BIRDS OF PREY

BALD EAGLE -  
Named because the 
white feathers made it look bald.

Birds of Prey were always admired for their majestic power and dashing skill. Kings used to hunt with falcons and eagles. It used to be a privileged sport for kings and royalties, for centuries.  Especially in the Middle East and Asia it was wide spread amongst the elite.

During the 19^th century their hunting skills brought them in conflict with gamekeeper of sporting estates. During this time many birds were shot and the number of species was reduced.

Birds of Prey are a good indicator of the quality and quantity of surrounding animals. If the Birds of Prey are thriving all the animals right down the food chain are healthy and multiplying.

All flesh-eating Birds of Prey belong to the Falconifomes, apart from owls. Within these species are vultures, hawks, harriers, kites, eagles, falcons and caracaras.  There are 275 species world-wide. The osprey and secretary birds with their distinction have a separate
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Birds of Prey have mostly the distinguished features of hooked beaks and claws called talons. The talons are necessary for holding their prey or tearing the flesh.  Amongst these 275 species is a great variation from the huge sea eagles and harpy eagles which are capable of carrying off prey as big as a deer to the tiny insect-feeding falconets which are no bigger than a starling.

Most of the birds of prey are meat eaters but some also catch fish and eat them. Very unusual is the Honey-buzzards and secretive woodland birds. They can track down and dig out the nests of bees and wasps.  They will eat the larvae and adult insects as well as slurp out the honey.

HONEY BUZZARD

The African grasshopper buzzard-eagle follows fire on the Savannah. It catches the fleeing grasshoppers and insects.

BUZZARD EAGLE

Kites living in South America have a taste for snails.  Their talons hook out the snails from their housing.

The bat-hawk living in Africa a South-East Asia hunts bats in the evening light

BAT HAWKS

Migration

A magnificent sight for birdwatchers and scientists are various spots around the world where birds of prey gather for the annual migration. Especially scientists have the chance to tag hawks, eagles, falcons and vultures to collect data of their routes and life. Kites, honey buzzards and Eleanora’s falcons gather at the Bosporus Straits in Turkey.

Red-tailed, broad-winged and harp shinned hawks gather by the thousands at Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania.

At Eilat in Israel the honey buzzards have their meeting places.

Over 300,000 birds of prey flying over the Isthmus of Panama every year.

Magnificent Eagles

Eagles will be always admired for their powerful built and majestic look. They are great hunters and fly over the wildest and remote parts on earth.

GOLDEN EAGLE

Golden Eagles live in the northern hemisphere in mountainous regions. It feeds on hares and medium sized mammals and birds. During the winter months it often feeds on carrion. It has great eyesight and can spot a prey from a long distance. It can often been watched flying high above the ground. When it spots a prey it swoops down and pounce it to the ground. Grouse starts flying when they spot an eagle.

SEA EAGLE

Sea Eagles are even larger than the golden eagle.  They are mostly solitary through the year. At the time when salmon are spawning in some in the Pacific Coast Rivers in the autumn the sea eagles are there in large numbers and feed on dying salmons.  Se eagles have huge hooked bills but in spite of it feed often on carrions. They use their great weapon of huge bills, talons and great strength to tear the carcass of dead animals apart. However, at courtship they display an incredible flight often upside down in the air gripping the talons of the bird above. The sea eagle is known for mating for life.

Eagles build large nest at the top of a tree or remote inaccessible crags.  They build their nest with large sticks and branches which they line with smaller sticks and grass.  The pair adds more material to the nest each year.  Older nests are large and reach over one metre in depth.  They can have up to three chicks but mostly the eldest chicks survives

HARPY EAGLE

South American harpy eagles are another species of the larger birds of prey. They measure up to 110cm from bill to tail. It flies and dives through the dense jungle canopy to catch monkeys, sloths and other animals with its enormous feet.

PHILIPPINE EAGLE

Philippine Eagles are another huge species and have the same hunting techniques. These beautiful birds have black and golden crest and deep bills.  They are hunting monkeys and flying lemurs. Today it is an endangered species and only a few hundred still exist in the wild. It is due to the loss of the habitat which is the rainforest.

