Looking like a giant swift, the hobby has very pointed, narrow, swept-back wings, heavily streaked underparts and red ‘trousers’. Peregrines can reach speeds of 242 mph/Credit: Lauren Tucker, Getty Hobby, Falco subbuteo It frequently soars with wings spread, but when hunting makes dramatic dives after prey. This powerful, chunky falcon, resembling a large kestrel but with a shorter tail, has stiff, rapid wing beats. Listen to our Plodcast – ringing honey buzzard chicks in a Welsh forest Eurasian honey buzzard migrate from sub-Saharan Africa through the straits of Gibraltar and Messina – relying on thermals to soar and so save energy./Credit: Getty Peregrine, Falco peregrinus Feeding initially on frogs and small mammals, it turns its attention to wasp nests as the summer progresses by tracking the flights of individual insects back to their nests. Buzzards are the commonest and most widespread birds of prey in the UK/Credit: Mike Lane, Getty Honey buzzard, Pernis apivorusĪnother buzzard-sized hawk but not closely related, the honey buzzard migrates in small numbers (fewer than 100 pairs) to Britain's forests every spring. It wheels about in the air on broad wings, with its tail fanned out and wingtip feathers widely splayed. A female hen harrier has broad wings to fly at low speeds as she scans the moor below for food./Credit: Getty Buzzard, Buteo buteoīritain’s commonest bird of prey, the buzzard is the species most often seen soaring. The female – known as a ring tale for the markings on her upper tail – is brown, the male a ghostly bluish grey. The courtship display – known as a sky-dance – is a rare but magical spectacle of early spring. It is Britain's most highly persecuted bird of prey for its perceived role in hunting grouse though it will take mammals or small birds as it hovers and quarters for prey low to the ground. Marsh harriers drift slowly and buoyantly over reedbeds and marshes before dropping suddenly onto small mammals, frogs and birds./Credit: Getty Hen harrier, Circus cyaneusĪfter wintering on coasts and marshlands, the hen harrier breeds on uplands often on driven grouse moorlands that are managed for shooting. Patrolling low over reedbeds, it keeps its head down to scan for prey. The marsh harrier flies with its wings lifted up in an obvious ‘V’ shape, though this can be hard to see from below. Red kites weigh about 1kg – relatively light for a bird of its size/Credit: Equilibrium99, Getty Marsh harrier, Circus aeruginosusĪ buzzard-sized bird of prey with a long tail. It has a buoyant flight style, constantly altering its wing and tail pitch to execute sudden changes of direction. This elegant bird of prey has a uniquely forked tail and angular wings that give it a rakish silhouette.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |