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Discussion of other Raptor species; their anatomy, biology, ecology, etc.
Topic Started: Sep 16 2007, 11:04 AM (18,135 Views)
Bea
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Bill, thank you so very much for the pictures of the children holding your birds. I'm soo jealous :lol: . What an awesome experience this must have been for the kids! I really am in awe of the things you do. I would have loved to see one of your presentations.

When I was still a very small child growing up in Germany, my Dad took us to one of the Castles there - can't remember which one anymore- , but they had a Raptor show there. Like I said, I was very small and can't remember much, but I do remember hawks and eagles flying over our heads (I think vultures too) and then returning to their handlers. My parents had taken us mainly for my brothers benefit, him being 3 years older than me, and crazy about Hawks and Eagles when he was a child. But even though I don't remember much, I still have the image in my head of the birds flying over me almost close enough to touch.
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ostrich2
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Bea,

The videos with the rescued eaglet were posted in another topic a while back - try here:

http://z7.invisionfree.com/CHIL_EagleCAM/i...?showtopic=1493
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ostrich2
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I had a couple of interesting possible raptor sightings today - one was quite unusual and was right outside the front door of my building - when I walked out the door this morning I was quite surprised to see several small songbirds seemingly being chased by an unusually large bird. The odd part was they were all flying directly toward the building, and the passerines (I think they were just ordinary house sparrows) all went fluttering into the bushes at the base of the building, and the large bird came in until it was nearly stopped and just touched the side of the building, and then reversed itself and flew off in the opposite direction.

I'm not sure this was a raptor, but it was certainly reasonably large (significantly larger than a pigeon, say). Unfortunately I didn't get a good look at it for more than a couple of seconds, but it was certainly I'd say not too far off the size of a red-tail, perhaps a bit smaller. But a RT doesn't make a whole lot of sense since you wouldn't expect a RT to be chasing songbirds. The plumage was generally a rather greyish or very light brown for the most part and I think I could see some streaks of dark on the undersides of the wings/body. Unfortunately I couldn't see the beak or feet that would unambiguously identify it as a raptor.

The other bird I saw on the drive home - this one was perched on a light pole at the side of the road (close to the airport where I often see RTs), but this bird was much more falcon-like from the information Bill gave us earlier. It was sitting facing the road and preening (again I could only see it for a few seconds), but it did seem to have the dark plumage around the head area that was mentioned for falcons. The wings did seemed to have a sloped and pointed shape to them as well, so it may have been a peregrine.
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Bea
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Ostrich, thanks for posting that link to the videos again!!

Okay, here goes part 2 of our assignment :D :

11. Name a crepuscular owl species tell how you could prove your answer.

Short-Eared Owl
But, Why ????????????? :hair: :hair: :hair: :hair: :hair:
I gave up on this one, and am anxiously awaiting your answer :lol:

12. List two common misconceptions about owls.

That owls cannot digest bone
That all owls are nocturnal

I also found these:

That all owls hoot
That Owls can turn their heads completely around
That Owls are blind during daylight

13. Name the 3 provinces that have owls as their provincial bird.

Alberta/Canada
Manitoba/Canada
Quebec/Canada

14. Name those 3 species.

Great Horned Owl - Alberta/Canada
Great Grey Owl - Manitoba/Canada
Snowy Owl - Quebec/Canada

I also found this info:

The Great Horned Owl was adopted as Alberta/Canada's provincial bird on May 3, 1977, by a province wide children's vote

and this:

Interestingly, Canadian provincial birds are quite different from those proclaimed by the Unites States. There are no US state birds that are Sea-birds, Raptors, or Corvids (jays and crows). But eight of the twelve Canadian emblematic birds are from these Crotchless Lace Red Thong groups! Canada chose its Provincial birds much more recently than did the US states, so the choices reflect a more modern attitude about birds. Many years ago, Americans chose pretty garden songsters as their state birds, at a time when raptors and corvids were thought of as being destructive nuisances, rather than important links in the natural ecology of the region.

