AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Falcon bird of prey8/18/2023 ![]() ![]() Feeding primarily on airborne birds such as pigeons and doves, songbirds, waterfowl and even corvids, the Peregrine falcon is one of the world's most spectacular and efficient aerial hunters. Peregrine falcons are found primarily in Wales, southern Scotland and northwest England, but their numbers are slowly climbing throughout much of the UK. Its compact, slim and aerodynamic body has inspired aircraft design, and is especially impressive for allowing the bird to control flight in high winds and turbulent conditions. Widely regarded as the fastest animal on the planet, the Peregrine falcon can dive at an incredible speed of 200mph. Their yellow feet are almost completely covered in feathers. They have a white stripe across the tail and white patches towards the end of each wing. Golden eagles are primarily darkish brown, but their neck and nape are more of a copper-gold, hence ‘Golden’ eagle. These mighty eagles have wingspans exceeding 2m and are around 75 to 88cm long. ![]() Some studies suggest that Golden eagles are faster than the Peregrine falcon, which is widely touted to be the world’s fastest bird and animal. Though they can swoop from great heights at speeds exceeding 150mph, they prefer to hunt from fairly close to the ground, or even from a treetop perch. Golden eagles mate for life and often hunt cooperatively in pairs. In 2016, there were an estimated 500 breeding pairs of Golden eagles in Scotland, and their populations are gradually climbing.Īn impressive bird, the Golden eagle hunts medium and large mammals and birds, including rabbits, voles, ptarmigans and sometimes even small or baby deer. Golden eagles live in Scotland, primarily in the Highlands and on the Scottish islands, but there are plans to reintroduce them in Wales and Northern Ireland. The Golden eagle eclipses most raptors in terms of sheer size and weight. Sparrowhawks have large, bright yellow-orange eyes. They’re mostly slate-grey with light brown upperparts and wings, which also have a red-orange tinge around the breast and body. Measuring some 30 to 45cm and with a wingspan of some 50 to 80cm, Sparrowhawks have short, broad wings and a long tail, which aid them in manoeuvring tight corners around trees and hedgerows. For conservationists, boosting the Sparrowhawk population is a risky endeavour as they’re very efficient at hunting and killing small birds and negatively impact songbird populations. Their numbers have increased dramatically, and they’re found all throughout the UK except the Scottish Highlands, but recent surveys have shown that Sparrowhawk populations are starting to fall again. Sparrowhawk numbers crashed during the late 20th century, mainly due to poisoning from organochlorine pesticides. The female is as much as 25% bigger than the male - the size difference is so significant that females have a more diverse diet than males as they’re able to catch a wider range of prey. Small but deadly, the Sparrowhawk is a small to medium-sized bird of prey from the Accipiter family. Seeing groups of 5 to 20 Red kites encircling carrion is not uncommon. While they do hunt small mammals, Red kites generally prefer to take carrion by hovering and swooping in to grasp it with their talons. They have a white-brown head and a large, hooked bill. ![]() Red kites are exceptionally large birds, measuring some 60 to 70cm on average with a wingspan of 175 to 185cm, and have a reddish-brown body and broad, white-tipped wings and large forked tail. These graceful, imposing raptors are now a common sight over both urban and rural areas. For example, in 1990, 13 Red kites were released in the Chilterns, and as of 2020, there are probably some 4,000 breeding pairs. They were reintroduced to the Chilterns, East Midlands, Yorkshire and other parts of northern England throughout the 1990s and are now thriving across virtually all of the UK. In much of the 20th century, Red kites were heavily persecuted for their eggs and became confined to small parts of Wales. Famed for their graceful hovering flight and playful and gregarious nature, Red kites are a conservation success story. Red kites are the UK’s largest common birds of prey, with an impressive wingspan of 175 to 185cm. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |