Birds of Prey

Buzzard

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:52:19 +0000

The Buzzard is also known as the Common Buzzard and is a member of the Falcon family which include the Peregrine, the Kestrel and the Merlin. The Buzzard is a bird of prey and a medium-sized raptor. It has a wingspan of about one hundred and twenty centimetres and its wings are broad and rounded. When the Buzzard flies, the tips of the wings look like they have long extended fingers.

Buzzards are powerful and majestic-looking even though they are not that colourful. They are predominantly brown coloured birds. A Buzzard can often be recognised by its cream coloured crescent-shaped marking on its breast and by its powerful, short, hooked beak.

Buzzards can be seen in the open country near woodlands and also on farmland which has trees and hedges. They like to spend a lot of time perching on tree branches, posts and fences waiting for any unsuspecting prey to pass by. Buzzards can also be seen gliding and soaring in the air with their wings held out in a shallow ‘V’ shape. As they soar and glide, they scan the ground for food such as rabbits, rats, mice, young hares, moles, voles and weasels.

Golden Eagle

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:53:14 +0000

Golden Eagles are one of the best-known birds of prey and usually stay in pairs for the whole of their lives. Unfortunately it seems that the last pair of Golden Eagles that occupied England in the Lake District fell apart in 2004 when the female died. Now there is only one solitary male Golden Eagle left in England.

The Golden Eagle is a very large and powerful-looking bird that has its name because of the golden-brown feathers on the top of its head, nape and shoulders. It also has a long hooked beak, strong legs and large feet with long curved talons at the end. The talons are used to seize and kill prey. It is a large-sized raptor with a wingspan of over two metres. The Golden Eagle is a very powerful flier even though it flaps its wings very slowly and deeply. It also likes to soar and glide in the air and when it does this, it holds its wings in a shallow ‘V’ shape and the tips of the wings look like long extended fingers.

Golden Eagles build large nests called ‘eyries’ for their young and these eyries are often used time and time again. Some eyries have been known to be over two metres in diameter and one metre high. Golden Eagles usually feed on rats, mice, rabbits, hares and squirrels, although sometimes they will eat dead animals in the winter.

Harrier (Hen)

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:44:39 +0000

The Hen Harrier is a medium-sized bird of prey that can be found in the north of England, although visiting Hen Harriers can also be seen in the south in winter. It can often be found on heather moors in summer and in winter it can be seen on farmlands, river valleys, coastal marshes and reed beds.

The male Harrier Hen is silver grey on top and it has a white rump and black wing tips. Its underside is white and its long tail is silver grey. The female Harrier Hen is dark brown with lighter brown markings with a cream coloured breast that has lots of dark brown streaky markings. The female’s wings are also dark brown from the base to the middle and grey-brown from the middle to the tips of the wings. The lower grey-brown part of the wings has brown lines running across them. The female also has a white rump and a brown and grey-brown striped tail. The Harrier Hen has a wingspan of approximately one hundred and twenty centimetres.

Harrier Hens are often seen singly in the day when they hunt for food such as voles, mice, rabbits, hares and small birds like Meadow Pipits. They hunt low over the ground and are very agile hunters. They often take wounded game birds from the ground.

Kestrel

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:55:09 +0000

The Kestrel is one of the smaller members of the Falcon family, which include the Buzzard, the Merlin and the Peregrine. It can be found throughout England near motorways, roads and busy dual carriageways hunting for food. The Kestrel, like other raptors, hunts for food mainly by using its talons.

The Kestrel is a bird of prey and a raptor with a wingspan of around eighty centimetres. It has a short neck and its short beak is hooked and powerful-looking. The male and female Kestrel differ slightly in appearance. The male Kestrel has a grey head and a grey tail, whereas the female has a reddish brown head with black markings and a reddish brown tail with black stripes running across it. Both the male and the female have a reddish brown back with dark markings.

Kestrels sometimes hunt for food from telegraph poles, posts and overhead cables where they patiently wait for any unsuspecting prey to pass by, but usually they hunt for food in the air by hovering effortlessly with their heads held down scanning the ground. They eat voles, shrews, rabbits and also birds such as starlings, pipits and larks. Kestrels can also be seen soaring and gliding in the sky with their wings held wide open and their tails spread out like a fan.

Kite (Red)

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:45:46 +0000

The Red Kite is a beautiful-looking bird of prey that has long wings and a long forked tail. It can stay and soar in the sky for hours hardly beating its wings and it often changes the angle of its long tail to steer as it hunts. It can mainly be found in central England in woodlands, on farmlands and on grassland.

The Red Kite has a striking chestnut-red coloured body with darker streaks and a grey-white head. Its tail is an orange-red colour and its legs and feet are bright yellow. The underside of the wings from the base to the middle is black along the outer edges and from the middle to the tip of the wings there is a striking white patch. The finger-looking tips of the wings are also black. It has amber coloured eyes which are surrounded by yellow-lemon feathers. It has a wingspan of around two metres.

Red Kites can be seen singly or in pairs, but when food supply is in abundance, groups of Red Kites can be seen together. They glide quite low when they hunt for food such as voles, mice and rabbits and when they see their prey, they quickly dive and use their powerful talons to seize and carry their prey away. Red Kites will also eat earthworms, small birds and dead sheep, as well as other dead animals.

