Reproduced by kind permission of the Hawk & Owl Trust
The Peregrine Falcon, Falco- peregrinus is the swiftest animal on Earth ,though wind speeds and the length of the descent will vary in every situation Peregrines can achieve speeds of over 300 kph ( 200 mph ) when descending from the sky after their prey.
Peregrines are hawks and have been persecuted and illegally traded for many years , their eggs stolen from them, by collectors and the young traded on the falconry market. Fortunately they are legally protected in some regions e.g the UK. Other threats they face are from the encroachment of humans into their habitats and pesticides .Peregrines form pair bonds for life and often return to the same nesting site, preferring high cliff top locations.
The male peregrine is smaller than the female often a third smaller which is common in birds of prey.
The Hawk & Owl Trust is a Charity in England founded in 1969 , dedicated to conservation work for birds of prey in the wild, Part of the Trust’s work is to educate people including children about these beautiful birds and the need to preserve their habitats.
There is a shortage of nesting sites for these birds- and a food shortage all due to human encroachment of the land. The Trust helps to provide nesting sites and to conserve the places where hawks and owls feed, so in turn other wildlife associated with the birds of prey food chain get to benefit and thrive e,g field voles, sky larks, dragon flies and grass snakes.
Hawks and owls are carnivorous – obligate meat eaters top carnivores in the food chain.Humans are not obligate carnivores.
The Hawk & Owl Trust help to create and manage nesting, roosting and feeding habitats; and they carry out practical research; and welcome visitors to heir wildlife reserves, education centres and outreach projects., Research carried out is not about killing the wild life or harming them for human purposes.
We can help wildlife in practical ways therefore and by allowing them to”be”allowing them space they will show up if they want to and possibly connect with us ,we don’t need to bombard them with “messages”, but to develop a respect, a silence and a reverence for them.
Written by Wendy Datta
Posted 30th December 2014
© Wendy Datta 2014 All Rights Reserved
