The year of the falcon Birds of prey live in monogamy, they accept only one partner. In late autumn the courtship begins, winter is the "state of rest", but in February the mating season starts. In March the female bird lays up to four eggs. During this time it is on the tiercel to provide his breeding female with food, after 31 days the little falcons hatch. It takes just about nine weeks until the young birds have grown up and are able to fly – then they must learn from their parents,how to hunt, so that they become independently over the winter. Nevertheless about 80% of the young birds of prey die in their first winter. If such a young falcon survived spring and summer too, he would look for a partner with whom he sets to the courtship… .. Click for increasing, please pictures! Gyrfalcon  Peregrin falcon Laggarfalcon Gyrfalcon  Peregrin falcon Laggarfalcon

Our falcons… (From these falcons pure forms have descended as well as Gyr-hybrids.)

Gyrfalcon (falco rusticolus)
Is the most precious and the strongest falcon. There are white, black and grey phases.

Peregrin falcon or Shahin (falco peregrinus)
Is the most common falcon – you find them all over the world in more than 20 sub-species. In the Guinness book of records it is described as the fastest animal of the world: by nosedive it reaches top speeds of over 300 km/h.

Laggarfalcon (falco jugger)
A dainty falcon who lives in India and Afghanistan

Sakerfalcon (falco cherrug)
Popular bird for hawking

Donausaker
You find them in the area of the Danube, but they are already very rare. The "OÖ Jagdfalkenhof" is involved in projects for adaptions for survival of birds of prey also for this species.

Altaisaker (falco cherrug altaicus)
Based on the research of G.P. Dementiew and A. Schagdarsuren this is a dark variety of the inner-asian Sakerfalcon

Lannerfalcon (falco biarmicus)
The partners of a pair hunt in perfect teamwork: the female flying in front startles small birds, then the above flying male attacks them straightaway.

American Kestrel (falco sparverius)
This is the smallest species of falcons in the world, it lives in the tropics of South America

 

… and other birds of prey:

Golden Eagle (aquila chrysaetos)
The "King of the air", who is also native to the Austrian Alps. It is the fourth-strongest eagle of the world

Tawny Eagle (aquila rapax nipalensis)
It is called a "beneficial animal" because it devours Ziesel who are known as carriers of the plague, as well as polishing off a number of locusts.

Red Kite (milvus milvus)
Lives mainly on the edge of the forest and in fieldcopses, he needs a very large territory.

Black Kite (milvus migrans)
Prefers resources with plenty of water because it likes eating dead fish.
Both Kite-species often settle down in the vicinity of bigger birds of prey (for example Fish-eagle and Sea-eagle) because they wheedle them out of their prey.

Long-legged Buzzard (buteo rufinus)
It is related to our domestic Common Buzzard, but is a bit bigger and stronger. It lives in parts of Northern Africa and Asia but you can also find them passing through Austria.

Andean Condor (vultur gryphus)
Is a holy bird for the Inka. It is the biggest bird of prey in the world – but genetically it is related to the American Woodstork!

Griffon Vulture (gyps fulvus)
Is the biggest native bird of prey. They have an un-feathered throat because they mainly eat intestines and flesh of big fallen mammals.

Turkey vulture (cathartes aura)
Lives in South America. It is one of a few birds who has a strongly developed sense of smell. With it he is able to track his food (carcasses as well as rotten fruit).

Little Owl (athene noctua)
A very small tawny owl who also lives in Austria. It mainly eats insects. But they are poisoned by insecticides whereby the owl can become infertile. That is how this small owl is a threatened species. The American Kestrel in South America has the same problem!

And the Raven (corvus corax), the biggest native songbird.
It is extremely intelligent and is able to talk

Whoever would like to know more about birds of prey can contact us on +43-7952-20530 or send us an e-mail.:office@falknerei-geiger.at

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