Buzzards

[hannigf]

I often thought that buzzards may be a help to pigeon fanciers but was afraid to voice such a thought just in case it proved stupid. If all so called birds of prey have a fixed territory that they hunt exclusively I would rather have my area covered with buzzards. I can hear these birds from miles away with that high pitched scretch, I see them circling very close to my loft but they do not bother the pigeons. Would buzzards drive other birds of prey away from their territory? If so I would start a breeding program for them tomorrow if they would help keep away the dreaded sparrow hawk and perigrine.

 

          

[Guest IB]

I have a lot of crows here, and they do give warning when bop about. The odd one or two 'shepherd' sparrowhawk or buzzard right across the sky, usually east to west? Smaller wild birds are better cue though, when sky gets pretty full pretty quickly there's something on the go, and if my birds are out, they go up too, if they are already up, they go higher.

 

Can't offer direct experience, but predator / prey relationship should tell you that prey can always outrun the predator. A pigeon on level flight is faster and stronger than any aerial predator, it can fly at 50mph easy, for hours on end. Yes peregrine's 200mph sounds better but that is its kill burst of energy using gravity and in a dive, but if it misses, first its below the pigeon second its to pull out of the dive, and third if it does give chase, its all against gravity. Its a good bit behind already, and the energy burst has gone. If it does give chase, it's likely to burn more energy that it'll get from eating the prey. Unsustainable.

 

 

[hotrod]

that is not mobing ,your birds are just trying to stay close to stay alive ,mobing is what corvids do to hawks ,that is chasing them out of their teritory ,like i said ,most of you should read up on the ways of the bop and other birds it just might help you keep in this hobby a bit longer.

 

 

well les ive been in this wonderful SPORT NOT HOBBY longer than most on here (33 years) and i used the word mob as its the only way of putting it for the ordinary fancier out there(but ther very carefull they dont get too close to percy) ,and i do read up on the ways of bop's ,and will agree that a percy will catch and take a pigeon in a straight line without the stoop ,and also have witnessed a sparrowhawk on the tail of a pigeon at full tilt until they both went out of sight maybe 100 yards .

[Guest peter.j]

i think a lot of you need to do some homework or you will end up pretty upset buzzards can and do hunt live prey they are a lazy bird tho which is why most of you only see them on a dead sheep ignore these birds at your peril......pete

[DOVEScot]

I often thought that buzzards may be a help to pigeon fanciers but was afraid to voice such a thought just in case it proved stupid. If all so called birds of prey have a fixed territory that they hunt exclusively I would rather have my area covered with buzzards. I can hear these birds from miles away with that high pitched scretch, I see them circling very close to my loft but they do not bother the pigeons. Would buzzards drive other birds of prey away from their territory? If so I would start a breeding program for them tomorrow if they would help keep away the dreaded sparrow hawk and perigrine.

 

          

 

I have four pairs of buzzards in my immediate area and I think they are an asset as you say they are territorial and keep other birds of prey at bay. Buzzards tend to live on the edge of forest and farm land or fields as they feed mostly on carrion. You now see them in abundance at the side of the roads feeding on road kill. Sparrow hawks live mainly in wooded areas as they feed on small birds up to a pigeon and swoop out of trees onto unsuspecting prey on the edge of woodland and now they also use the cover of buildings to attack their prey. Peregrines are cliff dwellers and like all BOP they have adapted to use man made buildings etc to nest and survive. Feral pigeons have become very wise and stick close to buildings to avoid attack that is why in my opinion they are attacking race birds who are only trying to find their way home unlike the ferals :-/

[DOVEScot]

i think a lot of you need to do some homework or you will end up pretty upset buzzards can and do hunt live prey they are a lazy bird tho which is why most of you only see them on a dead sheep ignore these birds at your peril......pete

 

Your right Pete you have to look at the size and shape of BOP, a buzzards is a cumbersome bird compared to a kestrel of a sparrowhawk so their hunting and prey are different. All BOP only feed to survive. Buzzards do take live prey but they always take the easier option and that tends now to be road kill and carrion, I bet i could now count five in ten mile journey just sitting at the side of the roads and eight in the sky on a good summers day from the comfort of my garden as they are so common now :-/

[John k]

 

You sure... percy cant fly at 70mph on a straight flight can it..??

