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Discussion of other Raptor species; their anatomy, biology, ecology, etc.
Topic Started: Sep 16 2007, 11:04 AM (18,112 Views)
Patti
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The chest markings look different. The injured bird has streaks running down, it appears and the other bird appears to have more solid at the top and and barring across the lower body beneath this area.

To tell you the truth, I didn't realize it was a different bird. :wacko: Thanks for asking these questions. The area under the youngster's hood (Malar stripe) is not very developed, doesn't look white to me--now that I look more closely. The other bird must be an adult?
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Raptorman
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ostrich2
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Raptorman,Dec 20 2007
12:57 AM
Yes, the bird in the photo is likely one of the breeding pair. Immature Peregrines (although this is a different subspecies than any of our 3 N.A. subspecies because of its location) have a "Salmon" pink/orange chest with streaking while the adults are a far more defined black and white banding across lower chest. Bill :D

That seems similar in some respects to the Bea's sharp-shinned that we were looking at in the sense that the juveniles have a different pattern of banding down the breast as opposed to the adults which have a very regular one going across the chest.
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Patti
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Ostrich, thanks for the video! Thanks, Bill! The adult the video featured was stunning.

edit: just read Ostrich's post and I didn't make the connection because I'm not focused enough today...but I think so---Bea's Sharp-shinned. Nice points to keep in mind.
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ostrich2
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This peregrine story reminded me of something that occurred to me about the city peregrines, because it was mentioned they thought it could have been injured in high wind trying to navigate among the buildings.

It's commonly mentioned that city environments have been successfully adopted by peregrines because of the tall buildings which provide analagous environments to the peregrine's natural nesting areas on very high areas and cliff faces. However, almost all the shows I can recall seeing that show peregrines hunting with the stoop shows them doing so out in open areas where they can presumably pull out of the stoop successfully. It seems challenging enough to get out of the stooping dive at that speed out in the open, but trying to do so in a maze of city buildings and other obstructions seems like it would be an almost overwhelmingly challenging feat to pull off without an unsustainably high injury or fatality rate.

A big problem for a peregrine trying to hunt in the city is indeed that not only do the buildings rise high to cliff height, but the peregrine could be assumed to often have to pursue prey down below the tops of those buildings. And in a densely built city area the wind gusts that occur around these buildings can be very significant.
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Raptorman
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ostrich2
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I was treated to three separate RT sightings yesterday - all gliding nice and low and giving me an excellent view, including the red tail, making the id easy (they seem to like to make it difficult for me on that point :D ). One was gliding across the highway from a light pole, another was actually off the highway on the streets close to my father's house (although the highway is still only a couple of hundred meters away from there). The pigeons sitting on the power lines along the road didn't seem too thrilled about the RT gliding around above them. A third I sighted at work, again soaring out near an open area between the edge of the treed area at the back of the property, and a small pond near the road.

Here's a link I found out how to go to on Google Maps that will actually show the area near where I work where I've sighted the RTs and possible RLs in the past few months:

8200 Warden Ave

As I've mentioned, you can see the road that goes around the back of the property, which is often where I've sighted hawks (usually RTs probably). The day I sighted the possible RL was sitting in a tree along that back road where the trees are close to the north side of the road, shortly before the rear parking lot which is at the bottom left. You can get a good idea from this image of the treed area that exists between the building complex and the rear parking lot, as well as the grassy areas on the other side of the back road. You can't really tell from the aerial photo, but there is a stream that cuts through the middle of the forested area (thus a bridge that goes across from the rear parking lot to the back of the complex).

On the far right edge just south of the complex you can see the small pond I mentioned - the RT I saw yesterday was gliding in the grassy area between the pond and the start of the treed area. There are occasionally ducks or geese on that pond.

Since we were discussing High Park a while back, something worthwhile for me to do might be to look around for possible RT nest locations. I suspected at one point that there might be a RT nest in the trees right at the very top right corner of the map, just across the road, but I'm not too sure about that. I think nesting RTs in this area certainly is a possibility - one day in the summer I sighted a RT making a classic territorial call near the tree line.
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Raptorman
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ostrich2
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Yes I can try to find a google map for High Park - I meant that I should look for any possible RT nest locations on the work property especially, although I'm certainly interesting in locating any in High Park as well. The possible areas at work are certainly much smaller than High Park is, so if there are any nesting RTs there it ought to be easier to locate them.
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Raptorman
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ostrich2
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Here is a google map for High Park - obviously a much bigger area:

High Park

If you will recall the pictures I posted earlier, I took them starting from the north end at Bloor St (right where the road enters the park), walking south mainly along Colbourne Lodge Road.

You can there there is a large pond (Grenadier Pond) in the park, which is home to numerous ducks, geese, and gulls. I've seen great blue herons as well there.

This is Hawk Hill - the bottom of the hill is right at the top edge of the parking lot. On the main map it is immediately N of the parking lot which is where the south end of Colbourne Lodge Road and W Road meet.

Hawk Hill, High Park
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Raptorman
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ostrich2
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Here's another one I found to id - the comments on the page says Coopers but I'm not sure yet on that one. I don't have my field guide handy :D

Bird Of Prey

It looks to me like the prey is a blue jay - accipiter of some type sounds reasonable to me.

There are TONS of good photos on Flickr for fun doing ids - many mention an id on the comments or titles, but of course they may not always be accurate. There is a "Bird of Prey" photo pool which has dozens.
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Patti
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I don't think Bea is around--or I think she would have posted. I think Bill's I.D. bird is an Osprey, which Bea has quite often seen. I'm not sure, but the wing angle and wing patterning is so striking...I'm guessing Osprey. Guessing an adult because of the beautiful "necklace" pattern.
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