Peregrines

[cemetary]

As you would have seen or heard over the last couple of weeks geese going over the top of you, i saw around 20, couldnt see them, got the specs oot, they were as high as hell, they didnt fly in the normal V, they were all over the place, just to see 2 bandits come over the top of them, they didnt bother them, but the geese new they were there, when they got over them, they went into a V,   would the bandits try and take them doo you think.  :-/

[Ian McKay]

No chance, too big

[cemetary]

No chance, too big

 

You were quick Ian, i no that they are taking gulls down beside me, and you no the size of them, makes you wonder when there is nowt else aboot though.  

[Blue Chequer Pied]

 

You were quick Ian, i no that they are taking gulls down beside me, and you no the size of them, makes you wonder when there is nowt else aboot though.  

 

Nothing would surprise me I saw a film of a Golden Eagle tackle a Red Deer once and you know the size of them.

 

Paul.

[cemetary]

 

Nothing would surprise me I saw a film of a Golden Eagle tackle a Red Deer once and you know the size of them.

 

Paul.

 

Saw that on you tube Paul, thats why i was wondering if they would take anything big like the geese,  

[blaz]

peregrine would not take goose to big .to high a risk of injury to the peregrine. the weight difference is to much .to drop on to a goose at high speed would be nice to see as it would (expletive somewhere) the peregrine

[Ian McKay]

Mates a game keeper expert on there food cycle

[cemetary]

peregrine would not take goose to big .to high a risk of injury to the peregrine. the weight difference is to much .to drop on to a goose at high speed would be nice to see as it would (expletive somewhere) the peregrine

 

When the Bandits dive, they kill with the force of the strike, so how can you say they are too big and too high a risk of injury for them, if there is nowt else aboot, what they going to feed on.  :-/

[Ian McKay]

 

When the Bandits dive, they kill with the force of the strike, so how can you say they are too big and too high a risk of injury for them, if there is nowt else aboot, what they going to feed on.  :-/

 

Our doos plenty of them during the winter

[blaz]

 

When the Bandits dive, they kill with the force of the strike, so how can you say they are too big and too high a risk of injury for them, if there is nowt else aboot, what they going to feed on.  :-/

 

when a peregrine strikes a bird IE grouse pigeon ect their is not a big difference in weight. the force it hits at will kill or stun the prey. if i decided to hit a bird like a goose proberly 3 or 4 times heaver than its self then it would be risking injury to its self. it would not kill the goose out right then both birds hit the ground the goose would then have more strength than the peregrine.the peregrine would not be able to hold it down.as for nowt else about a small seagull  terns street pigeons crows magpies are all on its hit list.all are easier to kill with less chance of injury.their is also plenty about

[greenlands]

I don't think a peregrine would be able to penetrate the feathering of a goose if it did strike at it,if you don't hit them right with shot it just seams to bounce off them.

[Guest Owen]

As far as I know the peregrine actually kills by severing the cord at the base of the neck. That is why it has a tooth shaped point at the end of it's beak. The impact of the peregrine hitting the prey stuns it and allows the peregrine to grab and kill the prey.

I doubt if a peregrine could cut the cord of a goose, it would'nt be able to reach, and I very much doubt if they could carry the goose as they would do with most prey species.

As has been said, the differance may be when the peregrine is hungry. It may not want to bother with killing it's prey in the air then. It may be content to strike the prey and follow it down to the ground and finish it off and eat it there.

I would like to know just what happens in these cases. Perhaps a person who knows about hunting with falcons would know these things.

[Guest strapper]

watch this

.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpz66RYD110&feature=related...

 

[blaz]

nice clip a perigrin will attack any bop to protect it,s young

[PATTY BHOY]

good post dougie attenbourgh cunningham

[blaz]

 

Nothing would surprise me I saw a film of a Golden Eagle tackle a Red Deer once and you know the size of them.

 

Paul.

 

when a golden eagle attacks a red deer it means to frighten it in to a panic .so it runs for its life in the hope of it injuring it,s self ,injury to any deer in the highlands of Scotland in winter is normally fatal . their for easy pickings for the golden eagle.it is not uncommon for a golden eagle to try it,s luck at young deer.they have also been known to just pick up a fox and fly off with it.

