Lanner Falcon..

Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus)

It is a large falcon, at 43–50 cm length with a wingspan of 95–105 cm.

The Lanner Falcon is a bird of open country and savannah. It usually hunts by horizontal pursuit, rather than the stoop from a height, and takes mainly bird prey in flight. It lays 3–4 eggs on a cliff ledge nest, or occasionally in an old stick nest in a tree.

They are bred in captivity for falconry;

But this fellow I captured in the Kalahari, it is a juvenile bird as can be told by the more horizontal dots on the chest…

Black-breasted Snake Eagle.

Black-breasted Snake Eagle (Circaetus pectoralis)

This bird or eagle eats snakes… now that might please some, but others not… it loves open areas where it can perch and see it’s prey. It also eats lizards and small mammals and frogs…

It is wide spread.. almost throughout Africa, but does love the more arid areas, even deserts.. which is where I captured these photos.. this is a youngish bird and has as yet not coloured in full maturity..

They female bird is slightly larger than the male and lays but one egg, which hatches after about 50 days.. the eagles then feed the chick for the following 3 months before it flies and starts to hunt for itself….

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the Peregrine.

The Peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 322 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom.

It is the world’s most widespread raptor and one of the most widely found bird species. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean “wandering falcon”, referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies which vary in appearance and range.

While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the Peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And KFC for supper just without the crumbs… and raw…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Poses of a Fish Eagle…..

I took these photos at a bird sanctuary where this magnificent specimen is within a good distance for close up photography… He had a scream or two for me which allowed the deep throat shots… he’s well trained and is featured in a commercial seen on TV for a certain whiskey.

A regal figure if I’ve ever seen one………..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my Favourite Raptors .. The Bateleur.. a graceful flier…

The Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) is a medium-sized eagle in the bird family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as buzzards, kites and harriers. It is the only member of the genus Terathopius and probably the origin of the “Zimbabwe Bird”, national emblem of Zimbabwe.

The Bateleur is a colourful species with a very short tail (ecaudatus is Latin for tailless) which makes it unmistakable in flight. Males have black plumage except for the chestnut mantle and tail, grey shoulders, and red facial skin, bill and legs. The female is similar to the male except that she is slightly bigger and has grey rather than black secondary flight feathers. Immature birds are brown with white dappling and have greenish facial skin. It takes them seven or eight years to reach full maturity.

The eagle hunts over a territory of 250 square miles (650 km²) a day. The prey of this raptor is mostly birds, including pigeons and sand grouse, and also small mammals, like squirrels; it also takes carrion.

The Bateleur is generally silent, but on occasions it produces a variety of barks and screams.

"Bateleur" is French for "tight-rope walker”. This name describes the bird’s characteristic habit of tipping the ends of its wings when flying, as if catching its balance.