October122007

Nature Photos of the Week

October 12, 2008

Falcons in Flight!

A falcon is a subfamily of raptors in the genus Falco. The word comes from their Latin name falco, related to Latin falx (meaning "scythe") in reference to the shape of these birds' wings.

Adult falcons have thin tapered wings, which enable them to fly at high speed and to change direction rapidly. Fledgling falcons, in their first year of flying, have longer flight feathers which makes their configuration more like that of a general-purpose bird such as a Broad-winged Hawk. This is to make it easier for them to fly while learning the exceptional skills required to be effective hunters in their adult feather configuration.

The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon . This bird was formerly known in North America as the Sparrow Hawk. American Kestrels are widely distributed across the Americas. Their breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico, the Baja, and the Caribbean. They are local breeders in Central America and are widely distributed throughout South America.

The Merlin (Falco columbarius) is a smallish falcon that breeds in northern North America, Europe and Asia. In North America it was once known as the Pigeon Hawk though being a falcon it is not very closely related to true hawks.

This bird-of-prey is 9.5-13 in long with a 21-27 in wingspan. Males average at about 165g and females are typically about 230g. Compared to the Kestrel, they are more robust and heavily built. The male Merlin has a blue-grey back and orange-tinted underparts. The female and immature are dark brown above and whitish spotted with brown below.

Merlins breed in open country such as moorland, taiga or willow or birch scrub. Like the larger Peregrine Falcon, it is migratory, wintering in more temperate regions. Northern European birds move to southern Europe and North Africa, and North American populations move to the southern US and northern South America. In winter, the Merlin may be found in almost any open country, from coasts to prairies to desert scrub. In the mildest parts of its breeding range, such as Great Britain, it will desert higher ground and move to coasts and lowland. In Europe, Merlins will roost communally in winter, often with Hen Harriers. In North America, communal roosting is rare, and Merlins are well known for fiercely attacking any birds of prey that they encounter, even adult eagles.

Merlins rely on speed and agility to hunt their prey. They often hunt by flying fast and low, typically less than 1 metre above the ground, trying to take prey by surprise. Prey will sometimes attempt to outfly the Merlin, which result in the falcon "tail-chasing" after them. Most of their prey are smallish birds (10-40g), with local preferences for warblers, Chickadees, sandpipers, and sparrows. Almost any bird that is locally abundant will be taken, up to the size of Rock Pigeons. Breeding pairs will frequently hunt cooperatively, with one bird flushing the victims towards their mate. Other prey includes insects (especially dragonflies and moths), small mammals (especially bats and voles) and reptiles.

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), formerly known as the Duck Hawk, is a large falcon and one of the fewcosmopolitan bird species. It is a medium-sized falcon, about the size of a large cros, blue-gray back, barred white underside, and a black head and "moustache". There are seventeen described subspecies, which vary in appearance and range.

The Peregrine Falcon's breeding range includes the Arctic tundra, through Europe, and North America, and south into Africa, South America, the Pacific Islands and Australia. Essentially, this species can be found everywhere on Earth, making it one of the worlds most common falcons (though only as a winter visitor in some areas), except in the polar regions, on very high mountains, in deserts, and most tropical rainforests. The only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon", and refer to the species' wide range and its highly migratory habits.

The Peregrine Falcon feeds almost exclusively on medium sized birds, but in rare instances will hunt small mammals. It reaches sexual maturity at two or three years of age and mates for life. It nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges, or occasionally on man-made structures. The Peregrine Falcon became an endangered species due to the overuse of pesticides such as DDT. Wildlife services around the world bred the species in captivity, releasing many birds back into the wold, as the use of DDT was ended in the early 1970's. The Peregrine Falcon has now made a recovery along with other top of the food chain predators like the Brown Pelican, Osprey, and Bald Eagle.