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BUFFALO AUDUBON FALCON CAM
Falcon Facts
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Click here to return to the Falconcam Click here for the Nesting History. Click here for links to other falconcams.
The Buffalo Falcon Cam is a joint effort between the following... |
CLASSIFICATION: The family Falconidae is divided into several subfamilies (forest falcons, pygmy falcons [sometimes called falconets], caracaras and falcons). Falconinae is comprised of falcons, gyrfalcons and kestrels, all in the genus Falco (39 species). The Medieval English translation of the Latin falco peregrinus is "pilgrim falcon." The bird was named the Pilgrim Falcon by the medieval falconers because the young peregrines were caught during migration (on "pilgrimage") from the nesting place rather than taking them from the nest. Falcon is actually a term for the female, the male being called tercel from the German "terzel" meaning "one-third." The male is 1/3 smaller than the female. The falcon, the larger, more powerful hunter, is the bird of choice for falconry. RANGE: Peregrines prefer semi-forested areas and were once found in nearly all climate zones, even occasionally utilizing tundra and deserts. The use of the pesticide DDT was the primary reason their populations became greatly reduced and they became highly endangered. Their range is once again increasing, with new nest sites being reported every year. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Length: 13 inches, male; 19 inches, female Coloration: The head is black with heavy moustache stripes; back and upper wing surface slate gray (dark brown barring may be present); tail barred on grey, not white dorsally, white between the bars ventrally, tail tip has light band, often yellowish; throat and entire breast white to orange; dark flecks from base of throat to chest; belly and flanks barred, more heavily in females; beak slate blue with a yellow cere; feet are bright yellow. Juveniles are darker all over, and the breast is striped rather than barred. DIET: Almost exclusively birds, which they strike from the air. The swept-back wings are the most striking feature of a flying falcon. Falcons are known for their high speed flight, and the Peregrine is thought to be the fastest bird, accurately clocked at 90 meters per second. A contender is the Prairie Falcon. Incidentally, in the making of airplanes, especially jets, humans came onto a problem. As planes got faster and faster, the engines started choking out at a certain speed. It seems that the air, instead of going into the cowl of the engine, encountered a wall of still air and engine cowl and so split and went around the engine. Puzzled, the researchers wondered how the falcons could still breathe at such incredible speeds. Looking at the falcon's nostrils, they found the answer. In the opening of the nostril is a small cone that protrudes a bit. Fashioning a similar cone in the opening of the jet engine, they discovered that the air could pass into the engine even at great speed. Once again a human invention is preceded by an animal adaptation. Because of their size difference, male and female Peregrines take different prey species. This is known as resource partitioning and eliminates competition between the pair, a common feature in medium to large raptors. Interestingly, those raptors that do not have a marked size difference between the sexes do have sexual dimorphism in color (e.g., the American Kestrel). BEHAVIOR: A hunting pair of falcons may double-team a prey bird, confusing it and making a kill more likely. Falcons that take birds often hit them from out of the sun, which makes it easier for the falcons to see, and consequently makes it nearly impossible for the prey species to see them coming (a tactic adopted be fighter pilots). When striking at great speed, the falcon may knuckle the prey, stunning it, then circle rapidly back to take the falling bird in talons. Falcons do not usually kill with the talons, but rather with a bite to the back of the head. In so doing they make use of their notched, or "toothed," beak. Peregrines have always been a preferred species for falconry and nest robbing for the highly prized chicks became popular in the years before their plight was realized and they became a protected endangered species. The Peregrine Recovery Program has been very successful, largely due to the falconry clubs and the breeding programs that followed the ban of DDT in the USA. [Interestingly, DDT can still be manufactured here and sent to other countries for their use.] Because of the recovery program and the subsequent natural expansion of the species, there are breeding pairs established all across the US. The establishment of nest and roost sites on inner-city high-rises -- window ledges and custom made shelves on nice artificial cliffs -- has had a two-fold effect: the creation of nuclear populations in close proximity to humans, with human gratitude because of the large-scale pigeon control that followed. BREEDING: Warm temperate to tropical birds do not migrate, but if the pair does migrate, they travel together. They pair for life. A territory is fiercely defended. They usually nest on steep cliff ledges, often
using a nest of another species. The 2 - 4 eggs are yellowish
with brown speckles. The female incubates, the male hunts for
her. The female hunts after the chicks hatch and the resource
partitioning provides a broader menu. Chicks disperse in the
fall. |
A Special Thanks goes out to the following...
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