Falcons and Hawks of the Rocky Mountains

The rare and beautiful gyrfalcon (gerfaut) 20" or 50cm is very rare and the fastest hawk

with a wingspan of 48" or 120 cm...

flying at 60MPH or 100 kmh it preys on birds

and ducks

it can change direction quickly

is almost transparent in the air

the red tail hawk (buse a queue rousse) 18" or 45cm

ready to land on the rock

flying...

 away from us...

to disappear behind the autumn foliage

the Peregrine Falcon(faucon pelerin) is 20"or 50cm large

flies very fast

it has a wingspan of 40" or 100cm

is ready to land

on the perch

The Kestrel(Crecerelle) is the smallest hawk: 8.5"or 21 cm.

It has 2"whiskers"on each side of the face

flying to reach...

the perch

the rare caracara

and the merlin (faucon emerillon) with its prey

the feruginous hawk (Buse Rouilleuse) is bigger with 20" or 50 cm

it can swallow big prey with its large mouth

and the Goshawk (Autour) the only Hawk with red eyes

Eagles and Owls of the Rocky Mountains

The Barn Owl (Effraye) is 14 or 35cm large.It loves barns and eat rats and mice

its heart shaped face can rotate 280 degrees

its wingspan can reach 44" or 110cm

ready to take off

to fly...

and come back...

to grab some more food

and it flew away for 5 hours...

the small Screech Owl (Petit Duc): 8" or 20cm

The Great Horned owl (Hibou Grand Duc) is the largest owl: 20" or 50cm

the Long Heared Owl (Hibou Moyen Duc) looks similar but is smaller: 13" or 32cm.

it has beautiful brown color on the face

and is not afraid of human habitat

like here on a halloween pumpkin

the last one we saw was the Barred Owl (Chouette Rayee) 17" or 42cm

the Gold Eagle (Aigle Dore) looks at the mountains

and turns back to look at us

it has the same size:32"or 80cm"

as our national eagle: the Bald Eagle(Aigle a Tete Blanche)

with a wingspan of 80'' or 200cm

Birds of Kenya, California, Arctic and France!

These Guillemots share a narrow place on the cliff in the Arctic

but they can rest on any iceberg

2 Arctic Terns (Sternes) with different colors of bill rest in California

 court a female in the Arctic

they fly the head down to see fish

This Crested Grebe (Grebe Huppe) fished a crayfish(Ecrevisse) in the lake of Annecy

It is different from this Western Grebe couple in Berkeley

A happy Cormorant caught a fish at the Berkeley Marina

A Black Crowned Heron (Bihoreau a couronne noire) rests by the Oakland lake

Humming birds (Colibris)...

enjoy the flowers of our garden in Berkeley

Malachite Kingfisher (Martin Pecheur Huppe) one of the smallest:6"or 15cm

Landing of a Ruppell's Griffon Vulture  on a tree

The Lilac Breasted Roller (Rollier a long brins)

a beautiful Martial Eagle...

flies away

This Cinnamon Chested Bee Eater(Guepier Montagnard) holds in his bill a bee it has killed by banging its head

It has to squeeze the venom out and remove the stinger(dard) before eating it

The Crested Hoopoe (?)

The majestic Crowned Crane (Grue Couronnee)

a Snake Eagle (Circaete brun)with yellow eyes..

flies away when we stop

a Black Headed Heron takes off

a Hadada Ibis

a Superb Starling(Choucador supreme)

These Parrots(Perroquets) eat undisturbed

a" Haute Couture" presentation of the Vulturine Guinea fowl"(Pintade vulturine)"

under a flying Yellow Bill Stork(Cigogne)

The Somalia male Ostrich...

contrasts with the Pygme Falcon (Fauconnet d'Afrique) ready to eat the lizard it just killed