notice a target from more than a mile away.
That’s as long as the Phoenix International Raceway.
Historically, this mighty bird has been trained to hunt down surprisingly larger beasts.
Nomadic hunters, in what’s now known as Kazakhstan, used the royal eagle to pursue
wolves.
This is an outstanding feat, when considering the fact that this bird usually only weighs
up to 14 pounds.
That’s barely as heavy as a bowling ball.
In spite of its size, the royal eagle is among the most dangerous birds of prey in the world.
Number 9: Great horned owl The great horned owl is not the largest bird
on this list by any account, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less lethal.
It’s only slightly lighter than the average brick, weighing up to 5.5lbs, Though it’s
medium-sized for an owl, it’s still small when compared to other dangerous birds of
prey.
Despite its light body, the great horned owl is an incredibly territorial animal and defends
its nest aggressively.
When attacking human beings, it targets the head, particularly the eyes.
Its talons are razor-sharp, and, much like the royal eagle, it can clutch its prey with
as much as 500 PSI.
Attacks on humans aren’t that rare, and several incidents have been reported in Seattle
and Oregon.
It’s as hard to force a great horned owl to let go of its prey as it would be for a
guard dog to release the limbs of someone invading its territory.
When in captivity, adult great horned owls have a tendency to turn on their handlers.
This bird usually eats its prey whole, regurgitating bones hours after feeding.
Curiously enough, it tends to do so in the same area it hunted down the small animal.
Number 8: White-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle tends to inhabit areas
near large bodies of water, including lakes and seaside land.
It’s a close cousin of the bald eagle, though its habitat doesn’t include the Americas.
It’s found mostly in Iceland, Greenland, as well as Japan and other Asian countries.
This bird of prey is particularly territorial, both with other animals and members of its
own species.
If another white-tailed eagle enters a male territory, a brutal fight will inevitably
ensue.
These battles usually end with one or both birds dying.
The white-tailed eagle is so vicious that its attack will often lead to the destruction
of the nest it was initially protecting.
It’s considered to be one of the largest birds of prey worldwide.
This species’ wingspan may reach and surpass the 8 feet mark.
That’s larger than the average height of an American moose.
The white-tailed eagle tends to have a hostile temperament and is exceptionally hard to catch.
It can reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour, approximately the same velocity a grown
lion can achieve when sprinting to catch its prey.
Number 7: Eurasian Eagle Owl The Eurasian eagle owl is found in Asia and
Europe, mostly dwelling in the forests and mountainous areas.
This bird of prey can weigh up to 9.5 pounds, making it twice as small as a wiener dog.
Even though it’s not a bird of great proportion, it’s certainly no less vicious than others
on our list.
It’s among the most powerful owl species, and has been known to hunt foxes and even
roe deer.
The Eurasian eagle owl is particularly stealthy and uses its silent flight to catch its prey
off guard.
Its talons are so powerful that they can apply a pressure of 750 PSI.
Shockingly, that’s more powerful than a lion’s bite, which typically stands at 650
PSI.
The owl’s claws are actually as large and thick as a grizzly bear’s.
In fact, this species is so aggressive that bird-trainers know to be especially careful
around them.
A falconer recounts having been attacked by his domesticated owl.
The bird of prey sunk its talons around his midriff area and completely paralyzed him
with pain.
That being said, the Eurasian eagle owl can be incredibly friendly to its trainer but
viciously violent when dealing with strangers.
Number 6: Harpy eagle With an impressive wingspan of up to 6.5 feet,
and talons that can reach the 4-inch mark, the harpy eagle is an incredibly dangerous
predator.
To put things into perspective, it owns talons that rival claws owned by the heaviest bear
species.
Female harpy eagles tend to be twice as large as their male counterparts.
Though the size of the harpy eagle varies depending on the subspecies, this bird of
prey regularly hunts everything from sloths and baby deer to howler monkeys.
The harpy eagle is a massive bird of prey, ranging in size from 2 to 3 feet tall.
This is the average shoulder height of an adult tiger.
Its wingspan is usually as wide as an average human being is tall.
Though it owns massive wings, this bird of prey doesn’t usually travel the skies for
a long time.
It tends to fly from tree to tree, hunting its prey with precision and speed.
Since the forests it inhabits are usually dark, due to heavy foliage, the harpy eagle
possesses extraordinary sight and hearing in order to easily locate its next victim.
