History Main / NobleBirdOfPrey

If they appear in a {{Funny Animal}}s setting you can expect them to be among the most badass members of the cast and with a fearsome reputation. In a world with only humans, they may appear with the real world usage of heraldry or perhaps utilized by a WarriorPrince as a CoolPet. Two-headed eagles, historically the symbol of several historical empires, are particularly associated with heraldry, empires and royalty.

* The redesigned Rito from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' seem to be this.

** Braviary, an eagle Pokémon with feathers in the color of the American flag, takes to this trope more than any other Pokémon. It's referred to as "the hero of the sky", fights for its friends without any thought of its own safety, and the more scars it has, the more respect it gets from its peers.
** Among the regional birds, there are two notable aversions -- Unova's Unfezant is based on a galliform rather than a raptor and, compared to birds like Pidgeot and Swellow, its claws and beak are diminished and pathetic. Instead, the Pokédex entries focus on its beauty and loyalty to its trainer, as opposed to its prowess as a predator (Unova's raptor niche belongs to the aforementioned Braviary and its counterpart [[CirclingVultures Mandibuzz]]). Alola, meanwhile, has Toucannon, which as its name suggests is based on a toucan and explicitly stated to be a frugivore.

* Washimi from ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}'' is a [[SeldomSeenSpecies secretary bird]] who is the company's president's [[VisualPun secretary]] and one of Retsuko's best friends. Sure, she (like anyone else at the office) can get on Retsuko's nerves at times, but when all is said and done, the two are great friends. It's also implied that since the president is so incompetent, she's running the show for him, meaning that the most powerful person in the company is on Retsuko's side!

* ''Fanfic/PrehistoricParkReimagined'': Whilst many birds of prey appear, Hannibal and Imilce the argentavis are the straightest examples of this, in a rare ''vulture'' example. Whilst they are fierce and menacing, they are portrayed in a sympathetic light, with Hannibal bonding with Collete Dubois and playing a heroic role in the Phase One finale.

* Subverted by painting ''Hyökkäys'' ([[https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hy%C3%B6kk%C3%A4ys The Assault]]) by Finnish artist Edvard Isto. The two-headed eagle has attacked Maiden Finland, attempting to wrench the Book of Law off her hands. The painting was made in protest of Czar bypassing both the Finnish and Russian laws and stating illicit ukases on Russification policy in Finland.

* A white eagle is often used as a nationalist symbol of Poland. The fact that it's depicted with [[GoldAndWhiteAreDivine white feathers, gold claws,]] [[GoldColoredSuperiority a gold beak,]] and [[CoolCrown wearing a gold crown]] takes this trope UpToEleven.

Compare DivineBirds. Contrast FeatheredFiend and BrutalBirdOfPrey for more atrocious avians. See GiantFlyer for enormous birds. It should also be noted that, while [[OminousOwl owls]] and [[VileVulture vultures]] are also considered birds of prey, they usually have different connotations in fiction. Only add examples pertaining to them here if they fit the "noble, majestic, badass hero" stereotype. See AmericanEagle for a specific kind of bird often portrayed this way. Compare DovesMeanPeace.

Few animals radiate the strength and majesty of birds of prey. They're fast, powerful and look intense, netting them a spot right at the top of both the food chain and the minds of people worldwide. From Roman symbols through medieval heraldry right to the forefront of [[{{Eagleland}} American cultural symbols]], they have almost always had a proud and noble reputation. Whether a character in their own right or a symbol of the strength of another, raptors are not to be sneered at.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Rainbow Dash is looking for the coolest pet, i.e. the best, most majestic, most awesome, etc. She is presented with the possibility of having a falcon or an eagle as her pet, and indeed both make it to the final competition -- a race through Ghastly Gorge. [[spoiler:The falcon wins the race, but Rainbow's ExactWords dictated that whichever one crossed the finish line WITH HER would become her pet. Since Tank the tortoise was the only one to stop and help her after she was trapped by an avalanche, the falcon rather gracefully concedes defeat, even shaking Tank's hand.]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'' episode "The Forest of Magi Oar" GiantFlyer Viragor is atypically depicted as an ignoble, territorial monster, haunting the [[TheLostWoods titular forest]], antagonizing travellers and the forest's protectors the Wood Forgers. [[spoiler:Later it's revealed that ''he'' is the forests' ancient protector, while the wood forgers are opportunistic industrialists.]]

* ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' has two adventures, ''Literature/TempleOfTerror'' and ''Literature/ReturnToFiretopMountain'', involving the hero hitching a ride on the back of a noble giant eagle, which then carries them to their next adventure. But as the books take place in a world where EverythingIsTryingToKillYou, both adventures have the eagles being attacked by airborne predators, respectively a Pterodactyl and a harpy, mid-journey.

* A few Franchise/{{Transformers}} have bird of prey alt modes. It's more prevalent in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin for obvious reasons]]. Silverbolt stands out as being equal parts eagle and [[NobleWolf wolf]].

* This was why the bald eagle was selected to be the national bird of the United States of America. The Founders were conscious of the Roman symbolism of eagles, and further believed that the eagle's fierce expression was a representation of power and nobility. As for why the ''bald'' eagle specifically, that species is distinctively American (it lives only in North America).[[note]]The golden eagle -- the bird that inspired the European usage of the symbol -- is also indigenous to the Americas: it shows up across North America and is even the national bird of Mexico (the eagle on the Mexican flag is a golden eagle). However, neither the golden eagle nor any other species of eagle is uniquely North American; the golden eagle is of course found in Eurasia, and the various species of tropical eagles found in Mexico all have ranges extending well into South America.[[/note]]

Compare DivineBirds. Contrast FeatheredFiend and BrutalBirdOfPrey for more atrocious avians. See GiantFlyer for enormous birds. It should also be noted that, while [[OminousOwl owls]] and [[CirclingVultures vultures]] are also considered birds of prey, they usually have different connotations in fiction. Only add examples pertaining to them here if they fit the "noble, majestic, badass hero" stereotype. See AmericanEagle for a specific kind of bird often portrayed this way. Compare DovesMeanPeace.

* Myth/AztecMythology: The Aztecs supposedly found the perfect place to build Tenochtitlan when they saw an eagle clutching a snake perched atop a cactus. The eagle was a symbol of Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec war god and chief deity, so it was taken to mean that Huitzilopochtli had blessed them to settle the area.

* ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'': Gyrnaught in ''The Moment of the Magician'' is a dark version of this, being a powerful and arrogant black eagle. Who Tom-Jon realises is the living embodiment of [[PuttingOnTheReich a certain black eagle symbol]] from his own world's history.

See FeatheredFiend and BrutalBirdOfPrey for more atrocious avians and GiantFlyer for enormous birds. It should also be noted that, while [[OminousOwl owls]] and [[CirclingVultures vultures]] are also considered birds of prey, they usually have different connotations in fiction. Only add examples pertaining to them here if they fit the "noble, majestic, badass hero" stereotype. See AmericanEagle for a specific kind of bird often portrayed this way. Compare DovesMeanPeace.

%% Image replaced per Image Pickin thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1607775129082913400
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[[quoteright:350:[[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/un_ultimo_saluto_colore_small.jpg]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:350:[[https://www.ivancavini.com/portfolio/dark-knight/ "The Last Goodbye"]] by Ivan Cavini. Used with permission.]]-]

