Unusual behaviour byPeregrine Falcon (1 Viewer)

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Nancy

Well-known member

• Jul 17, 2003

• #1

I came across the following article in another birding site and thought it might be of interest to UK birders;

""I was given recently an interesting article from the Tasmanian {southernmost island state of Australia} newspaper "The Examiner" (Wed, 18th December 2002) and the story was further corrected by a later article in another Tasmania newspaper "The Saturday Mercury" by a regular columnist Don Knowler (which I was also given but did not get the date of the article), about a Peregrine that killed a White-bellied Sea-eagle at Judgement Rocks in Bass Strait seen by 2 observers (volunteers for Wildcare) from a fishing vessel. They watched the Sea-eagle for an hour raiding the nests of Gulls along a cliff face and at the whole time being constantly harrassed by a Peregrine Falcon (reminds me recently regarding a number of raptor species in the same situation at the East Maitland Tip).Once the Sea-Eagle had enough of feeding on the Gull eggs, it spread its wings and dropped from the cliff. As the eagle manouvered its body for flight, the Peregrine swooped and hit the eagle in the neck. There was a crack and the eagle plummeted in the water. The crew headed towards the eagle, tried to revive it but it was dead. Instantly killed by the blow from the Peregrine, about quarter the size of the eagle)"".

No mention is made of the peregrine attempting to devour the eagle. My guess is that it was protecting it's convenient supply of off the shelf 'instant meals'.

Nancy

 

Richard Ford

BF Member

• Jul 17, 2003

• #2

Thats quite a story, do you know if the peregrine actually flew to a height to make a stoop on the Eagle I would have thought it would have to do this in order to hit it hard enough to kill it.
I would think it more likely that the Peregrine also had a nest nearby and was protecting that rather than the other birds and eggs. Peregrines do not eat bird’s eggs to my knowledge only other birds.

I doubt this was deliberate personally, but you never know. The Peregrine probably just got lucky (unlucky for the Eagle) and hit hard enough in the right spot to break the neck. Peregrines usually need to get up some speed from a distance to hit hard enough to kill, even with small birds.

Interesting.

Rich

 

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Nancy

Well-known member

• Jul 18, 2003

• #3

Richard, I only know what was reported. It says the Peregrine 'swooped' on the Eagle. Maybe that should have been 'stooped'.
That's all I know

Nancy

 

Gerry Hooper

Certified User

• Jul 18, 2003

• #4

Fascinating story Nancy. It reminds me of a couple of over zealous peregrines in Devon, One managed to grab a juv. Hobby out of the air, and another, even more bizzare, brought a live squirrel back to the cliff nest. The squirrel survived by climbing out the nest site and up the cliff!!
Peregrines are capable of killing a fox if it approaches their nest site.

 

Gerry Hooper

Certified User

• Jul 20, 2003

• #5

Spar' no offence taken.
I remember a documentary about Red Breasted Geese choosing to nest near Peregrines nest sites because the Falcons would repeatedly dive at foxes,and hit them with their talons, offering protection to the Geese.A few lucky strikes would injur a fox.
There was some footage of it,although obviously the Peregrine wouldn't carry the fox away!
Idon't suppose there's anyone living near any RB Geese nests that can enlighten us?

 

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Nancy

Well-known member

• Jul 20, 2003

• #6

G'day all,
I read in Brittanica.com today that Peregrines make their stoop with their talons clenched. Can anybody confirm this? I had always imagined them decending at great speed and opening the talons just as they strike, but that was, as I said, just imagination.

Nancy

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Jul 20, 2003

• #7

Don't know how they hold them during the stoop, but it is the hind toe that is used to deliver the blow. This toe is apparently highly 'elasticated', the bones can be pulled right out of position on impact as the tendons stretch, and then later the bones slot back into position after predator and prey have equalised their speed.

Michael

 

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Nancy

Well-known member

• Jul 20, 2003

• #8

Incredible! That is almost unbelievable but I suppose it is no more extraordinary than the way a pythons jaw extends to accomodate large prey or a Cormorant swallowing a fish that appears far too large to fit down its's skinny neck.
Thanks for that .......nancy

 

Nina P

Nina

• Jul 22, 2003

• #9

Dear Spar, couldn't have put it better myself, as an avid watcher of all raptors within my capabilities, that was a really interesting description, and perfectly explanatory, the problem being that the technical terminology may be offputting to others, but I am impressed with your knowledge and terminology, so if you are not getting the response, you have dumbfounded them, well done, in your knowledge and ability to impart it, Nina.

 

J

jayhunter

Well-known member

• Jul 22, 2003

• #10

So it sounds as if Brittanica.com is wrong that a Falcons talons are clenched in its stoop to strike a prey! Must read up on the subject in my Falconry book tonight. I know the Osprey hits with talons outstretched then pinches them together on either side of the fish.

 

Doug

Well-known member

• Jul 22, 2003

• #11

I should think so too, Spar - Mr. Frankis is 'The Man' IMHO.

 

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Nancy

Well-known member

• Jul 23, 2003

• #12

Hmmm, I seem to have opened up a Pandora's Box here or is it a Hornet's nest? All very techical stuff and I wonder how anybody can assertain just exactly how the Peregrine strikes when it is done at such incredibly fast speed. High speed cameras and trained Falcons I suppose.
Thanks for all that great information Spar and Michael Frankis.

Nancy

 

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Nancy

Well-known member

• Jul 24, 2003

• #13

I sometimes make 'tactless comments' after a glass or two and I'm sure lots of others do too.

N

 

Padraig

Well-known member

• Jul 26, 2003

• #14

Nancy,

There was a marvellous documentary on Peregrines on BBC this week, narrated by David Atenborough.

It did indeed show the stoop and describe it as we have seen here.

The peregrines optics are almost unbelievable. They can see their prey from 10 km away on a good day.

An analogy between the falcons and jet fighters kept being made and was most apt.

Seeing shots of peregrines training their offspring to hunt was great too.

My only hope is that we get to a stage of world affairs sooner rather than later when we can gesafely get rid ofour jet fighters and spend much more money on protecting our ecosystem, including peregrines'.

I am not naive enough to believe that that will be soon though. Unfortunately.

Regards,

Padraig.

 

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Nancy

Well-known member

• Jul 28, 2003

• #15

Padraig.
Thanks for that infomation. I hope we get that programme here in Oz soon. We can sometimes get those programmes on Satelite TV but one has to be constantly monitoring what is on and I just can't be bothered sorting it all out. Just wish I had a little inbuilt monitor that would tell me when something is coming on TV that I would like to see. The raptors have always facinated me and I have a special affinity with owls. They don't have the speed of the falcons but their ability to find prey in the dark using mostly hearing is fantastic.

Nancy