"local species have been extirpated by trappers and hunters—the peregrine falcon, the barn owl and the jackdaw. Jonathan Franzen has called Malta ""the most savagely bird-hostile place in Europe"". Trapping also affects migratory birds at important stopover sites such as the Maltese islands. However, one book claims that peregrine falcons have again started to breed successfully since 2009 in Malta and that the main hunting organisation openly speaks against illegal hunting and trapping. The author also suggests that claims by Birdlife are often exaggerated. A study of prehistoric kitchen middens suggests that hunting by humans may have contributed to the"
"Perlin (falconry) The word perlin is a falconer's term for a cross breed of a peregrine falcon and a merlin. It is much bigger and faster than a merlin, but is not as big as a peregrine so the quarry it takes varies from larger songbirds to small game birds such as hen pheasant. It is less likely to fly as high as a peregrine and usually rings close to the falconer. As a rule, the peregrine is the father and the merlin is the mother. Other hybrids may occur, such as 3/4 perlins, where there are 3 parts peregrine"
"to 1 part merlin. Hybrids percentages can be as varied as 50/50 to 7/8 and 15/16 perlins. Perlin (falconry) The word perlin is a falconer's term for a cross breed of a peregrine falcon and a merlin. It is much bigger and faster than a merlin, but is not as big as a peregrine so the quarry it takes varies from larger songbirds to small game birds such as hen pheasant. It is less likely to fly as high as a peregrine and usually rings close to the falconer. As a rule, the peregrine is the father and the merlin"
"Scientific name: ""Falco peregrinus"" and the common name: peregrine falcon. The peregrine falcon is listed as rare in South Australia according ""National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972"" (Schedule 9). This generally widespread but uncommon falcon is a large (36–50 cm), strong bird that has a steel-grey back with a black hood, a white collar and brown-barred buff underparts Flegg (2002). The peregrine falcon’s tail and flight feathers are blackish, the bird’s legs are strong and yellow and it is known for its speed Flegg (2002). According to Flegg (2002) the peregrine falcon inhabits open landscapes, with gorges and cliffs that"
"Passerine A passerine is any bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or – less accurately – as songbirds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by the arrangement of their toes (three pointing forward and one back), which facilitates perching. With more than 110 families and some 6,409 identified species, Passeriformes is the largest order of birds and among the most diverse orders of terrestrial vertebrates. The passerines contain several groups of brood parasites such as the viduas, cuckoo-finches, and the cowbirds. Most passerines are omnivorous,"
"Parakeet A parakeet is any one of a large number of small to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally have long tail feathers. Older spellings still sometimes encountered are paroquet or paraquet. The name parakeet is derived from the French word ""perroquet"". It is however a pseudo-francism as ""perroquet"" means ""parrot"" in French, while the French for parakeet is ""perruche"". The Australian budgerigar, also known as ""budgie"", ""Melopsittacus undulatus"", is probably the most common parakeet. It was first described by zoologists in 1891. It is the most popular species of parakeet kept as a pet in North"
"in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean ""wandering falcon,"" referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of ""Falco peregrinus,"" or is a separate species, ""F. pelegrinoides""."
"they know for sure which parents produced any given birds. Parakeets produce about three to eight eggs on average. Parakeet A parakeet is any one of a large number of small to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally have long tail feathers. Older spellings still sometimes encountered are paroquet or paraquet. The name parakeet is derived from the French word ""perroquet"". It is however a pseudo-francism as ""perroquet"" means ""parrot"" in French, while the French for parakeet is ""perruche"". The Australian budgerigar, also known as ""budgie"", ""Melopsittacus undulatus"", is probably the most common parakeet. It was first"
"Perdicinae Perdicinae is a subfamily of birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae, regrouping the partridges, Old World quails, and francolins. Although this subfamily was considered monophyletic and separated from the pheasants, tragopans, junglefowls, and peafowls ""(Phasianinae)"" till the early 1990s, molecular phylogenies have shown that these two subfamilies actually constitute only one lineage. For example, some partridges (Perdix genus) are more closely affiliated to pheasants, whereas Old World quails and partridges from the Alectoris genus are closer to junglefowls. Perdicinae is a non-migratory Old World group. These are medium-sized birds, and are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle"
"Songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the clade Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as a scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ""oscen"", ""a songbird"". This group contains 5000 or so species found all over the world, in which the vocal organ typically is developed in such a way as to produce a diverse and elaborate bird song. Songbirds form one of the two major lineages of extant perching birds, the other being the Tyranni, which are most diverse in the Neotropics and absent from many parts of the world."
