PEREGRINE
Falco peregrinus
Famous as the fastest bird on Earth, with birds in mid-stoop having been recorded, in 2018, at over 200mph. Prey is struck at the end of the stoop and is often killed instantly by the impact.
Peregrines are large and powerful falcons, with the typical falcon body plan of long pointed wings allowing for great speed. They are a slate grey above, with darker wingtips and paler rumps. The head is grey with white chin, throat and cheeks, and black moustachial markings, giving a distinctive helmeted appearance. Below, the birds are white and variously spotted with black. Females tend to be more heavily marked than males and are also significantly larger.
Peregrines are found around much of world, with various races and subspecies represented. In desert areas they are replaced by closely related ‘sister’ species such as Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides).
VITAL STATISTICS
Size: Average 42cm, wingspan 102cm. Females (1.1kg) larger than males (670g).
Status: Resident breeding bird and winter visitor.
Population size: 1,700 pairs.
Conservation status: GREEN (least concern), downgraded from AMBER in 2009 due to stable population. Numbers in north and west falling, but numbers in lowland and urban areas increasing and balancing overall population size.
Lifespan: Average in the wild of 6 years. Adults have an 80% year-to-year survival. Roughly half of juveniles will survive their first year. The oldest known wild bird was almost 22 years old (ringing recovery).
Nesting: Peregrines can breed from 2 years of age. Nest scrapes are placed on rocky edges, cliffs, quarries and mountains with no nesting material, eggs being laid directly on the substrate. Occasionally birds will nest on the ground and tree nesting is not unknown. Increasingly birds are nesting on man-made structures, industrial buildings, churches and high-rise buildings, with birds preferring to place their nests on the highest local point. Building-nesting birds will often happily take to installed nesting platforms. Find out more here.
Clutches are laid from end of March to mid-April and only one brood is raised a year. The female does most of the incubating, but both birds provision the young. Care is given to the chicks for several months after fledging, with adults providing food and teaching the youngsters to catch live prey.
Number of eggs: 3-4
Incubation: 31-33 days
Fledging time: 39-40 days
Peregrines are very aggressive in defending their nests against perceived danger and will eagerly attack any large birds that pass over the area. Buzzards and Red Kites are regularly targeted, with some pairs adept at grounding or even killing such large birds. There have been records of Peregrines attacking and killing Golden Eagles near their nests
Distribution: They breed throughout Scotland, Wales, the north and south-west of England and coastal areas of Northern Ireland. They now also breed in several major cities. In winter they can also be seen along the south and eastern coastal areas of England.
Movements: Non-migratory, British Peregrines are resident, although there is significant dispersal of young birds from their natal sites. Numbers of European birds winter in the UK in addition to the resident birds. Although hard to identify in the field, there have been claims of F. peregrinus tundrius (northern North America) and F. peregrinus calidus (northern Europe) in UK.
Feeding: Peregrines feed almost exclusively on medium-sized birds, a huge variety of species are taken generally during an aerial stoop, and waterfowl and pigeons are favourites in the UK. In urban areas, the main component of the Peregrine's diet is the Feral Pigeon although collection of remains has shown a surprising range of species taken. Very occasionally Peregrines will take bats, or even terrestrial mammals, but this is unusual. Hunting takes place mostly at dawn and dusk, although urban birds use artificial light to allow them to hunt at night, targeting migrating birds moving overhead.
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
The Long-eared Owl could possibly win the most attractive bird award. Stunningly beautiful, but the eponymous long ears (actually feather tufts – the actual ears are hidden on the side of the head under the facial disc feathers) are not visible when the bird is flying or isn’t feeling relaxed. When seen perched the finely speckled feathers are distinctive, along with orangey-rufous patches. The eyes are a striking orange, but the eyes are closed at roost if the bird feels threatened.
If seen in flight, at dusk, the likelihood of confusion with Short-eared Owl is surprisingly high, and the wing markings are very similar. The best features to use are the lack of trailing white edge to the upper wings, and the presence of a dark ‘C-shaped’ ‘elbow’ mark below the wing, with blunt, diffusely marked wingtips. Due to its elusiveness, one of the best ways of discovering Long-eared Owls is to hear the strange calls of begging youngsters during summer – sounding remarkably like squeaky gates!
Long-eared Owls are found right across Europe and into Asia, with northern populations ‘leap-frogging resident southerly populations, and wintering in North Africa, India and China. It is also a wide-spread bird in North America.
