The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of Flash Visual Evoked Potentials (FVEPs) testing in birds of prey in a clinical setting and to describe the protocol and the baseline data for normal vision in this species. FVEP recordings were obtained from 6 normal adult birds of prey: n. 2 Harris's Hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus), n. 1 Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus), n. 2 Gyrf...

in animals are potential anti-predator benefits, including the many-eyes effect, predator confusion, the dilution of individual risk of being caught when part of a large group, and the selfish herd effect (Krause & Ruxton 2002). The many-eyes effect postulates that an increased number of potential prey individuals scanning for predators are more effective at detecting their approach, and this e...

The use of trained falcons and hawks for dispersing pest birds has been mainly limited to airports in Europe and, to a lesser extent, in North America to prevent bird/aircraft strikes. The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) are the raptors used most often. These trained birds can effectively disperse gulls (Larus spp.) and a variety of other pest bird speci...

—We developed and tested a 10-min call-broadcast survey protocol using conspecific vocalizations to assess Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) territory occupancy in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona from 2008–10. Response rate of peregrines, when adults were confirmed present immediately prior to broadcasting, averaged 83% during the breeding season and peaked at 10...

1. The role of individual experience vs. the use of conspecific cues on breeding dispersal decisions have seldom been determined in colonial birds. We studied causes of breeding dispersal in the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni ), a species that breeds in colonies of variable size as well as solitarily. During a 6-year study in Spain, we gathered information on 486 subsequent breeding attempts an...

Kleptoparasitism in birds has been the subject of much research, and the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a known kleptoparasite. It has been reported to pirate ducks captured by Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus), but ours is the first study to examine the effect of kleptoparasitic Bald Eagles on the kill rate of shorebird-hunting Peregrines and indirectly on a population of Dunlins ...

This study reports on experiments on falcons wearing miniature videocameras mounted on their backs or heads while pursuing flying prey. Videos of hunts by a gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), gyrfalcon (F. rusticolus)/Saker falcon (F. cherrug) hybrids and peregrine falcons (F. peregrinus) were analyzed to determine apparent prey positions on their visual fields during pursuits. These video data were...

At Boundary Bay, British Columbia, Canada, Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) captured 94 Dunlins (Calidris alpina) in 652 hunts. The two main hunting methods were open attacks on flying Dunlins (62%) and stealth attacks on roosting or foraging Dunlins (35%). Peregrines hunted throughout the day, yet the kill rate per observation hour dropped 1-2 hr before high tide and peaked 1-2 hr after hi...

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1. Obtaining empirical evidence of the consequences of dispersal distance on fitness is challenging in wild animals because long-term, unbiased data on reproduction, survival and movement are notoriously difficult to obtain. 2. Lifetime fitness correlates of natal dispersal distance were studied in an isolated population of the facultatively colonial lesser kestrel Falco naumanni (Fleischer) mo...