the.com/bird of prey

means A bird that hunts and kills other animals for food, using sharp talons and a hooked beak as its primary tools — think hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls.

from Straightforward compound English: 'bird' from Old English 'bridd,' and 'prey' from Old French 'preie,' tracing back to Latin 'praeda' meaning plunder or booty (the same root gives us 'predator' and 'depredation'). So the phrase is almost tautological in its honesty — a bird whose business is booty, no euphemism required.