* Hawkmon from ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' qualifies as this, being a heroic, well-mannered hawk Digimon who is a partner of the heroic digi-destined.
* Generally, all Bird-type Pokemon Ash and his companions manage to capture in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''. Pidgeotto is a obvious case. It introduced itself trying to eat Caterpie (as expected from a hungry bird), though as soon as it was captured, it became a loyal battler and friend for Ash's group.
* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Griffith, "The White Hawk", is the legendary commander of the mercenary band known as The Band of the Hawk - a LongHairedPrettyBoy who wears a masked helmet shaped like a bird's beak, he has an almost supernatural air of nobility about him which inspires his men to UndyingLoyalty. Later in the series he picks up a FeatherMotif, and his charisma grows to the point where [[CrystalDragonJesus the Church starts to consider that he may be their Messiah figure, the Hawk of Light]]. Unfortunately for them, he's actually [[TheAntichrist the other guy]].
** While most translations of the series render it as "hawk", the Japanese word ''taka'' also includes falcons. In a combination of LostInTranslation and LuckyTranslation, ''taka'' is increasingly replaced by [[GratuitousEnglish the English word "falcon"]] as Griffith shows more of his true self, including his cruelty and desire to reach greater heights (both traits associated with falcons over hawks). By contrast [[TheHero Guts]], one of the last survivors of the Band of the Hawk, is a tough, scrappy fighter whose [[SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious Brand of Sacrifice]] forces him to become increasingly vigilant against danger (both traits associated with hawks over falcons).
* Washimi from ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}'' is a [[SeldomSeenSpecies secretary bird]] who is the company's president's [[VisualPun secretary]] and one of Retsuko's best friends. Sure, she (like anyone else at the office) can get on Retsuko's nerves at times, but when all is said and done, the two are great friends. It's also implied that since the president is so incompetent, she's running the show for him, meaning that the most powerful person in the company is on Retsuko's side!
* Pell the Falcon from ''Manga/OnePiece'' is one of the two head guards of the kingdom of Alabasta. He's a stern, noble protector who acts as a parental figure for Princess Vivi, and is willing to selflessly sacrifice himself without a hint of hesitation to protect his home from those who desire to harm it. His epithet comes from the fact he ate the Tori Tori no Mi: Model Falcon devil fruit, thus allowing him to transform from human form into either a anthropomorphic falcon-man or a man-sized falcon at will.

* Parvarotti, [[Series/{{Glee}} Blaine's]] [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Dragon Hawk]] in ''Fanfic/SolarWinds'' instills fear in all who dare come near--except for Blaine, who treats him like one of his best friends. Parvarotti is a messenger hawk and is fiercely protective of Blaine.

* In ''Film/TheMummyReturns'', Ardeth Bey has a [[InstantMessengerPigeon messenger-falcon]] named ''[[Myth/EgyptianMythology Horus]]''.
* In ''Film/AfterEarth'', there is an eagle. A [[GiantFlyer gigantic eagle.]] It is large enough to [[KidnappingBirdOfPrey carry off a teenage boy,]] and is [[MamaBear incredibly protective of its offspring]].
* In ''Film/{{Ladyhawke}}'', the [[Creator/MichellePfeiffer heroine]] is in the shape of a hawk from dawn to dusk, resulting in many shots of a majestic redtailed hawk riding on Creator/RutgerHauer's glove.

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': The Animorphs use bird morphs as their primary means of travel, and favor raptorial birds for being better able to defend themselves -- most notably, Rachel takes the form of a bald eagle. Then ther's Tobias, who is now a red-tailed hawk in his [[ShapeshifterModeLock natural form]]. Further played with in the David Trilogy, where the SixthRanger David chooses a golden eagle as his first morph, a bird easily larger and more dangerous than any other the kids have morphed so far, with the exception of Rachel's bald eagle.

* In Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium, a flock of giant eagles are the messengers of Manwe. Being possibly Maiar would make them immortal, and at least one of them (Gwaihir) was listed as being alive in both the First and Third Ages, thousands of years apart. In their appearance in ''Literature/TheHobbit'', they apparently take great pleasure in messing with Goblins' and Worgs' evil plans and later join the Dwarves, Men and Elves in fighting them at the Battle of the Five Armies. At the end, the Lord of the Eagles (who may or may not be Gwaihir) was described as becoming the King of All Birds and being given a share of Smaug's treasure, including a crown.

