Birds of Prey (Smith novel) Birds of Prey (Smith novel) Birds of Prey is a 1997 novel by Wilbur Smith set in the late 17th century. The novel was the first in the third sequence of the Courtney series of novels, and as of 2013 was chronologically the first in the entire series. Smith says the book established the characteristics of the family: "Right from "Birds of Prey"... the Courtneys were pirates, merchants, looking to seize the main chance. They were very much driven by monetary considerations. But with the Ballantynes it was much more empire, patriotism, glory – the soldierly virtues." In 1667 Holland
Bird of prey "Accipitres", subdividing this into four genera: "Vultur" (vultures), "Falco" (eagles, hawks, falcons, etc.), "Strix" (owls), and "Lanius" (shrikes). This approach was followed by subsequent authors such as Gmelin, Latham, and Turnton. Louis Pierre Veillot used additional ranks: order, tribe, family, genus, species. Birds of prey (order Accipitres) were divided into diurnal and nocturnal tribes; the owls remained monogeneric (family Ægolii, genus "Strix"), whilst the diurnal raptors were divided into three families: Vulturini, Gypaëti, and Accipitrini. Thus Veillot's families were similar to the Linnaean genera, with the difference that shrikes were no longer included amongst the birds of prey. In addition