Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2009 19:38:50 GMT -1
Now, I have noticed that quite a few of you like Birds of Prey, so, this is a copy of a post I did for another forum after a request - hope some find it of use?
I am also not sure how much use it will, but Ill see what I can do?! I am just going to cover Hawks and Falcons for now, I will leave owls out as there are quite a few and they are far harder to identify, unless you know at least some of them! I am also only going to cover the more common ones, there are other raptors in the UK, but these are few and far between. Ill start with the hawks, there are two main ones in the UK, the Sparrow Hawk and the Buzzard (Although the Buzzard is not a true hawk, its a Buteo) they fall in to that category for identification.
The buzzard is easily identified by its size and shape, it is a large brown bird with cream underparts, its wings are short and wide with "fingers" on the ends, its tail is also short and wide. They can often be seen sat on telegraph poles or fence posts or soaring high in the sky in groups sometimes numbering up to a dozen. They are primarily a carrion feeder, as their feet size is extremely small in comparison to their body, making them not very good at hunting. They are often found on freshly ploughed fields eating worms and beetles.
Common Buzzard
The sparrowhawk on the other hand is a very small agile bird and a very effective hunter, you are most likely to see one of these flash across your garden and take a dove or pigeon, or if you are lucky you will get to follow one down a country lane, where it will fly low to the ground and with minimum effort easily keep ahead of you at about 40 mph! Like all hawks they have broad rounded wings with “fingers” at the end, although not as prominent and visible as on a buzzard. The female is about 1/3rd larger than the male and she weighs in at about 12-15ozs so smaller than a woodpigeon. The female is a grey/brown colour with a well barred chest, the under side of her tail is grey, with black bars across it. The male has a red tinge to his under parts and a more blue grey back and head.
Female perched, male in flight and then a female in flight.
The Sparrowhawk almost exclusively feed on birds caught on the wing, the female is more than capable of taking quarry up to the size of a woodpigeon, although they tend to take smaller prey routinely.
The falcons in flight can be identified by their long pointed wings, slender bodies and a medium length tail (this gives them greater manoeuvrability) Apart from the Kestrel all the other UK falcons feed exclusively on feathered quarry)
Starting with the Kestrel (The most common UK falcon) these are commonly seen “hovering” alongside the motorway or over the fields, their tails fanned wide and their long pointy wings angled back to maintain their position. Like all birds of prey they are Dimorphic in size, that is the female of the species is always 1/3rd larger than the male, again in the Kestrel the females weight range is between 7-9oz with the male being about 5-6oz in size, they are a long slender bird but it is nearly all feathers! They can see “Ultra violet” which allows them to follow the urine trail left by their prey – so when you see them hovering and moving slightly, that is what they are doing, so the ability to see Ultra Violet and their extremely sharp vision allows them to see prey as small as mice and shrews from a great height!
The male is easily distinguished from the female, even in flight by his slate grey tail with a black band at the bottom – where as the female has a dull reddish brown tail with black bars.
Male on the left - female on the right
In some areas of the Uk, especially near to the cost, some of you might be lucky enough to see wild peregrines, usually again as they either hit their prey or take a position on a rock face/building to either “turn over their crop” (Digest what they have eaten) or just sit and watch for “dinner”
Like the Kestrel the peregrine has long slender pointed wings, and a medium length tail, they have light coloured under parts with a beautiful deep slate grey back and almost black on the head, with the characteristic black “moustache”
Female peregrine (Known as a peregrine falcon - male is a peregrine Tiercel)
Red Kites are distinctive because of their forked tail and striking colour - predominantly chestnut red with white patches under the wings and a pale grey head.
They have a wingspan of nearly two metres (about five-and-a-half-feet), but a relatively small body weight of 2 - 3 Ibs.
This means the bird is incredibly agile, and can stay in the air for many hours with hardly a beat of its wings.
Red Kites are neither particularly strong nor aggressive despite being large birds.
Primarily a scavenger and an opportunist; it profits from sheep carrion but is not capable of opening up sheep or lamb carcasses by itself and has to wait until more powerful birds such as ravens or buzzards have made the first inroads before it will attempt to feed.
Red Kites are however predators and take a wide variety of live prey, ranging from earthworms to small mammals, amphibians and birds
Red Kite
Merlin: The UK's smallest bird of prey, this compact, dashing falcon has a relatively long, square-cut tail and rather broad-based pointed wings, shorter than those of other falcons. Its wingbeat tends to be rapid with occasional glides, wings held close to the body. Its small size enables it to hover and hang in the breeze as it pursues its prey.
Merlin in flight (Male)
Hobby:About the size of a kestrel with long pointed wings, reminiscent of a giant swift. It has a dashing flight and will chase large insects and small birds like swallows and martins. Prey is often caught in its talons and transferred to its beak in flight. Can accelerate rapidly in flight and is capable of high-speed aerial manoeuvres.