 

Peregrine can not catch a racing pigeon in straight line level flight...............

Peregrines gain pitch to attack then stoop knocking quarry out the sky..............

[catchthepigeon]

 

Peregrine can not catch a racing pigeon in straight line level flight...............

Peregrines gain pitch to attack then stoop knocking quarry out the sky..............

I agree with this to a point but it would depend how tired or fit the pigeon is its chasing in level flight

 

 

[les]

I have a lot of crows here, and they do give warning when bop about. The odd one or two 'shepherd' sparrowhawk or buzzard right across the sky, usually east to west? Smaller wild birds are better cue though, when sky gets pretty full pretty quickly there's something on the go, and if my birds are out, they go up too, if they are already up, they go higher.

 

Can't offer direct experience, but predator / prey relationship should tell you that prey can always outrun the predator. A pigeon on level flight is faster and stronger than any aerial predator, it can fly at 50mph easy, for hours on end. Yes peregrine's 200mph sounds better but that is its kill burst of energy using gravity and in a dive, but if it misses, first its below the pigeon second its to pull out of the dive, and third if it does give chase, its all against gravity. Its a good bit behind already, and the energy burst has gone. If it does give chase, it's likely to burn more energy that it'll get from eating the prey. Unsustainable.

 

then please explain how me and a friend has sat for weeks studying percys ,[before they are moved]and watch them time and time again catch up with racing pigeons from a standing start , on a level flight and take them with ease ,all this rubbish about diving at hundreds of miles a hour is how they always get their prey is just to make them sound so good and brillant to joe public because what else has it got going for it ,nothing ,,IB give me a answer to this ,how many percys have you seen take pigeons ,and have you ever sat at a site for days on end and studied them ,

 

 

[les]

 

well les ive been in this wonderful SPORT NOT HOBBY longer than most on here (33 years) and i used the word mob as its the only way of putting it for the ordinary fancier out there(but ther very carefull they dont get too close to percy) ,and i do read up on the ways of bop's ,and will agree that a percy will catch and take a pigeon in a straight line without the stoop ,and also have witnessed a sparrowhawk on the tail of a pigeon at full tilt until they both went out of sight maybe 100 yards .

i wish it was a sport ,then we could get rid of all BOP  that was interfering with our sport legaly ,but like i said its only reconised as a hobby .

 

 

[les]

 

Peregrine can not catch a racing pigeon in straight line level flight...............

Peregrines gain pitch to attack then stoop knocking quarry out the sky..............

total rubbish ,if your up for it  ,i will show you time and time again how they do it ,then show you how to stop them from ever doing it again .

 

 

[Guest stb-]

Johnsy,  sparrow hawks will out sprint a pigeon in a straight flight no probs over 2to 300 yds

 

its the twisting and jinking of the pigeon that sometimes saves them being caught.

 

Havnt seen the peregrine catch any of mine in a sraight chase but plenty with the element of supprise .

 

Goshawk will chase and outfly a pigeon from a standing start no probs and keep going till it gets a kill

[les]

most people dont even see a percy take their pigeons at level flight ,because it is over in a few seconds ,they take it straight to the ground or cover ,when you see percy up high he is just looking ,and seeing what is available ,why is it that you see NOW AND AGAIN a vid on you tube how a pigeon got away from percy ,only because it dont happen very often ,if it did happen more often  ,then puting vids on would not be interesting would it ???

[Guest stb-]

most people dont even see a percy take their pigeons at level flight ,because it is over in a few seconds ,they take it straight to the ground or cover ,when you see percy up high he is just looking ,and seeing what is available ,why is it that you see NOW AND AGAIN a vid on you tube how a pigeon got away from percy ,only because it dont happen very often ,if it did happen more often  ,then puting vids on would not be interesting would it ???

 

When the peregrine dives and chases one of your pigeons and the pigeon makes it into the tree,s the peregrine never follows always pulls away,  is that so they dont get damaged.