VITAL STATISTICS
Size: Average 36cm, wingspan 95cm. Weight averages 290g.
Status. Resident breeder. Passage/winter visitor.
Population size. 3,500 pairs.
Conservation status: GREEN (Least concern).
Lifespan: Average age in the wild is 4 years. Adults have a 69% year-to-year survival. First year survival is just 48%. The oldest known wild bird was almost 13 years old (ringing recovery).
Nesting: Long-eared Owls are scarce and very elusive breeding birds. They favour conifers to nest in and use stick nests, often old corvid or raptor nests. Surprisingly they will readily take to provided nest baskets and will even nest in wicker dog baskets!
Number of eggs: 3-4
Incubation: 28 days
Fledging time: 29-34 days
Habitat and Distribution: Being such elusive and nocturnal creatures Long-eared Owls are very difficult to monitor and survey and it is likely that there are more present than recorded. Breeding season distribution shows a northerly and easterly focus, although birds are recorded breeding over the whole country, including off-shore islands and right over Ireland, where it is much more frequent. Nesting invariably occurs in conifers, so areas of conifer plantations such as Thetford Forest in East Anglia are hotspots for the species. Despite this, in some areas Long-eared Owls will nest in shelter belts, deciduous woodland or even scrub. In winter many Long-eared Owls from continental Europe visit us and these birds can sometimes be very approachable. Every year there are records of newly arrived birds roosting out in the open on garden fences, or other equally obvious locations. Long-eared Owls in winter tend to roost communally, often in hedges or patches of scrub.
Movements: Long-eared Owl is one of the few owls that undertakes long distance journeys. Most of our resident birds are sedentary, especially towards the west of the UK but, in the east, varying numbers of birds from continental Europe, from as far afield as Finland, visit for winter, crossing the North Sea with apparent ease – although they are often encountered resting on oil rigs and ships.
Feeding: Small rodents are the main prey of Long-eared Owls although they will take other small mammals and even small birds. Its food brings it into competition with Tawny Owl, a bigger and more dominant species. In Ireland, where there are no Tawny Owls, it is the dominant species and can be found in many different habitats, including urban ones. Despite being a bird of woodland, much of its prey is found in open grassland and other open habitats and Long-eared Owls habitually hunt outside of the wooded habitats they breed in.
Merlin
Falco columbarius
Our smallest falcon, the tiny Merlin makes up for its lack of size with sheer determination and lack of fear – they have even been recorded trying to ‘catch’ cars! Perhaps best known as a lady’s falcon in Medieval times, Merlin are specialist in catching birds and were popular for catching larks. It is definitely a bird that lives up to the ‘dashing’ falcon label!
Merlin are found all around the northern hemisphere breeding across norther North America, Europe and northern Asia, across to Japan and north eastern Russia. Many populations are migratory, and birds winter in North and Central America, and even into South America, most of mainland Europe and North Africa, Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and China. There are a number of different sub-species across its range including two in Europe. The British breeding birds share characteristics of both sub-species.
In Britain this is a bird that is only usually encountered in lowland areas in winter and is always an exciting find. With typical falcon shape of triangular, pointed wings it is sometimes difficult to separate on plumage characteristics from the other falcons when, as often, the size is not apparent. Males are slate grey above, similar in colour to Peregrine, but lacking the paler rump area of that species, and with a broad, black terminal tail band. Although the wing tips are darker, they are also boldly spotted with white. Underneath they are fairly pale, with heavy streaking on the chest and belly, strongly barred wings and dark-tipped tail. Females and young birds are browner, with dark brown and rusty brown patterning. The wings are broad-based and short but very pointed, and the tail is proportionally long.
VITAL STATISTICS
Size: Average 28cm, wingspan 56cm. Females (230g) larger than males (180g).
Status. Resident breeder. Passage/winter visitor.
Population size. 1,100 pairs.
Conservation status: RED (Due to historical population and range decline).
Lifespan: Average age in the wild is 3 years. Adults have a 62% year-to-year survival. First year survival is 23%. The oldest known wild bird was almost 13 years old (ringing recovery).
Nesting: British birds most commonly nest in simple scrapes on the ground in amongst dense heather, or on rock outcrops, but tree nesting in old corvid or raptor nests is well-recorded and some birds will even nest on buildings within its wider world range. As with many birds of prey the female does most if not all of the incubating.
