Free Lofting Different Birds of Prey Together??

[Kariba2]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8307268.stm

Pretty interesting link, birds of prey nesting together.....

[AndyHawks]

thats weird!its a good job them kessies will fledge quicker than a barny.

[David Rampling]

Some people get away with it. But can't help thinking it's a crazy risk.

[MickeyDredd]

Dave,

Click the link and read the article ;)

I'm a bit suspicious of the pic personally.......

Some people get away with it. But can't help thinking it's a crazy risk.

[Derry Shaw]

Its well documented that barn owls have shared nesting sites with Kestrels and peregrines rearing kestrels after driving the parents from the nest site to use themselves, the list goes on nothing new really. However these are rare natural occurences does not mean it should be replicated in captivity, any attempt to do so would be crazy :roll:.

[David Rampling]

Dave,

Click the link and read the article ;)

I'm a bit suspicious of the pic personally.......
Ah I see. Indeed that photo isn't of wild birds is it. It would certainly be a risk trying to copy it.

[Derry Shaw]

I have not actually read the whole article but their is nothing in the photo to suggest these are not wild birds. Boxes like this are put up all over the country buy all sorts. A good reference to this kind of thing is a book called Seasons with the Kestrel, Gordon Riddle.

[MickeyDredd]

I have put up many boxes for kestrels, barn owls and tawny owls in my area. I have never seen any box shared, although the barn owl boxes I use dont lend themselves to sharing.

I have seen natural sites sometimes alternate between species year on year. I have also seen jackdaws take over barn owl nest sites, they are sometimes evicted (one way or another), sometimes not.

I'm amazed that these species would nest share given the aggression they will show to defend territories, never mind nests. Owls and kestrels do of course share hunting territories as one hunts during the day, the other at night. Nature is indeed a funny thing so I cant rule it out, however it is a nice story to encourage folk to put up suitable nest boxes, isn't it.................

Don't want to sound negative, but I still think that photo is suspect, but that is simply my opinion, I have no proof. I'd like to see a blown-up version of the pic ;)

[Derry Shaw]

Mickey when I said shared I actually meant laid in the same nest not meaning that both parents shared the nest site and reared there own young side by side. Given that it is not unusal for this to happen it therefore does not rule out the possibility for one species to incubate the other. Atb Derry.

[MickeyDredd]

No probs Derry. I was referring to the article in which the RSPB are saying that there is hassle between the parents of the different species when approaching the nestbox to enter, suggesting shared nest site in the box rather than one species rearing the others young. I know some barn owl boxes are designed very large but I just cant imagine these different species sharing.

ps Gordon Riddle's book is a very enjoyable read, heard him do a talk on kestrels around the time of its launch.

[Derry Shaw]

No probs Derry. I was referring to the article in which the RSPB are saying that there is hassle between the parents of the different species when approaching the nestbox to enter, suggesting shared nest site in the box rather than one species rearing the others young. I know some barn owl boxes are designed very large but I just cant imagine these different species sharing.

ps Gordon Riddle's book is a very enjoyable read, heard him do a talk on kestrels around the time of its launch.

I just read the article and agree Mickey it is hard to believe that they would co-inhabit in such a way.:rolleyes:

[MickeyDredd]

Actually, I know a guy who has seen a peregrine nest with 6 eggs in it. He was mocked when he mentioned this at a raptor monitoring meeting where others suggested it must have been a kestrel nest :rolleyes: The fact he knows his stuff and the female peregrine was mobbing him like crazy when he was at the nest would suggest he was right :lol:

Turns out later that someone else had been monitoring the site and he believed the original female was killed during the egg-laying stage before completion of the clutch, the tiercel found a new mate and she added to the clutch..........hence the number of eggs being higher than the norm! They didnt all hatch so could be feasible.

Mickey when I said shared I actually meant laid in the same nest not meaning that both parents shared the nest site and reared there own young side by side. Given that it is not unusal for this to happen it therefore does not rule out the possibility for one species to incubate the other. Atb Derry.

[Derry Shaw]

Actually, I know a guy who has seen a peregrine nest with 6 eggs in it. He was mocked when he mentioned this at a raptor monitoring meeting where others suggested it must have been a kestrel nest :rolleyes: The fact he knows his stuff and the female peregrine was mobbing him like crazy when he was at the nest would suggest he was right :lol:

Turns out later that someone else had been monitoring the site and he believed the original female was killed during the egg-laying stage before completion of the clutch, the tiercel found a new mate and she added to the clutch..........hence the number of eggs being higher than the norm! They didnt all hatch so could be feasible.

Interesting stuff, I see it as being highly feasible myself as there is always the exception to the rule. Anyway I have just fitted a pair of crow wings to my lure and I have a Gyr/pere sitting on the lawn impatient to give them ago so Im off. Atb Derry.

[Saker-Clive]

This is about as big as I can get it without it blurring too much...............................

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/Saker-clive/Bopshare.jpg

[MickeyDredd]

Cheers Clive

I wondered if that was a closed ring on the right leg of the kes on top of the box ;)

This is about as big as I can get it without it blurring too much...............................

[WagClarke]

Cheers Clive

I wondered if that was a closed ring on the right leg of the kes on top of the box ;)


certainly looks like one to me and it also looks like the one on the right of the picture in the box has something on both legs - look in the daily mail the picture's a lot clearer

[Jonathan Hall]

certainly looks like one to me and it also looks like the one on the right of the picture in the box has something on both legs - look in the daily mail the picture's a lot clearer

We have never had any problems with sharing, in fact more often than not we have Barnies in with Tawny's, Long Eared, Rufus and Euros. The only Owl I would not put in for sharing is the Little Owls as the bug**rs attack everthing in sight. Obviously keep them well fed. Read a thread on here a while ago about putting a Kessy in with a Spar..... now theres a recipe for disaster with Kessie on the menu.
jon