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urban(e) raptors

Subject: urban(e) raptors
From: LCONOLE <>
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 10:06:23 +1000 (EET)
Nankeen Kestrels in Geelong (large provincial city west of Melbourne,
Victoria) nest on TAFE Colleges, schools, office buildings, churches,
petrochemical refinery structures, quarry faces, and from time to time in
old raptor and Little Raven nests in trees.  They are a fairly common
sight in built-up suburban areas as well as sporting fields and other
grassy areas, and are a thoroughly urbanised species around here, unlike
their similar-niche compatriot, the Black-shouldered Kite.  BSKs are more
or less restricted to the open grassy bits of town, and are less
frequently seen in backyard trees.  Australian Hobbies, Brown Goshawks and
Grey (White) Goshawks [winter mostly] are probably THE most successful
backyard raptors in suburban Geelong though.  The last place I lived, in
an old suburb called Newtown (?), was regularly frequented by a Collared
Sparrowhawk.  The lower Barwon River valley comes into Geelong on the west
side, and the territories of single pairs of Wedge-tailed Eagle, Little
Eagle, Brown Falcon and Whistling Kite slightly overlap the suburbs there. 
The town common supports Swamp Harriers.  It's not unusual to see
commuting Peregrines overhead anywhere in Geelong (several eyries ring the
city).  Spotted Harriers and Black Falcons turn up randomly through the
sprawling outer suburban areas each year. 

Lawrie Conole
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

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