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 Birds of Prey

Many birds of prey visit Furman's campus, including vultures, hawks, ospreys and owls. No falcon, kite, or eagle species has made it to the official checklist, and none are expected to occur on campus. Falcons generally prefer more open areas not offered at Furman, while the range of common SC kites does not extend far enough to reach Greenville. While both Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles are spotted in South Carolina each year, both tend to stay closer to coast.

 
Family Cathartidae (Vultures)
   
    Turkey Vulture		 Vultures are primarily scavengers that prefer to feed on carrion. They can often be seen soaring high above in search of their next meal. Of the two species of vulture that inhabit South Carolina, the Turkey Vulture and the Black Vulture, only the Turkey Vulture has been recorded at Furman (pictured at right). Black Vultures have been seen in the Greenville area, but are uncommon this far to the northwest.
Family Accipitridae (Hawks)

    Subfamily Accipitrinae (Bird Hawks)
        Sharp-shinned Hawk
        Cooper's Hawk

    Subfamily Buteoninae (Buzzard Hawks)
        Red-tailed Hawk
        Red-shouldered Hawk
        Broad-winged Hawk 		Of the ten or eleven species of hawk recorded on the South Carolina Bird Checklist, five have been seen at Furman. The remaining species are not expected to visit Furman, due either to their extreme rarity in the state or the lack of suitable habitat. Pictured at right is a Red-tailed Hawk.
Family Pandionidae (Ospreys)
   
     Osprey 		Click on the hyperlink at left for more detailed information on this lone osprey species of the United States. Picture Courtesy of Anne Baker. osprey.jpg (137321 bytes)
Family Strigidae (Owls)

   Great Horned Owl
   Eastern Screech Owl

 

 

 Two owl species has been recorded on Furman's campus: the Great Horned Owl and the Eastern Screech Owl. One other owl species, the Barred Owl (pictured at right), has been seen and heard at Lake Conestee Nature Park, about 5 miles south of Greenville on the Reedy River.
 

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