PEREGRINE FALCON

Although grim to watch the peregrine falcon it’s dramatic and spectacular hunt. A high-speed but graceful dive to its prey makes the peregrine falcon the most lethal killer in nature.

High above the ground the peregrine falcon circles and then in a cloud of feather it attacks another bird. When it falls to the ground it soon dives and picks it up in powerful talons to carry it away.

There are several different species of birds of prey which would attack other birds. The peregrine falcon is one of few hunting in open country sites. The disadvantage is the victim can see the falcon coming. To prevent missing its prey the bird developed a unique hunting style.

It rises to a great height and circles there until a bird flies within its range. The falcon’s prey such as pigeons, waders and ducks has a good all-round vision and look around for danger all the time. It is almost impossible for to see since only a very small spot up in the sky gliding slowly around.

It can happen that the bird is so high that it isn’t visible at all. They are not invisible to other falcons because the falcon has an incredible sharp eye sight. Scientist discover that part of the eye even magnifies is six-fold. This enables the peregrine to look down like through binoculars but their prey don’t see them at all.

The bird chooses its prey with care. For example, to attack a pigeons which flies over forests would be useless because the pigeon would dive under the branches and therefore lost the falcon. It chooses a bird flying over open countrysides. When it discovers a possible prey it speeds up. The falcon is very well adapted and its wings are long and pointed at the end. This enables the falcon to fly very fast and catches up with it victim. Of course, its prey will spot it by now and speed up. The falcon rises above it and when it is almost above the hunted bird it launched the final and fatal attack.

It dives head-on into the other bird, dives past it and strike the victim with its sharp talons of its muscular feet. It has not been established the speed it has when it dives. It is assumed it cold be about240km/h when it strikes. Most of the times the blow is so strong the other bird is dead. Sometimes the falcon catches the prey straight away and sometime it dives past it and catches the dead or injured bird as it falls down. It also could happen that the hunted bird dodges its killer and there would be an aerial display of chasing. This is very rare because once the falcon comes so close there won’t be a lot of chances left.

Although the whole scene looks easy and skilful but in reality it does take a lot of judging and efforts. Even at the end to catch the dead bird takes a lot of strength. If the falcon misjudges both would fall to the ground and the falcon could be injured.

BREEDING

Due to their habit of hunting over open ground they have a problem to find a safe nesting place. If possible they nest on crags or sea cliffs on selected edges and if possible still with and overhang. To prevent climbers to reach their nests.  It had been seen that peregrine falcon were nesting on tall city buildings. 

However, the moment they have chosen their nesting sites they will come back to it years after year. If one adult died the bird left will stay at the nesting site and wait until another bird will join it which is mostly a younger bird ready to breed for the first time. This will result into that the two birds are of a different age and one more experienced.

Peregrine falcons do either take over old nests from ravens or buzzards or just make a hollow into earth. The female lays three or four reddish, mottled eggs. She sits mostly on the nest which is about 31 days.  If she leaves, the male takes over. When the eggs are hatched the male will supply the food for the whole family. The old law of nature applies if they are not enough food the young ones will die. When the time comes that the adults can safely leave the nest they both go hunting for food. After they leave the nest the adult still care for them for about two months. During this time they learn how to hunt. At the end of late summer will they leave altogether?

To hunt successfully requires experience. Many young falcons have a hard time. It is thought that at least half of them die of hunger or get killed by predators before they are a year old. A quarter of the survivors die in the following year. They also have to be at least two years old to breed and hunt successfully to support a family.

HAND REARED

Peregrine falcons are hand reared for Falconry. A peregrine is usually bred in captivity an d hand-reared for a bout ten days. Then they are returned to their natural parents. Peregrines make perfect parents. If the bird doesn't get returned to its parents and stays with its "carer" long it is hard to trains for falconry. The reason is the bird demands food constantly and therefore not possible to train.