Comments on: Capp Raptor

By: The Capp Raptor Is Back! « Mission Mission

The Capp Raptor Is Back! « Mission Mission — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:52:06 +0000

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By: Valencia Art Wall – Let Freedom Ring (But No Bunnies…) « Burrito Justice

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:26:57 +0000

[...] the same location in my backyard each night. Needless to say, I am not amused and am looking for a bird of prey for hire. Rest assured, this mysterious animal will be revealed via infrared night [...]

By: zinzin

zinzin — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:18:43 +0000

what a great post. thanks Glenn.

(“coot head”, btw).

By: gnevill

gnevill — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:30:13 +0000

It is far more common to see un-banded peregrines these days. They were facing extinction back in the 1960′s from DDT poisoning, and it took 20 years of captive breeding and a lot of hard work to bring them back. Thirty years ago, all of the captive bred birds were banded before being released. Now only the ones that are caught during hawk watch, or nest in man-made structures like buildings or bridges get banded. The ones that nest on building sometimes have web cams that are on during the spring mating season. They develop a following of thousands worldwide that watch as the eggs are laid, and hatched and the young grow up. So just before they grow large enough to fly, biologists band the chicks for easy identification. Then watchers like myself can report on their movements. So by seeing that a bird has a band, we can know where it was born, and how old it is.

The bird on Capp Street looks like the one from the last few years, but it has no band and without one, it can be hard to distinguish it from the other peregrines out there.

If you see a raptor eating mice, it is most likely a Cooper’s or Sharp-shinned Hawk, or possibly a Red-tailed Hawk like the one fredly shows on his flickr page.

I posted a blog page in Jan, 2007 comparing the three types of raptors. Check it out here:
http://raptorgallery.wordpress.com/2007/01/26/comparison-coopers-hawk-peregrine-falcon-red-tailed-hawk/

If that link is too long, then use this one.

http://tinyurl.com/22a4rn

Once you compare the plumage and shape of the tail vs. wing length, you will be able to see the difference between the falcon and the hawks.

Peregrines almost always hunt in the air, so their diet is mostly birds, but sometimes they eat bats and during migration could go after flying insects.

Today passing by the church I heard the falcon calling out. This evening passing the church I saw a Coot head on the sidewalk, so I know it most likely has been over to the bay to catch lunch.

Regards to all,
Glenn

By: johnny0

johnny0 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:10:29 +0000

Doves are just pigeons with good PR.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:59:29 +0000

I live at 19th and Dolores and have also seen the peregrin on my deck eating mice ect… I think he deserves a name too.

By: fredly

fredly — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:02:59 +0000

There’s also an amazing hawk that hangs out on the New Mission Theater sign.
http://flickr.com/photos/ballena/sets/72157594411228649/

By: zinzin

zinzin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:20:39 +0000

ha. fun game…

Slowest and Tastiest sounds like an emo band.

Pigeon Problem sounds punk.

Free of Bands (or Unbanded Peregrine) sounds art improv.

By: Allan Hough

Allan Hough — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:35:06 +0000

Free as a bird!

So, again, I’m new at this stuff. How rare is it to find an unbanded peregrine?

By: gnevill

gnevill — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:30:47 +0000

I’ve been able to get more shots of the peregrine. Both legs are free of bands.

By: Allan Hough

Allan Hough — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:56:22 +0000

Anybody wanna start a band called Slowest and Tastiest with me? Or, like, a blog about pigeons?

By: chrisisgross

chrisisgross — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:14:20 +0000

Yep the pigeon is a dove and since there are so many more of them than the other doves or finches they get picked off a lot. I would bet that the peregrine is feasting on them in equal proportions based on number(say 80/15/5) or whoever is slowest and tastiest at the time.

By: Allan Hough

Allan Hough — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:23:27 +0000

Wait, how does that chalk up? Aren't pigeons just a kind of dove? Or are proper doves quicker or something and pigeons are inbred or something?

By: chalkman

chalkman — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:13:55 +0000

we’ve got one that hangs out at our house by 18th and Dolores, I’ve gone outside and seen it perched on my deck rail. It totally removed our pigeon problem, while the doves and finches survive.