Falcon is a very clever bird, which is also a predator. Driving by the road we can often meet this bird, which hunts mostly field mice. He can sit motionless on the branch of a tree or a fence for hours staring into the grass until a field mouse comes out of its burrow. At such a moment it immediately starts to attack and gathers itself and flies towards the mouse to attack it. This usually happens so fast that the victim is not even able to hide.
Coloring pages Falcon and Hawk
Hawk on a stone
Just as humans eat meat, so do hawks. They hunt and feed on smaller birds, unfortunately that's the way things are. Because of just this way of ...
Hawk's head
You can know a person by his face alone, but is it possible with birds too? I think if one were to get to know the different species of birds well, then...
Hawk on a wooden pole
Hawks are quiet and solitary birds. They move silently by gracefully maneuvering between the branches and leaves of trees in the forest, which is definitely helped by their tail....
Attacking hawk
This menacing bird is a hawk, apparently just moving to attack! We have to be careful, because hawks are birds of prey. They hunt to get food for themselves...
A large hawk in flight
Did you know that the commonly known birds of prey - hawks - can reach a wingspan of up to 125 centimeters? That's a lot, such wings make flying much easier...
A falcon hunts a frog
The bird in the picture is a falcon. Do you know what falcons eat? Most of their daily food is smaller birds caught in flight. They also eat house mice....
Falcon on a rock
The picture shows a falcon sitting on a stone. It is resting after a very long flight. Soon it will set off again on its journey, so don't waste time. Color it...
Flying hawk to nest
But a big bird. Do you know what it's called? That's right, it's a hawk. It is flying to its nest, where its young are waiting for it...
Falcon in flight
The falcon is a bird that can spend up to five hours a day in the air, covering about two hundred kilometers in that time. It is very easy to calculate...
Hunting hawk
A hawk, very much like an eagle, can sit on a branch of a tall tree for several hours a day and all in order to observe its...
Hawk in the clouds
The hawk is a very fast bird that is very agile and thus easily hunts its prey, which are usually field mice....
Information
Falcon:
- Family: The falcon belongs to the falcon family (Falconidae).
- Characteristics: The falcon is generally smaller and more slender than the hawk. It has sharp "talons" (notches) in its wings and narrow, pointed tails.
- Predation: The falcon hunts through the air, often pursuing its prey in flight. The peregrine falcon, for example, is known for its high-speed dives, during which it reaches speeds of up to 240 km/h.
- Disposition: The peregrine falcon is one of the most widespread birds of prey in the world, found on every continent except Antarctica.
- Diet: The falcon feeds mainly on birds, but also on small mammals, insects and others.
Hawk:
- Family: The hawk belongs to the hawk family (Accipitridae), which also includes eagles, buzzards and canids.
- Characteristics: Hawks have short, broad wings and a long tail, making them agile in the woods and among trees.
- Predation: Hawks usually hunt from ambush, lurking in dense foliage or on branches, and then attack their prey unexpectedly.
- Disposition: Hawks are widely distributed around the world, but their preferred habitats vary from species to species.
- Diet: Hawks feed mainly on small mammals, birds, as well as reptiles and insects.
Summary: Both the falcon and the hawk are highly adapted to hunting and have exceptional aerial abilities. The falcon is adapted for high-speed chases in the open sky, while the hawk is a specialist in surprise attacks in dense forests. Although both birds are carnivores and have a similar diet, they differ in behavior, body structure and hunting strategies.
Trivia
- The fastest bird: The peregrine falcon is considered the fastest bird in the world. When diving for prey, it can reach speeds of up to 240 km/h.
- Sight: The eyes of both birds are amazingly adapted to identify prey from a distance. The vision is so sharp that a hawk can spot a mouse in the open from 2 kilometers away.
- Hunting technique: Hawks often use surprise tactics, lurking among the trees and suddenly attacking their prey. The falcon prefers to fly high and dive toward its prey.
- Falcon in culture: Falconry, the art of training falcons to hunt, is thousands of years old and practiced around the world.
- City falcon: In many major cities around the world, the peregrine falcon has adapted to urban life by hunting birds such as pigeons.
- Sexual dimorphism: In many species of hawks, the female is significantly larger than the male. This size difference is one of the clearest examples of sexual dimorphism among birds.
- Variable diet: Although the peregrine falcon is known primarily for hunting birds, some subspecies, especially those living in desert areas, may feed primarily on insects.
- Aggression against intruders: Hawks, especially nesting hawks, are known for their aggressive behavior toward potential intruders, including humans approaching their nests.
- Adaptations for flight: The hawk's tail serves an important function as a rudder during flight, enabling it to make sudden turns and maneuvers in dense forests.
- Populations: In many parts of the world, falcon and hawk populations were under threat due to pesticides such as DDT. Thanks to conservation efforts and the banning of these chemicals, populations have begun to recover.
