BIRDS of PREY or RAPTORS

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BIRDS of PREY or RAPTORS
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CONTENT

• Identification natural history
• Human influences on populations
• Common situations leading to rescue

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What is a RAPTOR?

• The terms bird of prey or raptor describe
  birds which generally have
• a hooked beak
• talons
• All of these birds catch prey with their feet,
  except vultures, which are generally scavengers.

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UK Residents

• Accipitridae (hawks)
• common buzzard, sparrowhawk, goshawk, hen
  harrier, marsh harrier, red kite and golden
  eagle.
• Falconidae (falcons)
• kestrel, peregrine, hobby merlin
• Strigidae (owls)
• tawny, little, long-eared short-eared owls
• Tytonidae (barn owls)
• barn owl

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Human Influences On Populations (1)

• Raptors traditionally regarded as pests of young
  game birds
• Control by gamekeepers during the 1800s
  severely reduced several UK species
• Poisoning of birds of prey outlawed by 1911
  Protection of Animals Act further protection
  under Protection of Birds Act (1954)
• Dramatic decline in raptor populations in 50s
  60s - led to voluntary ban on organochlorine
  pesticides in UK

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Human Influences On Populations (2)

• Increased popularity of falconry in Europe and
  the USA led to
• theft of eggs and young birds from the wild
• development of breeding programmes by falconers
  during the 1970s
• Some wild populations fully recovered from the
  pesticide crisis but illegal persecution
  continues
• Successful reintroduction programmes
  havere-established the European goshawk
  (Accipiter gentilis) and red kite (Milvus milvus)
  in the UK.

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Raptors and rehabilitation

• Species commonly encountered by rehabilitators
• Tawny owl (Strix aluco)
• Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
• Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
• Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
• Barn owl (Tyto alba)
• Little owl (Athene noctua)

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Hawks and falcons
Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)
Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
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Owls
Barn owl (Tyto alba)
Tawny owl (Strix aluco)
Little owl (Athene noctua)
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Most common casualty species rescued by Raptor
Rescue(2000-2006)
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Common SituationsLeading To Rescue
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Common SituationsLeading To Rescue
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Common SituationsLeading To Rescue
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Common SituationsLeading To Rescue
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Causes of incapacity recorded by Raptor Rescue
during 2003-05
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Causes of incapacity recorded by Raptor Rescue
during 2003-05

• Unnatural causes' of injuries would include the
  following
• burns from fire or chemicals
• entanglements and ligatures around body parts
• collision with overhead lines or windows
• shooting
• Other' category includes
• bird has taken up residence where it is in
  danger/not wanted
• member of the public hands in a healthy bird and
  refuses to take it back
• an imprinted bird
• an unwanted captive-bred bird for re-homing
•  

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Causes of incapacity recorded by Raptor Rescue
during 2003-05

• Human activity accounts for 53 of casualties
  from this sample
• (not including natural causes, abandoned birds
  and the Other category).
• Road traffic accidents are the greatest single
  cause of raptor casualties (27.5) directly
  related to human activity

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SUMMARY

• Raptor populations have been (and some still
  are) severely affected by farming and
  game-keeping
• Several species are now being reintroduced into
  the UK
• Rehabilitators commonly encounter 6 species
• (tawny owls are the most common casualties)
• Natural causes and RTAs are common situations
  leading to rescue of raptors
• Tawny owl chicks in particular are often mistaken
  for orphans by the general public

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Acknowledgements

• With thanks to Christine Shaw Thomson and Ian
  Taylor of Raptor Rescue (Reg. Charity 283733) for
  providing their casualty statistics