falcon

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This Falcon May Nab Kills 10K Feet Up
This Falcon May Make
Kills 10K Feet Up
NEW STUDY
Oct 25, 2024 8:32 AM CDT

This Falcon May Make Kills 10K Feet Up

Peregrine falcon suspected to have taken out GPS-tracked grey plover at 9,455 feet

(Newser) - Peregrine falcons are incredible hunters, known to ambush prey at speed or drop down on them from above. In direct pursuit, the raptor can reach speeds of up to 69mph. In a hunting stoop or dive, it can reach speeds up to 200mph. It can also, apparently, hunt at 10,...

This Bird Has Never Been Seen in the US Before—Until Now

Bat falcon spotted in Texas usually breeds in Mexico, Central and South America

(Newser) - A bird that has never been seen in the US before has made its way to the Lone Star State, per the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and there's pictorial proof. Peter Witt tells KSAT that when he and his wife visited the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge last...

West Point Prank Injures Air Force Mascot

Gyrfalcon was returned with bloodied wings

(Newser) - The United States Military Academy at West Point has apologized for a "prank" that injured the Air Force Academy's official mascot. Aurora, a 22-year-old white gyrfalcon, suffered injuries initially thought to be life-threatening after she was abducted along with another bird ahead of Saturday's annual Army-Air Force...

In a First, Falcon Has Cataract Surgery

4-year-old Banner gets new lenses, will be able to hunt again

(Newser) - It's a birding milestone: A falcon in New Hampshire has undergone eye surgery to remove cataracts and has received new synthetic lenses. Banner, a 4-year-old falcon, lost its sight and hasn't been able to fly or hunt for the past two years. This week, a team at Capital...

Air Force Uses Falcons to Protect Planes

Trained birds keeps nuisance birds away

(Newser) - The Air Force is using falcons to protect its planes, Network World reports. Unfortunately, the falcons aren't being fitted with sci-fi style lasers or missile launchers, but they perform a crucial function: protecting the aircraft from birds. Crows and other birds had become a nuisance at one Air Force base...

Forget Scarecrows: Falcons Keep Pesky Birds Away

Farmers nationwide fight feathers with feathers

(Newser) - On the heels of new federal regulations, US farmers are deploying falcons to stop smaller fowl from destroying their crops, the AP reports. Indigenous birds of prey may be used in place of older methods like pyrotechnics, propane cannons, and straw men in overalls to keep pest birds from eating...

6 Stories