%%* Chil the kite from ''Literature/TheJungleBook'', who serves as a messenger for Mowgli and others.

* ''Franchise/StarTrek'': Both the Romulans and [[ProudWarriorRace Klingons]] have warships referred to as Birds-of-Prey or Warbirds. The Klingon and Romulan Birds-of-Prey are fairly small, but boast considerable firepower that makes each one a PintSizedPowerhouse; the Romulan ''D'Deridex''-class Warbird, on the other hand, is massive enough to dwarf a ''Galaxy''-class starship like the ''Enterprise''-D. The Romulans are also associated with eagles, likely due to the parallels with the Roman Empire.

* ''Series/TheBorgias'' also has a misplaced Harris hawk, being carried by Caterina Sforza, a LadyOfWar.
* In ''Series/TheTenthKingdom'', the [[ImplacableMan Huntsman tracking the main characters]] sports a magical crossbow with a falcon's head that issues corresponding calls when "ready to go" and shoots ''homing''' arrows.
* In ''Series/TheAquabatsSuperShow'', Eaglebones Falconhawk gains the power to summon a magical invisible hawk named The Dude.

* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' has Clan Jade Falcon, one of the most aggressive Clans in the Inner Sphere, they later have bird themed mechs like the Jade Hawk. They like to think of themselves as being noble, but they're one of the worst Clans when it comes to hypocrisy regarding honor (they're very prone to bending the rules every chance they get but throw a fit at the slightest appearance of impropriety from anyone else) and in the Dark Age they adopt the so-called Mongol Doctrine, which is basically "use overwhelming force against all opponents and make sure to kill civilians."
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
** Giant eagles are NeutralGood creatures who serve as guardians and protectors for their mountain homes and the creatures that live there.
** Abadar, the LawfulNeutral god of law and civilization, is strongly associated with eagles and giant eagles, especially the two-headed kind, and with part-eagle creatures such as [[OurGryphonsAreDifferent griffons and hippogriffs]]. He himself sometimes takes the form of a two-headed eagle to watch over his followers.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
** Hunters can tame eagles as pets. They come with the racial ability Snatch, which damages and disarms targets for six seconds, very handy for fighting humanoids and other weapon-wielding foes, and even some raid bosses.
** Druids have the ability to turn into Storm Crows (except Trolls, who turn into bats instead).

%%* ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'': The [[RocketsMissilesAndGrenadeLaunchers rocket-wielding]] Benedict, who's [[BirdPeople a Hawk alien]].%%Noble how?
* ''VideoGame/AviaryAttorney'': The only bird of prey, Jayjay Falcon, can be extremely noble, or not, depending on the choices the player has. As a predatory species he's expected to have a degree of ambition and bloodlust, as well as keen foresight.

