Category Environtal Studies

Except for isolated populations in Central Asian highlands, the gyrfalcon is found mostly in the Arctic region. It has a fully feathered leg and the plumage varies from pure white with black speckling to dark grey. They usually reach a size of more than half a meter. Female gyrfalcons are often double the weight of male gyrfalcons.

Gyrfalcons hunt by fast flight low over the ground. They usually hunt in a horizontal pursuit and do not normally stoop swiftly from heights. Most of their preys are killed on the ground, whether they are taken during flight, or captured on the ground. A large portion of their diet consists of ptarmigan and waterfowl. They occasionally feed on fish and other mammals as well.

Gyrfalcons are used widely in falconry. These birds are generally silent, but whenever they get excited, they are loud.

It is easy to distinguish a Brahminy kite from other birds of prey; adults have a reddish-brown body plumage contrasting with their white head and breast. Also known as the red-backed sea-eagle, the Brahminy kite is a bird of prey found mainly on the coast and in inland wetlands.

This kite is a familiar sight in the skies of Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia and as far south as Australia. Brahminy kites usually prey on fish and insects. They often steal food from other birds, such as gulls, terns, ibis and other raptors. They also often scavenge carrion on the ground like many others in their family. They also take advantage of schools of Irrawaddy dolphins that bring fish to the surface.

Brahminy kites roost communally on large and isolated trees and as many as 600 have been seen at one location!

The peregrine falcon is the world’s most widespread raptor and one of the most widely found bird species. Also known as the duck hawk, it is the most widely distributed species of bird of prey. Breeding populations of peregrine falcons are found on every continent except Antarctica and some oceanic islands.

The peregrine falcon also enjoys the reputation of being the fastest bird on Earth. It can fly at a speed of 300 km/h. In fact, it is the fastest of any living creature on Earth. According to the National Geographic, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h!

Peregrine falcons are formidable hunters; they can catch prey in the middle of a flight. Peregrines hunt from above and, after sighting their prey, drop into a steep, swift dive. Although its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, peregrines will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Sixteen sub-species of the peregrine are identified so far.

Saker falcons are patient while watching for prey; when the prey is spotted, they suddenly dive for the kill. Unlike the peregrine’s stoop from a height, Saker falcons hunt in horizontal pursuit. They feed on rodents and small birds. Their diet mostly consists of feral pigeons and ground squirrels.

The Saker falcon is a raptor of open grasslands. It has an exceptionally broad wingspan, ranging from 105-130 centimeters. A Saker falcon usually doesn’t build a nest. It lays eggs in an old nest in a tree which was previously used by other birds such as storks, ravens or buzzards.

Saker falcons are not very social animals. However, in places where food is plentiful, they nest close to one another. This bird is widely used in falconry.

The Philippine eagle is known as the monkey-eating eagle because people believed that this bird preyed on monkeys. Contrary to this popular belief, the Philippine eagle does not eat monkeys though it preys on a range of animals including rodents, bats, snakes, and pigs.

The Philippine eagle is endemic to the Philippines. This bird is recognized as the national bird of the country. It can be identified by its brown and white-coloured plumage and a shaggy crest. It is an apex predator and like many other predators, it is opportunistic. Its choice of food depends on availability and ease of catching prey.

Philippine eagles use two techniques to hunt- still hunting and perch hunting. They either watch for prey while sitting almost motionlessly on trees, or periodically gliding from one perch to another. The population of the Philippine eagle is declining due to loss of habitat and other human intervention. It is categorized as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Picture Credit : Google

Let not the name ‘bald eagle’ deceives you. Bald eagles are not actually bald. The term bald refers to the white plumage on their head; the term bald meant white-headed in olden times. This ‘bald’ bird is the national bird of the US.

The bald eagle is a sea eagle found along the coasts of North America and riversides. It is not a picky eater. The diet of a bald eagle is constituted primarily of fish. It catches fish by swooping down and grabbing fish that are near the surface of a lake or stream. It occasionally eats small mammals. It is also known to steal food from other birds and occasion-ally feeds on carrion as well.

The adult male is about 90 cm long and has a wingspan of 2 metres. Females grow somewhat larger than males; they may reach 108 cm in length and have a wingspan of 2.5 metres!