Eagle Owl prey (1 Viewer)

[JMikeB]

I watched a news clip the other night about Fox hunters bending and breaking the rules. One tactic employed was to have a guy along with an Eagle Owl - apparently it is legal to use hounds to flush Foxes for a bird of prey. In this instance I gathered the Owl had never actually been used due to "accidents" where the hounds caught the Foxes.

Are Eagle Owls capable of killing Foxes (Red) and has this been observed in the wild rather than contrived situations for hunting? Also what other unusual prey items have been observed being taken by Eagle Owls?

Cheers

 

[martinf]

Eagle owls can take adult foxes and can also take Roe deer fawns. There are records in Italy of them taking incubating black kites from nests. I imagine most prey is smaller, consisting of rabbits etc.

 

[London Birder]

young foxes, crows, hares, small deer, rabbits, other owls, falcons, hawks and probably small children

 

[jurek]

Cows, horses, people, politicians, lawyers... Well not.

Eagle Owl can kill adult fox, but typical prey is much smaller. In Poland it is often voles. It is improbably elastic in food choice and will feed on anything which is common locally - from mice to carp to pigeons to buzzards.

 

[London Birder]

Cows, horses, people, politicians, lawyers... Well not.

Eagle Owl can kill adult fox, but typical prey is much smaller. In Poland it is often voles. It is improbably elastic in food choice and will feed on anything which is common locally - from mice to carp to pigeons to buzzards.

lol ... the idea of an Eagle Owl sailing off into the wide blue yonder with George Bush in it's talons tickled me no end

 

[salty]

i heard a scary story about a bird ringer in europe who actually died as a result of being attacked from an adult eagle owl, while trying to ring it's chicks.

ok, he wasnt actually prey, but it shows you what damage they could do!

 

[London Birder]

not sure I'd even wanna pull a chick out of the bag...

 

[JMikeB]

So in summary they are nice, quiet, gentle sorts of birds who wouldn't harm a feather on a Canary!

Thanks for the input everyone - looking forward to the BBC programme in November.

I think Salty should catch one and place some nice photographs in the database...

 

[salty]

So in summary they are nice, quiet, gentle sorts of birds who wouldn't harm a feather on a Canary!

Thanks for the input everyone - looking forward to the BBC programme in November.

I think Salty should catch one and place some nice photographs in the database...

i'll have some pictures in the spring time. watch this space.

 

[scuba0095]

yeah they can kill foxes very easy! lol aprently i dont think theirs a flying bird out there that a eagle owl wont kill and eat. They really are the monsters of the night lol

 

[DSpeight]

I wonder if it has actually been observed in hunting? I've read the reports in the papers, but no-one actually quotes which hunts are doing it. As the hunting ban came in in spring, it would be interesting to understand how quickly the skills to fly the Owl were learned.

I would also imagine that the owl handler would have his work cut out to ride a horse, jump fences, (requires both hands) direct the owl at the fox and ensure that it avoids the hounds.

Perhaps someone reliable (i.e. not journalists) has witnessed this??

David S

 

[salty]

I wonder if it has actually been observed in hunting? I've read the reports in the papers, but no-one actually quotes which hunts are doing it. As the hunting ban came in in spring, it would be interesting to understand how quickly the skills to fly the Owl were learned.

I would also imagine that the owl handler would have his work cut out to ride a horse, jump fences, (requires both hands) direct the owl at the fox and ensure that it avoids the hounds.

Perhaps someone reliable (i.e. not journalists) has witnessed this??

David S

i doubt this would work!

the fox hunters must think were all stupid to believe they can pull this off.

 

[saluki]

i doubt this would work!

the fox hunters must think were all stupid to believe they can pull this off.