[Guest IB]

At a disadvantage, never knowingly seen a peregrine (yet) but the goshawk original name was goosehawk, and like other psosts say, it would depend on how the bop takes down its prey. Have had birds home from what I take to be a peregrine strike, with half the feathers on one or both wings missing, so reckon the bird is hit from above, and followed down to the ground; know about decapitation but doubt (don't know) it happens in the air.

 

The behaviour in breaking formation and getting above the bop is the same strategy that I have witnessed around here, both in wild birds, and my own pigeons.

[Guest Owen]

IB

decapitation does definately happen in the air. We have had a pair of falcons plus one young one hunting around here. They have frequently decapitated pigeons and you can see the head drop. They worst thing about them is, that they often kill and allow the dead pigeon to fall to the ground and they then go off and kill again. We have found dead pigeons on the sides of the road. I assume they are doing it for fun. Or perhaps training the youngster.

Pigeons in this area are running the gauntlet every time they are airborne. One slight benefit for us is that we get Red Kites drifting on the thermals from time to time. The peregrines definately do not like the kites. Perhaps the kites rob them of their prey.

[blaz]

yes owen the kites will rob them.i have 3or 4 buzzards come over us most days and it stops the bops hunting in the field next to me.as in the field next to me we have lots of rats and young partridge and some young pheasant also a few young hare .

[chickadee]

At the Lake District there is a hide where you can observe a Golden Eagles nest, you can also see the peregrines attacking it if it gets too near there nest on a nearby cliff face :-/

[blaz]

At the Lake District there is a hide where you can observe a Golden Eagles nest, you can also see the peregrines attacking it if it gets too near there nest on a nearby cliff face :-/

 

i think they should introduce eagle owls to the lake district

[chickadee]

 

i think they should introduce eagle owls to the lake district

 

That would help, the RSPB run the hides so I doubt they would approve, they probably own half if not all the land :-/

[Guest IB]

IB

decapitation does definately happen in the air. We have had a pair of falcons plus one young one hunting around here. They have frequently decapitated pigeons and you can see the head drop. They worst thing about them is, that they often kill and allow the dead pigeon to fall to the ground and they then go off and kill again. We have found dead pigeons on the sides of the road. I assume they are doing it for fun. Or perhaps training the youngster.

Pigeons in this area are running the gauntlet every time they are airborne. One slight benefit for us is that we get Red Kites drifting on the thermals from time to time. The peregrines definately do not like the kites. Perhaps the kites rob them of their prey.

 

Thanks Owen. I'm still building a picture of how these things operate. I thought  airborne decapitation would be too risky, as any bird clasped to a bird in its death throws would surely risk injuring itself or losing grip on its prey, and losing it. I thought the main type of attack would be as shown in the video, knock / damage sufficient to down the prey, and finished off on ground.

[Guest strapper]

IB

decapitation does definately happen in the air. We have had a pair of falcons plus one young one hunting around here. They have frequently decapitated pigeons and you can see the head drop. They worst thing about them is, that they often kill and allow the dead pigeon to fall to the ground and they then go off and kill again. We have found dead pigeons on the sides of the road. I assume they are doing it for fun. Or perhaps training the youngster.

Pigeons in this area are running the gauntlet every time they are airborne. One slight benefit for us is that we get Red Kites drifting on the thermals from time to time. The peregrines definately do not like the kites. Perhaps the kites rob them of their prey.

 

the kites are welcomed around my loft everyday...they keep the peregrines away and keep my birds flying,harmlessly floating about right above my loft...abergavenny is starting to be well known this lastyear -year and a half for them.

[sammy]

 

the kites are welcomed around my loft everyday...they keep the peregrines away and keep my birds flying,harmlessly floating about right above my loft...abergavenny is starting to be well known this lastyear -year and a half for them.

 

if kites are harmless to pigeons then why do the rspb make out that it is pigeon fanciers that is poisoning them