Incredible Species Newsletter - Raptors
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Raptors at RiskThe Fastest Bird on EarthHave you ever been dive-bombed by a large, squawking bird with long, pointed wings? If so, you may have come too close to the nest of a peregrine falcon. If a peregrine swooped down on you, you would remember because this falcon is the fastest bird on earth. NestingThe favourite spot for a peregrine falcon to make its nest is on the ledge of a cliff. When it can't find one, it will use abandoned nests or even the ledges of buildings in urban areas. The peregrine doesn't use materials to build its nest; it just scrapes out a hollow to lay its eggs. The Raptor – A Bird of PreyThis falcon is a raptor which means it hunts and kills its food. Unlike other birds, that use their beaks to catch prey, the peregrine uses its strong feet and sharp talons. This falcon is so good at hunting that licensed falconers can buy one and train it to hunt for them. (Falconry is a practice that is thousands of years old.) The WandererThe name "peregrine" means "wanderer". This bird has one of the longest migration routes of all the birds in North America. It has been known to travel up to 25,000 km (15,500 mi) in a year. Falcons from southern Ontario fly to Central and South America in the winter. The Pesticide ProblemThe peregrine is at the top of the food chain, eating mostly other medium-sized birds. Sometimes the birds it eats consume grain and insects that have been sprayed with pesticides. The pesticide DDT interfered with the peregrine's breeding pattern and resulted in the loss of many eggs and chicks. Before the pesticide DDT was banned in the 1970s the peregrine falcon was considered extirpated (completely gone) from Ontario.
When they spot their prey, falcons bob their heads up and down. This helps focus their vision clearly on their target.
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Canada's Largest Bird of Prey, the Bald EagleAnother raptor that is making a comeback in Ontario is the bald eagle. Like the falcon, it was nearly extirpated in southern Ontario due to the effects of DDT. It was reclassified as a species of "special concern" in September 2009.
Eagles build their nests in the tops of tall trees, usually near water. They are always adding sticks to their nests. The largest bald eagle nest on record weighed 2 tons!
A Raptor in the Classroom?The Canadian Peregrine Foundation offers a great program to schools in southern Ontario. The foundation will send a biologist to the school to introduce the peregrine falcon to students. Not only will students learn all about raptors they'll even have the opportunity to meet a live falcon! After meeting a beautiful peregrine named Scotty, students in a grade 4 class at Meadowlane Public School in Kitchener Ontario, were inspired to help out. They raised 106.00 through a bake sale and donated the money to the Canadian Peregrine Foundation to help save the falcons. Visit the Canadian Peregrine Foundation's website to learn more about the program.
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