Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Falcon


True Wild Life | Falcon | Falcons are medium sized birds of prey found all across the world although falcons tend to prefer the more temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Falcons are best known for their ruthlessness and their incredible flying abilities. Falcons have tapered wings that allow the falcon to change direction extremely quickly especially when compared to other birds. Falcons have been recorded diving at speeds of up to 200mph, meaning they are the fastest creatures on the planet!


There are more than 40 different species of falcon that can be found all around the world such as the peregrine falcon and the black falcon. Falcons vary in size from 25cm tall to more than 60cm tall, but the height of the falcon depends on the species. The peregrine falcon is the most common bird of prey in the world and is found on every continent besides Antarctica. Falcons are birds of prey and are therefore known for their incredible hunting skills and being a ruthless, dominant predator within their environment. Falcons hunt their prey from the skies above and swoop down through the air to catch it once they have spotted a meal with their incredible eyesight. Falcons hunt all kinds of small animals like mice, frogs, fish and falcons will even catch small birds in the air.


Due to the large size, speed and alertness of the falcon, the falcon has few natural predators and even fewer that are actually airborne. Humans and wolves tend to be the main predators of the falcon on the ground and eagles and even large owls have been known to hunt the smaller species of falcon (and of course the young and inexperienced falcons) in the air. The eggs and chicks of the falcon are particularly vulnerable to being eaten. Falcons have adapted in many ways to maximise their chances of survival in the skies. The falcon has tapered wings that allow the falcon to be more agile; incredibly acute eyesight which enables the falcon to spot prey on the ground far below; an aerodynamic body shape means that the falcon glides through the air more easily and a sharp pointed beak helps the falcon to grab and eat it's prey more effectively.


Falcons nest on high ground such as mountains and cliffs and in the tops of tall trees. This means that the vulnerable eggs and chicks of the falcon are in the safest place possible. Falcons start to breed when they are about a year old. Female falcons lay an average of 3 eggs per clutch and look after their chicks until they are big enough and strong enough to fend for themselves. Falcons are generally solitary birds and only really come together to mate. Although falcons are known to stay in the same place, many species of falcon are migratory birds and have been known to travel more than 15,000 miles per year.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Unknown said...

Hi I need help with a, im not sure what it is but we say its a falcon. But its about 5 or 6 inches tall it has to black lines one on the upper corner of the eyes and one the lower corner of the eyes.I dont want to really turn it in for the reason that they might think I captured it illegally but in reality I saw it land next to my car and noticed that it couldnt fly so I caught with my sweater and have been feeding it raw meat for two days. Im guessing its a baby because I guess it got use to waiting for me to feed it. Its a really calm bird I just pick it up and feed it. If you got any information for me please email at pancho3ktd3ca@hotmail.com I really do need help, think of it this way if I was looking for one of these I think I would of know what to do. Ill send pictures if needed

Anonymous said...

Such beautiful, graceful creatures.
Pity that all those ignorant bird-murderers out there dont see the true beauty in these wonderful birds of prey!

Labels

Albatross Alligator Amphibian Angelfish Ant Anteater Antelope Ape Armadillo Aves Avocet Axolotl Baboon Badger Bandicoot Barb Barracuda Bat Bear Beaver Bee Beetle Binturong Bird Birds Of Paradise Bison Boar Bongo Bonobo Booby Budgerigar Buffalo Butterfly Butterfly Fish Caiman Camel Capybara Caracal Carnivore Cassowary Cat Caterpillar Catfish Cattle Centipede Chameleon Chamois Cheetah Chicken Chimpanzee Chinchilla Cichlid Civet Clouded Leopard Clown Fish Coati Cockroach Collared Peccary Common Buzzard Coral Cougar Cow Coyote Crab Crane Critically Endangered Crocodile Crustacean Cuscus Damselfly Deer Dhole Discus Dodo Dog Dolphin Donkey Dormouse Dragon Dragonfly Duck Dugong Eagle Echidna Eel Elephant Emu Endangered Extinct Falcon Ferret Fish Flamingo Flatfish Flounder Fly Fossa Fox Frog Gar Gazelle Gecko Gerbil Gharial Gibbon Giraffe Goat Goose Gopher Gorilla Grasshopper Grouse Guinea Fowl Guinea Pig Guppy Hamster Hare Hedgehog Herbivore Heron Hippopotamus Horse Human Hummingbird Hyena Ibis Iguana Impala Insect Invertebrate Jackal Jaguar Jellyfish Kangaroo Kingfisher Kiwi Koala Kudu Ladybird Ladybug Larvae Least Concern Lemming Lemur Leopard Lion Lionfish Lizard Llama Lobster Lynx Macaque Mammal Mammoth Manatee Mandrill Manta Ray Marsupial Mayfly Meerkat Millipede Mole Mollusca Molly Mongoose Monkey Moorhen Moose Moth Mouse Mule Near Threatened Newt Nightingale Numbat Octopus Okapi Olm Omnivore Opossum Orang Utan Oriole Ostrich Otter Owl Oyster Pademelon Panda Panther Parrot Peacock Pelican Penguin Phanter Pheasant Pig Pika Pike Piranha Platypus Pond Skater Possum Prawn Primate Puffer Fish Puffin Puma Quail Quoll Rabbit Raccoon Raccoon Dog Rare Rat Reindeer Reptile Rhinoceros Robin Rodent Salamander Scorpion Scorpion Fish Sea Dragon Sea Lion Sea Slug Sea Squirt Sea Urchin Seahorse Seal Serval Shark Sheep Shrew Shrimp Skunk Sloth Snail Snake Spider Sponge Squid Squirrel Starfish Stoat Swan Tamarin Tapir Tarantula Threatened Tiger Toad Tortoise Toucan Turkey Turtle Vulnerable Vulture Walrus Weasel Whale Wildebeest Wolf Woodlouse Woodpecker Worm Zebra