HSV January Audubon Society Mtg - Birds of Prey

On Friday, Rosie went to the January HSV Audubon Society Meeting. The presenter was Tommy Young, an Arkansas wildlife rehabilitator. Tommy takes in any injured animal and rehabilitates it. If at all possible, the animal will be returned to the wild after rehab. Tommy has been doing wildlife rehab for more than 26 years. He's a real expert.

At the January HSV Audubon Society meeting, Tommy brought three birds of prey and discussed how they develop, hunt, etc. The first bird he showed was the Eurasian Horned Owl. This owl is not native to the USA but has been brought here for breeding in hopes that the endangered species can be revived in Europe and Asia.

Next, he brought out a Ferruginous Hawk (which is also known as a booted owl).Finally, he showed us a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk.He talked about when birds of prey hunt. They have an ideal "hunting weight." Above this weight, they're too heavy (due to a recent meal) which slows their hunting speed. Once they get back down to their hunting weight, they get hungry and start to hunt again.

As far as eating habits go, hawks typically eat anything on the ground with fur; falcons catch their prey in the air (i.e. has feathers); owls will eat basically anything.

Females birds of prey are typically about 1/3 larger than males and are more powerful. The males are typically smaller and faster. Hey - sounds like the males need to be able to outrun those females.

I was also surprised to know that hawks - the 10% that survive the juvenile stage - can live to be 40 years old. What's their secret to staying so young looking?