Stephen's comment is as I would expect. Actually it interests me more than
being previously unrecorded is that it is quite different from other
instances of piracy on more than one level - a fish & a larger raptor. Of
course the Osprey is often a victim of piracy.
Philip
-----Original Message-----From:
On Behalf Of Shirley Cook
Sent: Friday, 20 July 2012 8:49 AM To: Messages Birding-aus
Subject: Brown Falcons stealing from Ospreys
Dear all,
Here is a response from Stephen Debus - very interesting:
Brown Falcons are known pirates, but stealing from an Osprey is, to my
knowledge, previously
unrecorded.
Cheers,
Steve
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Whilst guiding near Port Douglas recently my guests and I were
observing an Eastern Osprey nest which is positioned on a large
electricity stauntion. It is one of eight nests close to town. As we
watched one of the Ospreys then returned from the direction of the sea
with a sizable fish. About one hundred metres out from the nest a Brown
Falcon loomed "out of nowhere" with a full on aerial attack from below
on the Osprey.
The pursuit continued until both birds went out of view behind some
tall melaleucas. The Osprey then returned unceremoniously (without the
fish) to its mate at the nest within a minute.
Aside from robbing a larger species, how did the Brown Falcon
develop a taste for fish?
In a lifetime of observing raptors, this is the first time that I have
observed a Brown Falcon act in this manner and it would appear with this
particular bird that the procedure may have been well practiced.
Del. Richards, Fine Feather Tours, Mossman, NQ.
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