I was just wondering what is everyone’s favorite bird of prey group. My personal favorite is the Secretary Bird. I love how they have that crest of feathers on their head and how they stomp on snakes.
I’m quite fond of vultures, both New and Old World types. A lot of people dislike them because of their bald heads and the fact that they are scavengers, but I think this just makes them interesting creatures.
I like all of the raptors including the vultures but I have a soft spot for owls personally, I just find them to be very engaging and beautiful birds.
Owls are cute, expressive, and well-represented in captivity, so it’s pretty easy to find new species in zoos.
Quite a threatened group too, with a number of recent holocene extinctions, six critically endangered species, nine endangered species and nineteen vulnerable species.
Theoretically would introducing African and Indian vultures to North America help? It seems like the poisoned carcass issue is much less of a thing over here, although they would be competing with turkey and black vultures. Also, could the Andean condor survive in the Rocky Mountains?
I read your question wrong as I assumed that you meant introducing more Old world vultures into zoo ex-situ programes in North American zoos. The answer to your question is no, it most definitely wouldn't help and in fact it would just complicate matters further , why would introducing a non native species Best to reintroduce vultures into areas of their historic range where they have faced severe population declines or become locally extinct in Europe, Asia, Africa. I think North and South America have more than enough to focus on already with New world vultures such as the Californian and Andean condors.
Absolutely agree, though I don't know if the chances of them establishing successfully in the wild would be high enough.
I remember Disney’s The Lone Ranger had African vultures in Texas. Actually in a lot of Hollywood movies set in the US African or South American vultures are used or depicted instead of turkey vultures, due to migratory bird protection laws making it harder to work with native birds.
I have noticed that in terms of cartoons and the like but I didn't know that about Hollywood movies (though it comes as no suprise) and I definitely didn't know that this was partly due to legislation making it harder to work with native raptors.
I voted for Owls, I have loved them since I was a little boy. They're just so Un-bird like, being very unique and flying very slow. I especially have loved and still love the members of the genus Otus, Scops owls, they have some particularly elusive and endangered species, as O.C. Mentioned above. I am happy to say that my Grandparents have a massive walking trail and backyard that is basically treasure for me, and has supplied me with my first Coyote, (Seen really close with my cousins) and with my first wild owl when I was seven, and I believe the Owl is still there as you can hear it every night. It is a great horned owl, and has given me the love for my favorite bird group in general, (not just raptors), the Owls.
I voted for Falcons (on BirdForum I am Welsh Peregrine). White Gyrfalcon, speeding Peregrine, hovering Kestrel, Laughing and Spot-winged Falcons, Caracaras; so many great sightings in the wild, and, thankfully Mauritius Kestrel in Chester Zoo. What’s not to like?
This is a very difficult question, for three reasons. 1. This excellent video by TierZoo 2. My fascination with a Yu-Gi-Oh card archetype called Raid Raptors, all of which are based on birds of prey...and shrikes, which are just raptors in the bodies of passerine birds. 3. The fantasy book series about owls called Guardians of Ga'Hoole It's just so hard to pick, but as they seem to be the most common and versatile, I'll go with hawks.
Like all types of Birds of Prey and Owls ( which actualy don't belong to the Birds of Prey ) but the Secretarybird belongs to my absolute favorites. Taking care for the adults and hand-raising a chick from day 1 at Walsrode made quite an impression on me : secretarybird by vogelcommando posted 30 Dec 2012 at 4:55 PM
My favourite group are the falcons (including kestrels and hobbies) because there are several species very rarely kept that I still lack in my photo archive and that are both distinctive and superbeautiful. Vogelcommando, owls belongs indeed to birds of prey - but of course they do not belong to Accipitriformes, that's what you mean .
I enjoy seeing falcons the most, mostly because I think Peregrines are neat, and I like how they divebomb. I also think that they are considerable cuter possibly because of their smaller size.
For me, the secretary bird is my favorite since it’s just so colorful and unique. They get pretty tall too. Not to mention, they are on the risk of extinction. San Diego has a secretary bird exhibit in Elephant Odyssey right?