Number of eggs: 4-5
Incubation: 30 days
Fledging time: 28-31 days
Habitat and Distribution: During the breeding season, Merlin is a species of open upland and moorland habitats, although it will breed in open coniferous woodland as well. During the winter it is found over a much wider range of habitats including coastal areas, farmland and lowland heath. Breeding season distribution is northern and western Britain (although it is scarce away from coastal areas in Ireland) including off-shore islands. Merlin can turn up pretty much anywhere in winter, although it is never a common bird.
Movements: Many of our breeding birds move into the lowlands once the breeding season is over, usually within 100 km of their natal areas, although a few will cross into western and southern Europe, with some individuals reaching southern France or Spain. Britain is an important wintering area for Icelandic breeding Merlin and many of the individuals encountered in winter will be from this population.
Feeding: Merlin specialise in hunting birds, usually in flight. Unlike Kestrels, which invariably hover looking for mammal or invertebrate prey, Merlins chase their prey in agile, high-speed pursuits. Small passerines such as Meadow Pipit and Skylark are favourite targets, although they will tackle larger prey such as Starling and wading birds are readily tackled. Merlin fly low and fast, aiming to flush their prey into the air, and have been recorded hunting cooperatively, with one bird flushing prey towards their mate. Merlins have been recorded hunting using a distinctive clipped flight style, possibly appearing to other birds less like a falcon and more like the similarly-sized Mistle Thrush, allowing closer approach before their true identity is discovered.
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculus
Our most familiar and common falcon, the Kestrel is famous as a ‘motorway hawk’, often seen hovering over roadside verges. It is the only commonly occurring falcon in Britain that habitually hovers, although Lesser Kestrel and Red-footed Falcon in Europe also use this hunting technique. Buzzard and Rough-legged Buzzard also habitually hover.
It was believed, and may be partially the case, that hovering birds were watching for movement - certainly regardless of how much the body moves the head remains remarkable still while the bird is concentrating on the ground - but it is now known that vole urine (which is constantly dribbled as the animal goes about its life) fluoresces and Kestrels are able to see the urine trails in the grass, leading them with a ‘road map’ to where the animal currently is.
Despite the classic hovering hunting method being so well-known, Kestrels prefer to employ the sit and wait approach to hunting, spending long periods sitting still on a post, tree or rock, watching until some item of prey is spotted, when the bird will slip off to pounce. In fact, hovering could be considered a sit and wait hunting technique where there is no suitable perch to use.
Our Kestrel, known elsewhere in its range as Common Kestrel, is one of a group of similar species many of which are extremely range-restricted island species.
VITAL STATISTICS
Size: Average 34 cm, wingspan 76cm. Females (220g) larger than males (190g).
Status. Resident breeder. Passage/winter visitor.
Population size. 45,000 pairs.
Conservation status: AMBER (Due to recent breeding population decline).
Lifespan: Average age in the wild is 4 years. Adults have a 69% year-to-year survival. First year survival is 32%. The oldest known wild bird was almost 16 years old (ringing recovery).
Nesting: Unusually among British birds of prey, Kestrel is a cavity nester, preferring holes in cliffs, trees or buildings. They can be found nesting inside industrial structures and readily take to nest boxes. Kestrels are remarkably tolerant of other near-by Kestrels and may nest semi-colonially in areas of high numbers. Only the female incubates the eggs, but both birds brood and provision the young.
Number of eggs: 4-5
Incubation: 28-29 days
Fledging time: 32-37 days
Habitat and Distribution: Kestrels are familiar and widespread, only absent from areas in the most extreme north and west of the country. Although birds of fairly open country, they adapt well to a range of habitats and can be found in urban areas, farmland and even large gardens as well as open heathland, moorland and upland areas.
Movements: Most British Kestrels are fairly sedentary, with some 75% not moving more than 70km from their natal area. As with most birds of prey, however, young birds may travel more widely before settling to breed. Kestrels can easily travel over open water, and regularly cross the North Sea. Many Scandinavian birds, escaping harsh winters, will winter in the UK.
Feeding: Kestrels feed almost exclusively on small mouse-sized mammals. Voles are a favourite, although in certain areas young Rats may be an important food source exposing Kestrels to commercial rodent poisons. Kestrels are, however, very adaptable birds and will make use of any opportunities as they arrive, including taking birds, especially nestlings, invertebrates, bats, reptiles and amphibians but they lack the agility to be especially good predators of birds, unlike the other falcons Merlin, Peregrine and Hobby. Each Kestrel requires the equivalent of 4-8 voles a day.
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