Number 5: Andean condor The Andean condor is a species of vulture
found exclusively in South America.
It’s considered to be the largest flying bird in the world, with a wingspan that can
stretch up to 10 feet.
That’s the same average height of a grizzly bear when it stands upright.
This bird of prey features mostly black feathers, with a string of white plumage around the
base of its neck and wings.
It’s utterly featherless on its head.
Though it mainly feeds off carrion, it’s still considered a highly dangerous vulture
if confronted.
When Andean condors are unable to find animal remains, they tend to hunt down calves and
goats.
In captivity, they’re known to be incredibly violent towards their caretakers.
In the wild, they’ll aggressively attack any unsuspecting animal or human being that
approaches the spot where they lay their eggs.
Andean condors do not build nests but protect their offspring fiercely.
These birds are entirely monogamous and mate for life, with the male partner dominating
both the female and the youngsters.
Number 4: Martial Eagle
The Martial Eagle is considered to be Africa’s largest bird of prey, with a wingspan of 8.5
feet, over a foot more than Andre the Giant’s height.
This eagle is recognizable due to its spotted underside.
The Martial eagle is incredibly aggressive, and it’s not a picky eater.
It has been known to eat everything from baboons to lion cubs.
In some rare cases, this bird has even preyed on large antelopes.
It’s also a threat to farmers, as the martial eagle attacks sheep and lambs frequently.
Because of this, ranchers consider it a pest and frequently attempt to shoot or poison
it.
The martial eagle's talons are so strong that it's been reported it could easily snap a
grown man’s arm.
This bird is even aggressive toward members of its own species, largely preferring to
remain solitary outside of the breeding season.
Number 3: Bearded vulture The bearded vulture, also known as lammergeier,
is a cruel-looking bird of prey.
It’s a fitting appearance as it can be incredibly dangerous.
It’s usually found all throughout Asia, Africa or Europe, and weighs up to 17 pounds.
That’s as heavy as a regular-sized Dachshund, or Weiner dog.
What makes the bearded vulture so dangerous is the way it hunts down its prey.
Instead of attacking head-on, it tends to pick up heavy rocks and fly high into the
air.
Then, when it spots the proper victim, it releases the stone, lethally harming its prey.
When it detects a tortoise, it picks it up with its strong talons and throws it from
a great height, just like it would a rock, in order to crack its shell.
Since this particular species of vulture isn’t known to consume rotting flesh, it resorts
to this method of hunting rather than merely scavenging other animals’ leftovers.
Human beings unwittingly walking underneath a flying bearded vulture might be hit by a
falling tortoise or rock, which may seriously injure them.
Number 2: Lappet-faced vulture Inhabiting the harsh African savannahs and
Arabian deserts, the lappet-faced vulture is as large as most American condors.
It’s a massive bird of prey, weighing up to 31 pounds.
That’s as heavy as a small border collie.
Its beak is sharp and powerful, usually larger than that of other vulture species.
This is due to the fact that it rarely feeds on carrion, but instead prefers hunting down
its prey.
The lappet-faced vulture will go after gazelles, antelopes as well as flamingos.
It also regularly steals other birds’ eggs.
When it does devour the remains of a carcass, it’s the first scavenger to feed on the
corpse.
If any other animals attempt to get close before it's done with the meal, it violently
attacks them.
This behavior is effective at keeping jackals and smaller vultures away.
The lappet-faced vulture takes advantage of its size and strength to dive and snatch its
unwitting prey from the ground.
The force of the impact usually kills the smaller animal on the spot.
If not, this massive vulture rips it apart with its sharp talons.
Number 1: Peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon isn’t considered deadly
due to the strength of its talons, but rather, the astonishing speeds it can reach.
It’s a bird of prey that dives to pluck its prey from the ground and at times, even
in mid-air.
It’s not unusual for the peregrine falcon to snatch a pigeon mid-flight.
The peregrine falcon can move at speeds of close to 200 mph.
That’s actually as fast as a Lamborghini Gallardo, or the TGV, France’s high-speed
train.
Even the cheetah pales in comparison to this small bird of prey, as it can only chase its
prey at 53 mph.
Being struck at such speeds would cause significant harm to a human being, even if they’re several
times larger than the falcon.
Thanks for watching!
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