The Rest of the Raptors
There were three other birds that I got to meet last weekend. The first is Adama, an American Kestrel. They are very big science fiction fans at the Illinois Raptor Center and several birds are named after characters.
The kestrel may be small, but it is as much of a predator as any of them. It just prefers little prey.
Here is Solo, a Peregrine Falcon.
Solo has the most beautiful slate blue feathers. The Peregrines are the fastest animals on the planet. They hunt other birds and when they spot their prey, the dive after them and plunge into them at speeds that have been clocked at over 200 miles per hour.
Last, but not least, we have a Red Tailed Hawk. They're found everywhere in North America. They go after mice, rats, and rabbits. They like going after squirrels, but those are the hardest to catch because they are so smart and really fight back.
The hawk was actually more intimidating than the eagle. He was a bit more tetchy than the others and we were advised that looking him in the eye wasn't the best idea. I couldn't help it, though. He's a very impressive bird.
The kestrel may be small, but it is as much of a predator as any of them. It just prefers little prey.
Here is Solo, a Peregrine Falcon.
Solo has the most beautiful slate blue feathers. The Peregrines are the fastest animals on the planet. They hunt other birds and when they spot their prey, the dive after them and plunge into them at speeds that have been clocked at over 200 miles per hour.
Last, but not least, we have a Red Tailed Hawk. They're found everywhere in North America. They go after mice, rats, and rabbits. They like going after squirrels, but those are the hardest to catch because they are so smart and really fight back.
The hawk was actually more intimidating than the eagle. He was a bit more tetchy than the others and we were advised that looking him in the eye wasn't the best idea. I couldn't help it, though. He's a very impressive bird.