"parts of its range, peregrines now also nest regularly on tall buildings or bridges; these human-made structures used for breeding closely resemble the natural cliff ledges that the peregrine prefers for its nesting locations. The pair defends the chosen nest site against other peregrines, and often against ravens, herons, and gulls, and if ground-nesting, also such mammals as foxes, wolverines, felids, bears, wolves, and mountain lions. Both nests and (less frequently) adults are predated by larger-bodied raptorial birds like eagles, large owls, or gyrfalcons. The most serious predators of peregrine nests in North America and Europe are the great horned"
"peregrine falcon ""Falco peregrinus"". It is often considered conspecific with the western subspecies group of Red-chested goshawk ""Accipiter toussenelii"" of western and central Africa in which case the West African goshawk ""Accipiter macroscelides"" split. There are three currently recognised subspecies which are: African goshawk The African goshawk (""Accipiter tachiro"") is a species of African bird of prey in the genus ""Accipiter"" which is the type genus of the family Accipitridae. The African goshawk is a medium-sized to large ""Accipiter"" which is mainly grey and rufous with the typical broad winged and long tailed shape of its genus. The adult has"
"The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated. While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread"
"in New York City, the lodge decided to retain the use of the lodge number 4 - the first lodge number for Greater New York Councils. The Peregrine Falcon was selected as the totem of Kintecoying Lodge. A native bird to New York City, the peregrine falcon is a symbol of strength, adventure, leadership and new beginnings. Peregrine Falcons are among the world’s most common birds of prey and live on all continents except Antarctica. They prefer wide-open spaces, and thrive near coasts where shorebirds are common, but they can be found everywhere from tundra to deserts. Peregrines are also"
"Grey partridge The grey partridge (""Perdix perdix""), also known as the English partridge, Hungarian partridge, or hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. The scientific name is the Latin for ""partridge"", and is itself derived from Ancient Greek ""perdix"". The grey partridge is a rotund bird, long, brown-backed, with grey flanks and chest. The belly is white, usually marked with a large chestnut-brown horse-shoe mark in males, and also in many females. Hens lay up to twenty eggs in a ground nest. The nest is usually in the margin of a cereal"
"avian apex predators, meaning a healthy adult is not generally preyed upon. There are several other large birds of prey that inhabit the Northern Hemisphere that may be attracted to the same prey, habitats and nesting sites as the golden eagles. Two examples are the common raven and peregrine falcon (""Falco peregrinus"") as these are two fairly large-bodied, mostly predatory birds that co-exist with golden eagles in almost every part of their range, although the former occurs in much larger numbers and the latter has a much larger natural distribution in more varied habitats. Both the raven and the peregrine"
"Budgerigar The budgerigar (; ""Melopsittacus undulatus"") is a long-tailed, seed-eating parrot usually nicknamed the budgie, or in American English, the parakeet. Budgies are the only species in the genus ""Melopsittacus"". Naturally, the species is green and yellow with black, scalloped markings on the nape, back, and wings. Budgies are bred in captivity with colouring of blues, whites, yellows, greys, and even with small crests. Juveniles and chicks are monomorphic, while adults are told apart by their cere colouring, and their behaviour. The origin of the budgie's name is unclear. First recorded in 1805, budgerigars are popular pets around the world"
"fossil species are included in the respective genus accounts. In addition, ""Proherodius"" is a disputed fossil which was variously considered a heron or one of the extinct long-legged waterfowl, the Presbyornithidae. It is only known from a sternum; a tarsometatarsus assigned to it actually belongs to the paleognath ""Lithornis vulturinus"". Heron The herons are the long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 64 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ""Botaurus"" and ""Ixobrychus"" are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the zigzag heron, or"
"Diving petrel The diving petrels are seabirds in the bird order Procellariiformes. There are five very similar species all in the family Procellariidae and genus Pelecanoides (Lacépède, 1799), distinguished only by small differences in the coloration of their plumage, habitat, and bill construction. They are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. Some authorities place the diving petrels in their own family, the Pelecanoididae.[2] Diving petrels are auk-like small petrels of the southern oceans. The resemblances with the auks are due to convergent evolution, since both families feed by pursuit diving, although some researchers have in the past suggested that the"
