One of the local rehabs had a show at the library today. There was a pigeon, screech owl, peregrine, and a red tail hawk.
Pidge was the first bird out to teach the kids to be quiet and sit still around the raptors.
Harry was up next. He was the best behaved bird along with the pigeon. Harry cave to the rehab after being hit by a cat, and then stuck in the grill for 15b hours before being noticed!
Since owl eyes are so large, they are prone to injury. Harry only has one peeper now, but he's still living his best life.
Quinn was on after the owl. I learned peregrines don't catch their prey in their talons during dives. They use themb during chases or perch hunting, but for their famous 200 mph (320 kmh) they make fists out of their feet and give a huge "falcon punch" to knock birds from the sky. They then come out iyf their dive and land next to their prize.
The speaker said he had seen a peregrine down an eagle with a solid knock to the head in a territorial dispute!
Windsor the Red Tail Hawk closed out the show. She is one of the rehab's oldest education animals, at least 12 years of age. They first get there red tail at 2 years of age, and she already had it when they got her 10 years ago.
She is blind in one eye, and since they don't have the superior hearing of an owl to supplement they're vision, they lose their ability to hunt without depth perception.
Hope you enjoy the pictures. I know they're not as fancy as the regular pro pictures. It's more to encourage you to look out for events local to you.
Here's some pics from the group's Facebook.