15. List the different locations where owls nest within a habitat.

natural tree cavities/hollows, cliff hollows, old woodpecker holes, other abandoned nests, provided nest boxes, shallow ground scrape (in the case of the short-eared. This wouldn't be the answer to #11, would it? :unsure: Dang, that #11 sure got to me :lol: )

16. What is the simplest way to tell an immature Bald Eagle from an immature Golden?

The bald eagle's feathers do not extend down the leg all the way to the toes, whereas those of the golden eagle do. (This was courtesy of Ostrich from a post a few pages ago - but I knew that too from a discussion we had last year :) )

I also found this:

The immature Golden has white at the base of the primaries, and white base of tail.

17. Name the group from the raptor family that has a species with a split tail.

Kites: the swallow-tailed kite

18. List a raptor group that normally does not kill its prey.

Vultures: Turkey Vulture

19. Name the common groups of animals that raptors prey upon.

Mammals
Rodents
Insects
Reptiles
Birds

20. Name a species of hawk that is naturally very social and often hunts in groups.

Ostrich had already provided an answer on this. He said Harris Hawks hunt in groups.
I agree. Harris Hawks.


Okay, I will try to work on part 3 this weekend :}^
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Bea
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Bill, in my research I stumbled upon this statement:

Northern Harrier – The northern harrier hunts for its prey both by sight and sound.
It has an owl-like head with a facial disk and stiff feathers around its face to help transmit sound.
Also, while most raptors have only one mate for a breeding season, male harriers may mate with up to five other females and provide most of the food for all of those females and the young in each nest.

Can you confirm this (multiple females and providing food for all of them?) WOW, if that's true, that must be one busy male Northern Harrier. :lol:

From that same website ( http://www.nps.gov/acad/naturescience/hawk...rchive-2006.htm ) I also found this statement:

"Cooper’s Hawk – A recent study found that 23% of Cooper’s hawks examined had healed bone fractures in the chest. Darting through the woods at high speed is a dangerous way to make a living!
Cooper’s do not bite their prey to kill it like falcons; they squeeze prey to death with their sharp talons, or sometimes drown their prey."

It's amazing to me that they survive at all with bone fractures.
They actually drown their prey?

Just curious as to what you may know about that?


Oh, and Bill, I'm hanging my head in shame about getting the largest owl wrong. :lol: The first sentence in my Nat. Geo Bird Book under Great Grey states:

"Surprisingly, our largest owl is far from our heaviest" rofl
Should have done more book reading instead of looking on the Web :lol:
Another California moment :bld:
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Bea
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Since I have a little time tonight, here are a few of the pics from my Osprey encounter. Hope that's okay?
I warned y'all, they are not very good!
Click on 'em!

Posted Image Posted Image

Posted Image Posted Image

I do believe this is an Osprey?
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Raptorman
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Bea
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What cha been hunting? Goodies for the birds? Or for you?
Please take your time responding to our posts!!! Do not rush yourself!!! :EGSM:
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Raptorman
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Raptorman
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Bea
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Raptorman,Oct 20 2007
11:08 AM
...
I took possession of the pup and will be working with him (Scout) for the next month to teach him some of the tricks of the trade in becoming a good bird dog. We were hunting Pheasants, Hungarian Partridge (Huns), Sharp-tailed Grouse and waterfowl. The game is for myself and friends (I have been supplying their Xmas goose for a few years now :lol: ) with some of the beautiful feathers being used by a young woman, I know, for making jewelry.
...

You train hunting dogs too? What don't you do? :D
Mmmmmm Christmas Goose :Yum:
My Mom makes one every year. Unfortunately, she lives in Germany :'(
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Bea
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Raptorman,Oct 20 2007
11:08 AM
...
Only Linda Blair can turn her head all the way around.
...

rofl rofl

Hey, I didn't do so bad for a beginner :lol:

On #18 I was gonna put just Vultures, then read that Black vultures will occasionally hunt small rodents, so only put down the Turkey Vulture. (But you did say "normally does not kill it's prey", so... my bad :D )

And that darn #11 :lol:

I like that owl picture you got. Amazing how they just blend in.

"...unlike your mine don't belong on this site." rofl rofl
"Moving images with digital is tricky." Yes, I agree. I'm oftentimes dissapointed when we download the pictures, cause we thought they would be great, and then all you see is a blurr.

Thanks Bill!!
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Bea
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:o I just noticed I forgot >)): >>: on #19 :o How could I forget Cruz/A-49 favorite food? :lol:
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Raptorman
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Bea
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Yes, I know :(
Rodents are mammals, and I forgot the amphibians too.
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