Owl (Barn)

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:41:21 +0000

The Barn Owl is a bird of prey with a snowy white, heart-shaped face and large black eyes which give this owl a rather ghost-like appearance. It has its name the ‘Barn Owl’ because it often nests in barns or silos high up in dark corners where humans can’t see it. Barns Owls also nest in tree hollows, ruined buildings and cliffs.

The Barn Owl has honey-coloured upperparts with darker markings and grey patches. Its underparts and the undersides of the wings are snowy white with light spotting, although the female tends to have darker spotting. The Barn Owl looks like it has a flat face because its beak points downwards. It can’t move its eyes around like a human can and this is why it moves its neck in almost every direction so it can get a better view all round.

Barn Owls have a wingspan of around ninety centimetres and in flight they seem to waver effortlessly up and down in the air. They can sometimes be seen hunting in the day, but they mostly hunt at night in open grassy fields and on roadside verges. They use their strong sense of hearing and not their eyes to locate prey, even though they have very good night vision. They eat mice, voles, shrews, rats and sometimes birds such as finches and thrushes.

Sponsored by: John Phillips, St. Leonards on Sea

Owl (Long-eared)

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:42:13 +0000

The Long-eared Owl has its name because it has two patches of long thin feathers on its head which look like ears. However, these feathers are not ears, but ‘ear-tufts’ which the owl raises when alarmed. This owl can be found in most parts of England in woods and forests where there is open countryside nearby, but it is very rarely seen because it perches very close up to the trunks of trees.

The Long-eared Owl is a long thin owl that is a rich brown colour with darker vertical brown streaks. It has long white eyebrows that run down to its beak and white ‘moustache’ feathers that almost hide the beak. It looks like it has a flat face because its beak points downwards and it has deep orange coloured eyes. The Barn Owl can move its neck in almost every direction so it can get a better view all round. It has a wingspan of around ninety-five centimetres and in flight it seems to waver effortlessly up and down in the air.

Long-eared Owls hunt at night in open grassy fields. They use their strong sense of hearing to locate prey in the dark of night and not their eyes, even though they have very good night vision. They eat voles, mice and birds that are resting in their roosts.

Sponsored By: John Philipps, Hastings

Owl (Short-eared)

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:42:49 +0000

The Short-eared Owl can be found in most parts of England and can occasionally be seen in the day hunting in open country and open rough grasslands. It has its name ‘Short-eared’ because it has two patches of short feathers on its head which look like ears. However, these feathers are not ears, but ‘ear-tufts’ and sometimes these tufts are so small that they are not easily seen.

The Short-eared Owl is a rich brown colour with lots of creamy brown vertical patches of feathers all over its body. It has a pale creamy-coloured face. It looks like it has a flat face because its black, hooked beak points downwards. It also has two striking yellow-coloured eyes which are surrounded by black patches of feathers. The Short-eared Owl can move its neck in almost every direction so it can get a better view all round.

Short-eared Owls prefer to hunt at dawn and dusk and they use their strong sense of hearing to locate prey, even though they have very good night vision. They mainly eat voles, rats, mice and sometimes small birds that are caught in flight. Short-eared Owls have a wingspan of around one hundred and five centimetres and they are often described as ‘bat-like’ when in flight because they beat their wings quite irregularly. They can also be seen perching on the ground as well as on fences and posts. They also perch in trees.

Owl (Tawny)

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:43:23 +0000

The Tawny Owl is sometimes known as the ‘brown owl’ because of its brown colouring and also the ‘wood owl’ because of its preference for living in woods. It is very rarely seen as it roosts in tree hollows or very close up to the trunks of trees. Sometimes it roosts amongst the leaves of ivy plants. It can be found throughout England in woodlands and sometimes on farmlands, in parks and churchyards with large trees.

The Tawny Owl has reddish brown upperparts with darker brown and white markings. It also has white broken lines running down the length of its wings. It has a ring of dark brown feathers around its brown face and two large black eyes. It is regarded as quite a friendly-looking owl. It also has long white eyebrows that run down to its beak and white ‘moustache’ feathers that almost hide the beak. It looks like it has a flat face because its beak points downwards. The Barn Owl can move its neck in almost every direction so it can get a better view all round.

Tawny Owls mainly hunt at night from perches where they patiently wait for any unsuspecting prey to pass by. They eat voles, mice, shrews, frogs, beetles, worms and sometimes small birds which are caught in flight. Tawny Owls have a wingspan of around eighty-five to ninety centimetres and they can fly very fast and very direct.

Peregrine Falcon

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:43:57 +0000

The Peregrine is a large and powerful falcon that is also known as the Peregrine Falcon. It can mainly be found in the west of England in open country, along rocky sea coasts and sometimes on buildings in towns. It has been recorded as the fastest bird in the world because it can reach up to three hundred and twenty-two kilometres per hour when it swoops down from the sky.

The Peregrine has blue-grey upperparts and cream coloured underparts with black streaky markings. The top part of its head is a blackish colour and its throat and most of its face are a whitish colour. It also has black feathers on either side of its face which make it seem like it has a long moustache. Its blue-grey wings are long and pointed and its tail is relatively short. It has orange coloured eyes and a black hooked beak.

Peregrine Falcons have a wingspan of around eighty to one hundred and twenty centimetres and they can beat their wings very fast. They can also glide in the air for long distances too. Peregrine Falcons often hunt for birds in the air and birds such as pigeons, lapwings, starlings and black-headed gulls are often caught in flight.