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Maggie’s POV video of Peregrine Falcon vs. duck

Gives a whole new meaning to "Birds eye view."
 
Sweet video. That dive and the hard turn at the end to get the right amount of lead on that duck was amazing. I'd be interested in knowing how many G these falcons can turn at, and the G at impact with a duck that certainly weighs more than they do. Just looking at the tiny turn radius and speed they are going it has to be far more G than a fighter turns at. Amazing creatures! I like those videos of golden eagles throwing goats off of cliffs too, but this one is cooler because this bird has to judge the lead on a target moving in 3 dimensions, and a lot of lead at that, on a small target.
 
Pretty awesome vid! I have a friend here that is a falconer and I've gone with him a couple times duck hunting with his hybrid peregrine. It sounds like a baseball bat hitting a watermelon when they collide. It's amazing to watch, damn ducks don't want to jump off the water when they have a bird of pray 500ft above them either.
 
Having had a falconry license and seeing that from the ground more times than I can count, that is awesome. There's nothing like the whistle of the stoop and thwack of a duck on a cold winter morning.
 
What does a perigrine falcon cost?


Rick

If I recall they run about $2-3,000, you have to apprentice with a falconer for a year or so to get a license. Here in Wyoming most falconers get there birds from the wild as fledglings or adults. A master falconer can even get a Golden Eagle from the wild. The laws are very strict and there is a ton of maintenance! I was going to do it but after all the research and tagging along with a falconer I realized that I have to many other hobbies and can't donate all my time to a bird.
 
Awesome video! KY has an interesting point as well. I have seen a REALLY big Cooper's hawk just explode a pigeon... That was impressive! It actually scared the poop out of me, as it happened at eye-level, about 15 feet in front of me!
 
Wowzercakes! Because Wow! is too short! lol
 
What does a perigrine falcon cost?


Rick

Anywhere from $500 to $3500 depending on age and breeding. The apprentice period is two years in most statetes as it is regulated by USFWS. You have to have a sponsor, past a written test, and have a mews built and inspected before you obtain a bird of prey. You can't possess a falcon in most states as an apprentice.
 
Technically this isn't true. As an apprentice you can have an American Kestral which is a falcon. Although they are very difficult you can train them on sparrows.

That is correct Mike and I guess I should have been more specific in my reply. As an apprentice you are typically limited to a Redtail, a Kestrel, or a Great Horned Owl.
 
We feed birds on our back deck, so the hawks and eagles cruise here for food. We find piles of feathers in the yard from strikes. We often have birds trying to avoid becoming a meal hit our windows with a "THWACK" that sounds like someone throwing a wad of hamburger against the window. About 50% of the time there is a feather pile afterwards.
 
Pretty awesome vid! I have a friend here that is a falconer and I've gone with him a couple times duck hunting with his hybrid peregrine. It sounds like a baseball bat hitting a watermelon when they collide. It's amazing to watch, damn ducks don't want to jump off the water when they have a bird of pray 500ft above them either.

He needs to get one of those cameras.

That bird is already famous.

Watch the amazing moment a peregrine falcon kills a duck in mid-air - from the FALCON'S point of view | Mail Online

Other videos from same bird:
BackCam - YouTube
 
Sweet video. That dive and the hard turn at the end to get the right amount of lead on that duck was amazing. I'd be interested in knowing how many G these falcons can turn at, and the G at impact with a duck that certainly weighs more than they do. Just looking at the tiny turn radius and speed they are going it has to be far more G than a fighter turns at. Amazing creatures! I like those videos of golden eagles throwing goats off of cliffs too, but this one is cooler because this bird has to judge the lead on a target moving in 3 dimensions, and a lot of lead at that, on a small target.

What are you a fighter pilot or some shit?;)

Cool video by the way!
 
Wow - note to self, no dog fighting with a falcon.. Does that falcon actually hold on to the duck after the strike, or does it just smack it an let it drop. Mid air strikes between skydivers usually result in fatalities, so why doesn't the falcon get injured as well? I know that sounds stupid, just hard to believe it doesn't happen more often, lots going on intercepting a moving target at speed.
 
[MENTION=57892]Cornholeo[/MENTION]...DAMN YOU!!!!!!!

ever since I saw this thread, the ONLY thing I can think of is how badass it would be to get a falcon...my wife is tired of hearing it...that is all.

p.s. THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO!!! hahaha
 
That is an impressive video, it would just be hard to live in the keep with the bird because that is where I would end up as well LOL!
 
here is a quick 3 min video of them trying to get some idea of the speed of this bird while stooping (dive.) Dropping the bird out of a plane at 15k feet, then jumping out of the plane and tossing a lure for bird to catch. Great pics of the bird diving in flight. Top speed is still unknown, 180mph in this clip and bird has hit 240mph
Rob's Idaho Perspective: Peregrine Falcon Speed
 
here is a quick 3 min video of them trying to get some idea of the speed of this bird while stooping (dive.) Dropping the bird out of a plane at 15k feet, then jumping out of the plane and tossing a lure for bird to catch. Great pics of the bird diving in flight. Top speed is still unknown, 180mph in this clip and bird has hit 240mph
Rob's Idaho Perspective: Peregrine Falcon Speed

Thanks for posting that. If it wasn't National Geographic I would never believe it.

Too bad they didn't show how the bird exits the plane.

Here is another good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkW7r-rgeBQ
 
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I bought a Pointer Pup from a guy that was into Falconry he was a bit eccentric was the least I could say about him. He had four Sheds that were about 300 feet long with Bird Pens like Dog Kennels and a bird in everyone of them. He said that when it was illegal to travel to Iran he did it all of the time to sell his birds.

Anyway we went into the house for the papers on the dog and he started a Video and it showed them Hunting Sage Hens. They kicked up some birds and you see a flash and the Sage Hen exploded. It looked like a Patriot Missle hitting that Sage Hen.