Page 55 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators

Falconidae

Despite their appearance of a 8. Which species is the
long-legged hawk, caracaras © Thinkstock best scavenger?
are a species of falcon
Caracaras are opportunistic hunters and
scavengers that are found throughout the
Americas. They will often feed on carrion
and even steal food from other scavengers,
including pelicans and buteos. These clever
birds will also search for roadkill along the
roads in the early morning.
Crested caracaras are aggressive birds that
are known to chase vultures while flying until
they regurgitate their meal. They then catch
and eat the food. But these predators do
not have strong enough talons to open the
carcasses of large animals, so they have to wait
for other predators to do it. These birds will
also eat rabbits, skunks, frogs, snakes and fish,
sitting in a nearby tree and waiting for the right
moment to swoop down on their oblivious
victims. They will hunt on the ground (one of
the few species of raptor that will hunt for food
on foot) for insects and even dig for turtle eggs
using their talons. The red-throated caracara
feeds on the larvae of bees and wasps, making
it unique among the caracaras.

11. Are any species extinct? Two species
9. How do kestrels track prey? – the reunion kestrel and Guadalupe

It has been estimated that the eyesight of a common kestrel caracara – have been declared extinct.
is up to eight times more powerful than that of a human.
Kestrels can see and catch a beetle 50 metres (164 feet) from
their perch; a means of conserving energy in the winter, albeit
a less successful hunting method. They have a special form of 12. Can they eat snakes?
vision that makes tracking down prey even easier. The laughing falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans)
Their eyes can see near-ultraviolet light, and while they are is a specialist snake-eating species and will even
hovering above the ground eat venomous snakes. It catches its prey by
© Thinkstock at a height of between ten pouncing on them and biting them behind the
and 20 metres (32.8 and 65.6
head. Sometimes this removes the prey’s head.
feet) they are able to see
the trails of urine that mice © Getty Then the falcon returns to its perch to have its
meal in peace. Unlike other falcons, it doesn’t
and voles leave. These emit harm smaller birds.
ultraviolet light and lead the
hungry kestrel straight to a
meal. Kestrels need to eat 13. Do any species hunt by stealth?
between four and eight voles
a day, and as a trail gets older The nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides) is native to Australia and New
less UV light is emitted. Guinea. It hunts a wide variety of prey – mainly small mammals, insects,
reptiles and small birds. Unlike their faster falcon counterparts, these
birds patiently wait on an exposed perch, dropping to the ground when

10. Are they they have spotted their prey. They will catch insects and birds while
making the journey from perch to ground.
versatile hunters?

The New Zealand falcon is a
versatile hunter that can hunt in © Thinkstock
both open and forested land, a
rare ability among falcons. Its
long legs helps is catch small
birds with its talons, and a
powerful bite to the neck will
kill prey. A long tail helps the
bird manoeuvre through the
trees, and its flexible but strong
feathers don’t break while
hunting in the forest. The falcons
still have the characteristic diving
stoop of falcons, reaching speeds
of over 100 kilometres (60 miles) © Getty
per hour.

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