"while the shrikes are carnivorous. The terms ""passerine"" and ""Passeriformes"" are derived from the scientific name of the house sparrow, ""Passer domesticus"", and ultimately from the Latin term ""passer"", which refers to sparrows and similar small birds. The order is divided into three suborders, Tyranni (suboscines), Passeri (oscines), and the basal Acanthisitti. Oscines have the best control of their syrinx muscles among birds, producing a wide range of songs and other vocalizations (though some of them, such as the crows, do not sound musical to human beings); some such as the lyrebird are accomplished imitators. The acanthisittids or New Zealand"
"Gerygone Gerygone, the gerygones or peep-warblers, is a genus of bird in the Acanthizidae family. The genus ranges from Southeast Asia through New Guinea and Australia to New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. Most of the species are found in Australia and New Guinea; only one, the golden-bellied gerygone, has managed to cross Wallace's Line and colonise as far as Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. Gerygones are insectivores which obtain most of their food by gleaning and snatching in the foliage of trees and bushes. They are small, mostly weighing an average of 6–7 g, and show little variation in"
"Prion (bird) The prions (or whalebirds) are small petrels in the genera ""Pachyptila"" and ""Halobaena"". They form one of the four groups within the Procellariidae (also referred to as the prions), along with the gadfly petrels, shearwaters and fulmarine petrels. The name comes from the Greek """", meaning ""saw"", a reference of the serrated edges of the birds' saw-like bill. They are found in the Southern Ocean and breed on a number of subantarctic islands. Prions grow long, and have blue-grey upper parts and white underparts. Three species of prion have flattened bills with a fringe of lamellae that act"
"Capuchinbird The capuchinbird or calfbird (""Perissocephalus tricolor"") is a large passerine bird of the family Cotingidae. It is monotypic within the genus Perissocephalus. It is found in humid forests (up to but mostly below 600 m) in north-eastern South America, almost entirely north of the Amazon River and east of Rio Negro (Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and The Guianas). The capuchinbird is a large thick-set suboscine passerine with a relatively heavy bill. Adults weigh between and are typically around long, making it the largest suboscine passerine, apart from the Amazonian and long-wattled umbrellabirds – indeed, females average larger than any female"
"Penguin Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, with only one species, the Galapagos penguin, found north of the equator. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have evolved into flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid and other forms of sea life which they catch while swimming underwater. They spend roughly half of their lives on land and the other half in the sea. Although almost all penguin species are native to the Southern Hemisphere,"
"Heron The herons are the long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 64 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ""Botaurus"" and ""Ixobrychus"" are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the zigzag heron, or zigzag bittern, in the monotypic genus ""Zebrilus"", form a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes in breeding plumage. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks. The"
"Aracari An aracari or araçari ( , is any of the medium-sized toucans that, together with the saffron toucanet, make up the genus Pteroglossus. They are brightly plumaged and have enormous, contrastingly patterned bills. These birds are residents in forests and woodlands in the Neotropics. One species, the distinctive saffron toucanet, was formerly placed in the monotypic genus ""Baillonius"", but Kimura ""et al."" (2004) showed that it belongs in the genus ""Pteroglossus"". The genus ""Pteroglossus"" has fourteen species considered to belong to the genus: Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize additional species or subspecies as species belonging to the"
"heron. 1–2 blue-green eggs are laid in a shallow platform of sticks. It feeds on insects, frogs, crabs, fish and other small aquatic animals. Insects are the most important source of food. It may feed alone or in groups of up to a thousand individuals. Pied heron The pied heron (""Egretta picata""), also known as the pied egret is a bird found in coastal and subcoastal areas of monsoonal northern Australia as well as some parts of Wallacea and New Guinea. The species was originally described by ornithologist John Gould in 1845. Recent taxonomists put this species in the genus"
"Peale's falcon Peale's falcon, ""Falco peregrinus pealei"", is a subspecies of the peregrine falcon. This race was first identified by the ornithologist Robert Ridgway in 1873, named in honor of Titian Ramsay Peale. These birds are the largest subspecies of peregrines (on average) anywhere in the world. Measurements for male ""F. p. pealei"" are as follows: length 16.3 in. (41.4 cm), wingspan 36.2 in. (92.1 cm), wing chord 12.60-13.58 in. (320–345 mm). For females: length 18.7 in. (48 cm), wingspan 43.6 in. (110.8 cm), wing chord 14.29-15.39 in. (363–391 mm) Weight range for male ""F. p. pealei"" are 28.57-37.32 oz."