 

The sparr chases them right into the tree,s and probably catches hem easy in the under growth :-/

[BLUERON]

3 times last summer we had to stand and watch as bop took our rollers out of sky and they were high up, few other times they were drove in to trees, got so bad had to keep my lad (only3 )and wife in as they got too upset

[bewted]

3 times last summer we had to stand and watch as bop took our rollers out of sky and they were high up, few other times they were drove in to trees, got so bad had to keep my lad (only3 )and wife in as they got too upset

 

you want to get a jacket for them rollers as sure someone on here will give you all details you need to stop bop from keep attacking your rollers,,,any one help with advice on the jackets for our friend and his rollers ???

 

pm him with details

[Guest bakes]

every attack ive had from pergrine always been a pair of them one at the back of the group pushing them into an area then one drop straight through the middle trying to break the group up wonce one broke from the group both the percy singled out that bird and went after it never had one killed at level high the bird has always made it back to the loft all the birds ive had killed is when one drops through group and birds ive lost to hen sparrow hawk has always been be suprise comeing over garden fence trying to take them of the grass at the side of the loft never had one killed when the sparrow hawk flew after it pigeon was way out in front sh never stood a chance but not saying they cant catch them in flight but ive never had non of my birds killed by pergrine or sparrow hawk in straight line of flight

 

all the best

[hotrod]

 

Peregrine can not catch a racing pigeon in straight line level flight...............

Peregrines gain pitch to attack then stoop knocking quarry out the sky..............

 

crap post     i have watched my birds getting hit by percy training(stoop) ,soon after lib splitting them up some heading for the cover of trees the rest scampering away in all directions at FULL TILT ,then percy turns and chased them and caught up within a few hundred yards no probs and all this about 50 yards off the ground so as i have said if you havent watched it happen then dont coment thanx,  ps it never got any but did outrun my healthy fit young birds giving them a head start .THIS IS FACT  

[les]

if those that dought that percy cant catch a pigeon in level flight ,then how do juvenile percys catch there prey ie pigeons ,it takes a lot of learning to dive from above and get things right ,its some thing they have to learn over a period of a few seasons ,it is one way of hunting for them ,if they had to rely on it ,then they would starve .

[hotrod]

if those that dought that percy cant catch a pigeon in level flight ,then how do juvenile percys catch there prey ie pigeons ,it takes a lot of learning to dive from above and get things right ,its some thing they have to learn over a period of a few seasons ,it is one way of hunting for them ,if they had to rely on it ,then they would starve .

 

les i have never said that a percy can catch a pigeon at level flight but can outrun one no probs but pigeons are better at manouvering, percy  catches them in a stoop normally catching our beloved pigeons off guard .surprise attack .

[les]

 

les i have never said that a percy can catch a pigeon at level flight but can outrun one no probs but pigeons are better at manouvering, percy  catches them in a stoop normally catching our beloved pigeons off guard .surprise attack .

then i will have to stop smoking this stuff ,im starting to see things that cant and dont happen ,and so should a few others that have been with me over a number of years ,i will also tell my pigeons to fly at 20ft of the ground ,so they will never have to worry about percy ,lol,ATB les. ps ,the fastest land animal we have in this country is a deer ,how come my6year old  20inch bedlinton x whippet has caught over 300 of them ,and they average 40 to 100lb in weight ??????

 

 

[DOVEScot]

then i will have to stop smoking this stuff ,im starting to see things that cant and dont happen ,and so should a few others that have been with me over a number of years ,i will also tell my pigeons to fly at 20ft of the ground ,so they will never have to worry about percy ,lol,ATB les. ps ,the fastest land animal we have in this country is a deer ,how come my6year old  20inch bedlinton x whippet has caught over 300 of them ,??????

 

 

Because you shot them first ;D

[hotrod]

then i will have to stop smoking this stuff ,im starting to see things that cant and dont happen ,and so should a few others that have been with me over a number of years ,i will also tell my pigeons to fly at 20ft of the ground ,so they will never have to worry about percy ,lol,ATB les. ps ,the fastest land animal we have in this country is a deer ,how come my6year old  20inch bedlinton x whippet has caught over 300 of them ,??????

 

 

and your point is ? are you calling me a liar ?

[les]

 

Because you shot them first ;D

think what you will  ;)only one thing i would shoot ,and it begins with H

 

 

[les]

 

and your point is ? are you calling me a liar ?

no just pointing out that things happen on a regular basis ,but if your not out there to see it happen day in day out then it takes some believeing .