A bounty on Peregrines

paulchandler6 · #1 (**permalink**) 29-08-2007, 09:54 PM

Happened to catch part of the "One Show" on BBC1 this evening and they had an article on Racing Pigeons in Ireland. According to their sources, some members of this Racing Pigeon club have offered a bounty on Peregrines and someone has actually taken them up on it. The local Raptor Group are aware of this and are trying to track down the hunter. They didnt say whether the hunter had shot any yet.
I recall seeing a Peregrine get shot by a Pigeon fancier in Devon, whilst watching a Sardinian Warbler. Apparently some birders found the culprit before the police. Need I say more. Cheers

theboywithnohats · #2 (**permalink**) 29-08-2007, 10:27 PM

that is sickening! I hope they get everything thats coming to them!

Dan Salter · #3 (**permalink**) 29-08-2007, 10:56 PM

Yes that is way way off......

medieval knievel · #4 (**permalink**) 29-08-2007, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theboywithnohats

that is sickening! I hope they get everything thats coming to them!

if it's the republic of ireland, i suspect that'll be very little.

Billy Wobble Dagger · #5 (**permalink**) 30-08-2007, 08:56 AM

I also watched the 1 show yesterday evening. They generally have some sort of wildlife feature on a couple of times a week. The feature last night once again shows how little our wildlife means to some people. Yes racing pigeons are expensive and the prize money can be high, but it's still only a past time, I was going to put hobby but some one would have corrected me saying it was a peregrine or pigeon.
It's just another example of human greed and selfishness. Very sad.

BWD

medieval knievel · #6 (**permalink**) 30-08-2007, 09:11 AM

red kites were recently reintroduced to ireland; they'd been made extinct by poison, shooting, you name it. so 30 were released here six weeks ago; one has already been found, shot.

Cotham Marble · #7 (**permalink**) 30-08-2007, 09:13 AM

By no mean a new or even isolated problem. Some years ago the 'fanciers' were even talking about firing rockets at peregrines in flight - here's some older stories:

Bird man in e-mail falcon fury

BBC NEWS | England | Pigeon fans' fury over falcon threat

Scotsman.com News - Birds of prey - Birds of prey 'will kill off pigeon racing'

BBC NEWS | Wales | 'Disgrace' of peregrine attacks

paulchandler6 · #8 (**permalink**) 30-08-2007, 10:17 AM

We all know that Peregrines take Pigeons, but the kill of Racing Pigeons by Peregrines must be small. Most racers succumb to exhaustion in adverse weather conditions or get disorientated. Some are taken by land predators (mainly cats), and even other aerial predators (i.e. Goshawk, ♀ Sparrowhawk). Some have been known to join colonies of Feral Pigeons (and subsequently been poisoned or shot by local authority agents in trying to control Feral Pigeon populations).Have even had a few turn up in the garden and stay for several days. How many people have seen a Racing Pigeon being taken by a Peregrine, or proved that some injuries on returning Racers were caused by Peregines. A case of 2+2=5 maybe.

Dan Salter · #9 (**permalink**) 30-08-2007, 05:22 PM

I take it "Racing Pigeons" are some hybrid, captive bred non native domestic type affair? ?....

Im all for losing a few of them then...Go peregrine go !

aeshna5 · #10 (**permalink**) 30-08-2007, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

I take it "Racing Pigeons" are some hybrid, captive bred non native domestic type affair? ?....

Im all for losing a few of them then...Go peregrine go !

They're not hybrids or non-native but selectively bred indigenous Rock Doves, the ancestor of all the domestic fancy + feral pigeons.