Peregrine Falcon | Falconry In UAE | Shaheen Falcon | Al Ain Zoo Malayalam | Bird Show Al Ain Zoo

Falconry is currently being practiced in many countries around the world. The falconer's traditional choice of bird is the Northern Goshawk and Peregrine Falcon. In UAE Saker falcon is the most traditional species used for Falconry, apart from Peregrine falcons. UAE spends huge amount annually for the protection and conservation of the wild falcons, maintenance of the state-of-the-art Falcon hospitals, Falcon Training and Exhibition Centers, Captive Breeding Centers, for conservation purposes. Many of the Falcon Training cum Exhibition Centers conduct regular flying demonstrations and educational exhibition, and are very popular with visitors worldwide. The stunning performances of trained Falcons, Owls, Kestrels and Vultures at the Al Ain Zoo, and an experience with Saker Falcon at a Desert Safari in Dubai are shared herewith.
Peregrine Falcon (shaheen) (Falco peregrinus peregrinator) is a non-migratory subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon found mainly in the Indian subcontinent. The bird is also known as Indian Peregrine Falcon, Black Shaheen Falcon, Black Shaheen and Indian Shaheen. In Malayalam vernacular the bird is called ‘Shaheen Pullu’. It is non-migratory and a resident bird of Kerala.
The bird was formally described by in 1837 as a separate species, Falco peregrinator, by Carl Jackob Sundevall based on a juvenile specimen caught on a ship between Sri Lanka and the Nicobar Islands. Its taxonomic status as a subspecies of Falco peregrinus has been controversial for several years. Recently, the three species recorded from the Indian subcontinent viz., Falco shaheen from South India (Jerdon, 1839), Falco micrurus from Nepal and Myanmar (Hodgson, 1844), and Falco atriceps from Northern India (Hume, 1869) and generally accepted as distinct species around the turn of the century, have been lumped together with Sundevall's Falco peregrinator as Falco peregrinus peregrinator, a subspecies of Peregrine Falcon.
Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) is a small and powerful-looking bird of prey. It is broad shouldered bird with black upper parts, face and conspicuous moustachial stripes. Throat and breast are pale pinkish to white with rest of the underparts ferruginous having fine, black streaks and stripes. The wings are black and pointed. The complete black face mask is sharply demarcated from the throat. It has distinctive rufous underwing-coverts. Males and females have similar markings and plumage. The female birds are larger than male and apart from size difference there is no sexual dimorphism. The birds range in length from 380 to 440 mm.
The bird is usually seen as a solitary, or in pairs on cliffs and rock pinnacles. Peregrines typically mate for life. Because of the size difference between a male and a female, a mated pair generally hunt different prey species. It is adapted to taking prey in the air and can achieve a speed of 240 kmh in level flight; when diving after prey it can exceed speeds of 320 kmh.
The bird mostly hunt small birds, though medium-sized birds such as pigeons, cattle egrets and parrots are also taken. Strong and fast, they dive from great heights to strike prey with their talons. If the impact does not kill the prey, the falcon bites the neck of its victim to ensure death.
The reproductive season is from December to April. The birds occupy nests on high cliff ledges or in cavities and tunnels, and also on buildings and mobile phone transmission tower. Nest is a platform of twigs, grass, etc. They lay clutches of 3-4 eggs. The chicks fledge within 48 days.
The bird is found distributed in South Asia from Pakistan across to India and Bangladesh in the east and to Sri Lanka, central and south-eastern China and northern Myanmar. In India, it has been recorded in all states, except Uttar Pradesh mainly from rocky and hilly regions. Peregrine Falcon (Shaheen) has also been reported from the Andaman Nicobar islands.

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