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** Auri-El is the [[OurElvesAreDifferent Aldmeri (Elven)]] aspect of Akatosh, the [[DragonsAreDivine draconic]] God of Time and [[TopGod chief deity]] of the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Aedric Divine]] pantheon. As Auri-El, he takes the form of a majestic golden eagle and is referred to as the "King of Gods". As such, the eagle is the AnimalMotif of the [[AntiHumanAlliance Aldmeri Dominion]], showing up in everything from their sigils and banners to their very weapons and armor.
** Similarly, Kyne, the old [[HornyVikings Nordic]] aspect of Kynareth, the Aedric Divine Goddess of the Air and Heavens, is associated with and often represented by a hawk.
* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'': Mighty Eagle, the strongest of all the birds, is described as the wise and valiant BigGood of the flock.
* The redesigned Rito from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' seem to be this.
* Captain Falcon and his [[CoolCar hovercar]], the Blue Falcon, from the ''VideoGame/FZero'' series.
* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', Sveta claims that the colossal, vulture-like Mountain Roc is a noble symbol of the kingdom of Morgal, and it would be sacrilege to pluck its feathers for a flying machine per the protagonists' mission. [[spoiler: It's possible that Sveta is bluffing, as she knows the Roc's gizzard stone is the Magma Orb needed to power [[ArtifactOfDoom Luna Tower]] and so wants our heroes to stay away from it altogether.]]
* ''VideoGame/GameAndWatch'': The Condor of ''Climber'' that carries you to new areas should you reach it. Sometimes you have to catch a sword to chase away a dragon first.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Rainbow Dash is looking for the coolest pet, i.e. the best, most majestic, most awesome, etc. She is presented with the possibility of having a falcon or an eagle as her pet, and indeed both make it to the final competition -- a race through Ghastly Gorge. [[spoiler:The falcon wins the race, but Rainbow's ExactWords dictated that whichever one crossed the finish line WITH HER would become her pet. Since Tank the tortoise was the only one to stop and help her after she was trapped by an avalanche, the falcon rather gracefully concedes defeat, even shaking Tank's hand.]]
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/IvanhoeTheKingsKnight'' features the imprisoned Richard proving himself alive by sending the royal medallion to England via a big, badass eagle!

* This was why the bald eagle was selected to be the national bird of the United States of America. The Founders were conscious of the Roman symbolism of eagles, and further believed that the eagle's fierce expression was a representation of power and nobility. As for why the ''bald'' eagle specifically, that species is distinctively American (it lives only in North America).[[note]]The golden eagle--the bird that inspired the European usage of the symbol--is also indigenous to the Americas: it shows up across North America and is even the national bird of Mexico (the eagle on the Mexican flag is a golden eagle). However, neither the golden eagle nor any other species of eagle is uniquely North American; the golden eagle is of course found in Eurasia, and the various species of tropical eagles found in Mexico all have ranges extending well into South America.[[/note]]

* ''Fanfic/PrehistoricParkReimagined'': Hannibal and Imilce the argentavis prove a rare ''vulture'' example of this trope by virtue of being surprisingly easy to work with during their new lives as residents of the titular zoo (with the former even forming a strong bond with park security guard Colette), noticeably contrasting them from the considerably more [[BrutalBirdOfPrey aggressive and pugnacious]] [[VileVulture teratornis duo]] Rocco and Laverne.

See FeatheredFiend and BrutalBirdOfPrey for more atrocious avians and GiantFlyer for enormous birds. It should also be noted that, while [[OminousOwl owls]] and [[CirclingVultures vultures]] are also considered birds of prey, they usually have different connotations in fiction. Only add examples pertaining to them here if they fit the "noble, majestic, badass hero" stereotype. See AmericanEagle for a specific kind of bird often portrayed this way.

* Gyrnaught in ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'' is a dark version of this, being a powerful and arrogant black eagle. Who Tom-Jon realises is the living embodiment of [[PuttingOnTheReich a certain black eagle symbol]] from his own world's history.

** In ''Literature/LordsAndLadies'', Lady Jane the goshawk takes down one of TheFairFolk. The elf in question had ordered her to kill Hodgesaargh, the falconer, without realizing just how vicious and how prone to attacking the closest person available -- including her would-be falconer -- she was. She immediately went for the elf's throat.

* Washimi from ''Anime/AggressiveRetsuko'' is a [[SeldomSeenSpecies secretary bird]] who is the company's president's [[VisualPun secretary]] and one of Retsuko's best friends. Sure, she (like anyone else at the office) can get on Retsuko's nerves at times, but when all is said and done, the two are great friends. It's also implied that since the president is so incompetent, she's running the show for him, meaning that the most powerful person in the company is on Retsuko's side!

* King Skyglider from ''ComicBook/TheOthers'', a Many descended from an eagle, who serves the Enclave as TheGoodKing.