It's a ploy to allow foxhunters to use more than two dogs to flush the fox. They're don't think anyone's stupid - they simple want to carry on with their way of life. If someone ordered you to stop birdwatching Salty, what would you do?

saluki

 

[Brenty]

It's a ploy to allow foxhunters to use more than two dogs to flush the fox. They're don't think anyone's stupid - they simple want to carry on with their way of life. If someone ordered you to stop birdwatching Salty, what would you do?

saluki

Stop being an apologist for fox hunters. Way of life my ****. I'm sure Dr Shipman wanted to continue his way of life. Should we have let him?

No animal is ripped to bits for fun in birdwatching how on earth can you make such a comparison?

 

[the bird]

It's a ploy to allow foxhunters to use more than two dogs to flush the fox. They're don't think anyone's stupid - they simple want to carry on with their way of life. If someone ordered you to stop birdwatching Salty, what would you do?

saluki

Way of life????? - don't think so


How many city folk do you know who go fox hunting?????


and yes they think the majority of the british public is stupid - their over-inflated egos make sure of that.

Let the sods, come around my house I'll show them what its like to be on the other side of their "way of life".

:eek!:

 

[Jos Stratford]

If someone ordered you to stop birdwatching Salty, what would you do?

Never had the pleasure of seeing Salty out in the field, but I'm fairly sure his style of birding doesn't involve ripping an animal to bits for the pure pleasure of it.

Fox hunting ban was the best bit of legislation that came out of the last few years I say. And for those who say 'it can't be enforced' or 'isn't worded correctly', no problem, it can be amended and improved. The most important thing is a habit which deserved to be back in the dark ages has now been consigned to the past ...very happy for that, it was a slur on the country. And as for 'good folks losing their way of life', tough luck, send then on a psychological retraining program, then they might get a normal hobby.


Now, back to those Eagle Owls, the breeding pair on my patch feeds alost exclusively on Coots and gulls during the nesting season. No idea the rest of the year

 

[saluki]

Stop being an apologist for fox hunters. Way of life my ****. I'm sure Dr Shipman wanted to continue his way of life. Should we have let him?

No animal is ripped to bits for fun in birdwatching how on earth can you make such a comparison?

Have you ever hunted? For the hunters I know it is undoubtable a way of life.

saluki

 

[the bird]

Have you ever hunted? For the hunters I know it is undoubtable a way of life.

saluki

no I've never hunted, and do you know why - because I have certain standards in my life of which I try to adhere to - and not ripping animals a part is one of them, or maybe I should strap a firework to cats back.



I've known quite a few hunters in my time.... and low and behold the vast majority of them couldn't tell a house sparrow from a golden eagle (slight exaggeration - but I hope you get my meaning).

 

[saluki]

Never had the pleasure of seeing Salty out in the field, but I'm fairly sure his style of birding doesn't involve ripping an animal to bits for the pure pleasure of it.

Fox hunting ban was the best bit of legislation that came out of the last few years I say. And for those who say 'it can't be enforced' or 'isn't worded correctly', no problem, it can be amended and improved. The most important thing is a habit which deserved to be back in the dark ages has now been consigned to the past ...very happy for that, it was a slur on the country. And as for 'good folks losing their way of life', tough luck, send then on a psychological retraining program, then they might get a normal hobby.


Now, back to those Eagle Owls, the breeding pair on my patch feeds alost exclusively on Coots and gulls during the nesting season. No idea the rest of the year

We'll have to agree to differ Jos - most hunters I know seem more stable than some of the weirdo birders I meet!! Sullen loners with hang ups about the size of their scope . . .

The hunting ban has changed little - foxes continue to be killed by both lurchers and terriers - it's simply the organised foxhunts which have suffered.

I pressume the owls are taking Coot when they're feeding away from the water?

saluki

 

[saluki]

I've known quite a few hunters in my time.... and low and behold the vast majority of them couldn't tell a house sparrow from a golden eagle (slight exaggeration - but I hope you get my meaning).

I meet a lot of birders like that too . . . some can't tell the difference between a Kestrel and a Peregrine . . .

saluki