"is available. The peregrine falcon hunts most often at dawn and dusk, when prey are most active, but also nocturnally in cities, particularly during migration periods when hunting at night may become prevalent. Nocturnal migrants taken by peregrines include species as diverse as yellow-billed cuckoo, black-necked grebe, virginia rail, and common quail. The peregrine requires open space in order to hunt, and therefore often hunts over open water, marshes, valleys, fields, and tundra, searching for prey either from a high perch or from the air. Large congregations of migrants, especially species that gather in the open like shorebirds, can be"
"is on the ground. Four to six whitish eggs are laid. Pallid harrier The pale or pallid harrier (""Circus macrourus"") is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek. ""Circus"" is from ""kirkos"", referring to a bird of prey named for its circling flight (""kirkos"", ""circle""), probably the hen harrier and ""macrourus"" is ""long-tailed"", from ""makros"", ""long"" and ""-ouros"" ""-tailed"". It breeds in southern parts of eastern Europe and central Asia (such as Iran) and winters mainly in India and southeast Asia. It is a very rare vagrant to Great"
"Kerguelen petrel The Kerguelen petrel (""Aphrodroma brevirostris"") is a small (36 cm long) slate-grey seabird in the family Procellariidae. The species has been described as a ""taxonomic oddball"", being placed for a long time in ""Pterodroma"" (the gadfly petrels) before being split out in 1942 into its own genus Aphrodroma. The position within the procellariids is still a matter of debate; when it was split away from the ""Pterodroma"" petrels it was suggested that it may be a fulmarine petrel, whereas a 1998 study placed the species close to the shearwaters and the genus ""Bulweria"". Kerguelen petrels breed colonially on"
"wrens are tiny birds restricted to New Zealand, at least in modern times; they were long placed in Passeri; their taxonomic position is uncertain, although they seem to be a distinct and very ancient group. Most passerines are smaller than typical members of other avian orders. The heaviest and altogether largest passerines are the thick-billed raven and the larger races of common raven, each exceeding and . The superb lyrebird and some birds-of-paradise, due to very long tails or tail coverts, are longer overall. The smallest passerine is the short-tailed pygmy tyrant, at and . The foot of a passerine"
"East. They are ground-nesting seed-eaters. The subfamily includes the partridges, the snowcocks, the francolins, the spurfowl and the Old World quail. Perdicinae Perdicinae is a subfamily of birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae, regrouping the partridges, Old World quails, and francolins. Although this subfamily was considered monophyletic and separated from the pheasants, tragopans, junglefowls, and peafowls ""(Phasianinae)"" till the early 1990s, molecular phylogenies have shown that these two subfamilies actually constitute only one lineage. For example, some partridges (Perdix genus) are more closely affiliated to pheasants, whereas Old World quails and partridges from the Alectoris genus are closer to junglefowls."