holy shiznit.... peregrine falcons are awesome!

[Beau]

I was driving around town today when I noticed this falcon circling above. Suddenly it swooped down and bombed a tabby cat... just sat there for a minute and took off again... with the cat! :Q I didn't think they could lift that much. I'm sure it was a peregrine, I had a very good look at it, and have two peregrine falcon boxes at my grandma's house with resident falcons. Damn that was awesome!

 

[thawolfman]

Poor Kitty! :Q

 

[datalink7]

I believe that is the fastest bird in the world. Can't it go over 150mph or something?

 

[rudeguy]

sweet...wish you had taken some pics for us though

 

[HappyPuppy]

We have lots of red tail hawks in CA. If you're up in the hills long enough you can spot one catching prey. It is awesome to see a hawk swoop down and kill an endangered species!

 

[m2kewl]

there are some in nyc, in the tall buildings next to central park in nyc. they are badass...

 

[ThaGrandCow]

So is that gods way of killing a kitten when someone was playing with themself?

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

I had to do a presentation on peregrine falcons about 8 months ago for biology, I don't think I have any pics saved tho

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
I had to do a presentation on peregrine falcons about 8 months ago for biology, I don't think I have any pics saved tho

you suck!!!! you must provide us some kind of interesting pics to repent

 

[Novgrod]

it's unlikely it was a peregrine falcon, since they only only only eat birds (and birds on the wing at that). or so says peterson's field guide to birds of texas.

Maybe it was a freaky genetically screwed up peregrine; i dunno. But it's still pretty cool

and file this under more than you wanted to know: the reason perigrine falcons only eat birds is that they circle above where you could see them, then they dive at up to 200 mph, whacking the bird on the fly. If you're trying to pick something off the ground and you're moving at 200 mph, a smallish mistake can be a be a problem. and their genus species is falco peregrinus.


in other nature news there's a wren nest by my back door, and every evening i watch two of them bring in worms, spiders, etc. very cool.

edit for dumb misspelling.

 

[Beau]

I would have taken some pics if I still had my D1

Peregrines are incredible birds. I grew up next door to a guy who was a wild-life rescue & rehabilitator. He had a peregrine that was basically his pet because it had part of it's wing amputated and was blind in one eye. Beautiful bird though.

 

[Beau]

Originally posted by: Novgrod
it's unlikely it was a peregrine falcon, since they only only only eat birds (and birds on the wing at that). or so says peterson's field guide to birds of texas.

Maybe it was a freaky genetically screwed up peregrine; i dunno. But it's still pretty cool

and file this under more than you wanted to know: the reason perigrine falcons only eat birds is that they circle above where you could see them, then they dive at up to 200 mph, whacking the bird on the fly. If you're trying to pick something off the ground and you're moving at 200 mph, a smallish mistake can be a be a problem. and their genus species is falco peregrinus.


in other nature news there's a wren nest by my back door, and every evening i watch two of them bring in worms, spiders, etc. very cool.

edit for dumb misspelling.

That's what was throwing me trough the loop too, is that I know that peregrines only eat other birds... but I'm sure it was a peregrine.

 

[Novgrod]

maybe a prairie falcon?

or some other sort of kissing cousin?

 

[Scope]

In Southern Ontario[Can] humans have destroyed so much of the Great Horned Owl's habitat that they have become quite urbanized. They have now become a major predator of house cats. The natural history teacher at my Uni was insanely fun to learn from, he brought cool stuff to class all the time.

Scope!

 

[Mookow]

They've introduced a couple of those to my campus. I have only once seen one hit a bird, but it was spectacular. The robin/crow (it was a bad angle to see color, only got size) was flying around, minding its business, when the falcon impacted... a few black feathers went flying.

I saw a falcon perched in a tree only 15' or so above me later that same week. I think I spent a good 10 minutes looking at it

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: datalink7
I believe that is the fastest bird in the world. Can't it go over 150mph or something?

Laden or unladen?

 

[A5]

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
So is that gods way of killing a kitten when someone was playing with themself?

LOL

 

[notfred]

A peregrine falcon isn't big enough to lift a cat.

 

[bentwookie]

you sure it wasn't a squirell?

 

[NokiaDude]

The Friday before Spring Break here in Escondido CA, we had a Hawk or Falcon swoop down and take a crow. He landed 20 feet away on school grounds and then proceeded to tear apart the crow like it was nothing in front of hundreds of bustling students.

 

[Telgin]

Here's a webcam

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/default.htm

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/default.htm

turn your autoparse on

 

[iamme]

i remember doing a report on the peregine falcon, as a kid. i remember during dives, they would reach crazy speeds. cool stuff

 

[calpha]

I went to a military academy and they had a fleet of the the birds.

The fastest mammal on the planet. They trained them and brought them out at games and demonstrations. I didn't think they were that cool then until I saw discovery a few years later w/ a film of a peregrine hitting another bird in the air. Sad for the small bird....but it was killed by the impact....not just it's talons.

Amazing Bird. Just plain amazing. 260 I believe was the fastest speed they were said to be able to go. But I could be wrong....its' been 10 years.

 

[BooGiMaN]

This reminds me of a show i was watchign on animal planet, they were in bazil and the guy was holding this huge eagle i think it was and eagle.
But that thing was huge almost half the size of the man and with huge claws....and i mean raptor type claws....i never realized how big they got til they showed it next to a man.