Hobby in flight.
I am also not sure how much use it will, but Ill see what I can do?! I am just going to cover Hawks and Falcons for now, I will leave owls out as there are quite a few and they are far harder to identify, unless you know at least some of them! I am also only going to cover the more common ones, there are other raptors in the UK, but these are few and far between. Ill start with the hawks, there are two main ones in the UK, the Sparrow Hawk and the Buzzard (Although the Buzzard is not a true hawk, its a Buteo) they fall in to that category for identification.
The buzzard is easily identified by its size and shape, it is a large brown bird with cream underparts, its wings are short and wide with "fingers" on the ends, its tail is also short and wide. They can often be seen sat on telegraph poles or fence posts or soaring high in the sky in groups sometimes numbering up to a dozen. They are primarily a carrion feeder, as their feet size is extremely small in comparison to their body, making them not very good at hunting. They are often found on freshly ploughed fields eating worms and beetles.
Common BuzzardThe sparrowhawk on the other hand is a very small agile bird and a very effective hunter, you are most likely to see one of these flash across your garden and take a dove or pigeon, or if you are lucky you will get to follow one down a country lane, where it will fly low to the ground and with minimum effort easily keep ahead of you at about 40 mph! Like all hawks they have broad rounded wings with “fingers” at the end, although not as prominent and visible as on a buzzard. The female is about 1/3rd larger than the male and she weighs in at about 12-15ozs so smaller than a woodpigeon. The female is a grey/brown colour with a well barred chest, the under side of her tail is grey, with black bars across it. The male has a red tinge to his under parts and a more blue grey back and head.
Female perched, male in flight and then a female in flight.
The Sparrowhawk almost exclusively feed on birds caught on the wing, the female is more than capable of taking quarry up to the size of a woodpigeon, although they tend to take smaller prey routinely.
The falcons in flight can be identified by their long pointed wings, slender bodies and a medium length tail (this gives them greater manoeuvrability) Apart from the Kestrel all the other UK falcons feed exclusively on feathered quarry)
Starting with the Kestrel (The most common UK falcon) these are commonly seen “hovering” alongside the motorway or over the fields, their tails fanned wide and their long pointy wings angled back to maintain their position. Like all birds of prey they are Dimorphic in size, that is the female of the species is always 1/3rd larger than the male, again in the Kestrel the females weight range is between 7-9oz with the male being about 5-6oz in size, they are a long slender bird but it is nearly all feathers! They can see “Ultra violet” which allows them to follow the urine trail left by their prey – so when you see them hovering and moving slightly, that is what they are doing, so the ability to see Ultra Violet and their extremely sharp vision allows them to see prey as small as mice and shrews from a great height!
The male is easily distinguished from the female, even in flight by his slate grey tail with a black band at the bottom – where as the female has a dull reddish brown tail with black bars.
Male on the left - female on the right
In some areas of the Uk, especially near to the cost, some of you might be lucky enough to see wild peregrines, usually again as they either hit their prey or take a position on a rock face/building to either “turn over their crop” (Digest what they have eaten) or just sit and watch for “dinner”
Like the Kestrel the peregrine has long slender pointed wings, and a medium length tail, they have light coloured under parts with a beautiful deep slate grey back and almost black on the head, with the characteristic black “moustache”
Female peregrine (Known as a peregrine falcon - male is a peregrine Tiercel)
Red Kites are distinctive because of their forked tail and striking colour - predominantly chestnut red with white patches under the wings and a pale grey head.
They have a wingspan of nearly two metres (about five-and-a-half-feet), but a relatively small body weight of 2 - 3 Ibs.
This means the bird is incredibly agile, and can stay in the air for many hours with hardly a beat of its wings.
Red Kites are neither particularly strong nor aggressive despite being large birds.
Primarily a scavenger and an opportunist; it profits from sheep carrion but is not capable of opening up sheep or lamb carcasses by itself and has to wait until more powerful birds such as ravens or buzzards have made the first inroads before it will attempt to feed.
Red Kites are however predators and take a wide variety of live prey, ranging from earthworms to small mammals, amphibians and birds
Red Kite
Merlin: The UK's smallest bird of prey, this compact, dashing falcon has a relatively long, square-cut tail and rather broad-based pointed wings, shorter than those of other falcons. Its wingbeat tends to be rapid with occasional glides, wings held close to the body. Its small size enables it to hover and hang in the breeze as it pursues its prey.
Merlin in flight (Male)
Hobby:About the size of a kestrel with long pointed wings, reminiscent of a giant swift. It has a dashing flight and will chase large insects and small birds like swallows and martins. Prey is often caught in its talons and transferred to its beak in flight. Can accelerate rapidly in flight and is capable of high-speed aerial manoeuvres.
Hobby in flight.
