Bird-of-prey (Star Trek)
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"Bird-of-Prey" is a common name for various makes of Romulan and Klingon warship in the Star Trek fictional universe.
Ships referred to as birds-of-prey include:
- The Romulan Bird of Prey class starship, a 2260s-era fighter seen in "Balance of Terror", featuring a cloaking device and a powerful plasma-based weapon and easily identifiable by the red and yellow painting of a bird on the bottom of the hull
- The Klingon B'rel class starship, a small scout ship with a form similar to a bird and with movable 'wings'. It carries a crew of a dozen officers and enlisted crew.
- The Klingon K'Vort class starship, a large cruiser similar in appearance to the B'rel, but with a greater crew complement (about forty).
The use of the term with respect to Klingon ships was in itself an error by the writers, who changed the enemies in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock from Romulans to Klingons without updating the dialog. However, the term still makes some sense, as the Romulans and Klingons were once allies and frequently shared technology.
The Boeing Bird of Prey, which bears a resemblance to the Star Trek spacecraft, also took its name from the fictional series. Interestingly, the Boeing aircraft was used to test stealth and (potentially) active camouflage technologies.