Author Topic: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works  (Read 12950 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

  • Administrator
  • Old Bird
  • *****
  • Posts: 11,519
    • Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project (Manitoba)
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #23 on: June 21, 2012, 10:23 »
In personality, Ivy is pretty laid back which is something that Trey was most definitely not.  Ivy's protective, but not in the bloodthirsty way that Trey and most certainly not like Trey's Dad/Ivy's Granddad T-Rex was.
So who is Ivy like, he's not really like anyone I'm afraid ... he just doing his own thing his own way.

Ivy is simply showing us another manifestation of the fabulous genetic heritage of his illustrious forebears.

Phan are we?  ;) ;D

Offline bcbird

  • Phanatic
  • Old Bird
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,443
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #22 on: June 21, 2012, 10:20 »
In personality, Ivy is pretty laid back which is something that Trey was most definitely not.  Ivy's protective, but not in the bloodthirsty way that Trey and most certainly not like Trey's Dad/Ivy's Granddad T-Rex was.
So who is Ivy like, he's not really like anyone I'm afraid ... he just doing his own thing his own way.

Ivy is simply showing us another manifestation of the fabulous genetic heritage of his illustrious forebears.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

  • Administrator
  • Old Bird
  • *****
  • Posts: 11,519
    • Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project (Manitoba)
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2012, 22:14 »
"Ivy's a killing machine."  I think that is interesting, too, Liz. 
TPC, which of his illustrious forebears does Ivy most resemble in that regard?
LOL! I'm thinking he must take after his dad, Trey! ;)

Actually Trey was a good provider, but not like Ivy.  Not sure we have ever had a male who provides so much food for his kids, and for Princess because often the kids don't finish it off.

In personality, Ivy is pretty laid back which is something that Trey was most definitely not.  Ivy's protective, but not in the bloodthirsty way that Trey and most certainly not like Trey's Dad/Ivy's Granddad T-Rex was.

So who is Ivy like, he's not really like anyone I'm afraid ... he just doing his own thing his own way.

Offline Kinderchick

  • Phanatic
  • Old Bird
  • ***
  • Posts: 4,944
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #20 on: June 20, 2012, 21:58 »
"Ivy's a killing machine."  I think that is interesting, too, Liz. 
TPC, which of his illustrious forebears does Ivy most resemble in that regard?
LOL! I'm thinking he must take after his dad, Trey! ;)

Offline bcbird

  • Phanatic
  • Old Bird
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,443
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2012, 21:51 »
"Ivy's a killing machine."  I think that is interesting, too, Liz. 

TPC, which of his illustrious forebears does Ivy most resemble in that regard?

Offline birdbrain

  • Falcon Fan
  • Hatchling
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2012, 21:03 »
Thanks for the prompt answer!  That is interesting that at the Radisson they had too much food.  I had noticed chicks pecking at left over food and wondered why they didn't eat it when it came, now I have my answer.  Who would have thought wild birds would have problems with left overs?!

Offline Liz

  • Phanatic
  • Old Bird
  • ***
  • Posts: 2,330
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #17 on: June 20, 2012, 20:06 »
"Ivy's a killing machine"  hahaha  I didn't know that.  And I'm glad to have the reminder on the other points - great question, birdbrain.  :)

Offline The Peregrine Chick

  • Administrator
  • Old Bird
  • *****
  • Posts: 11,519
    • Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project (Manitoba)
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2012, 18:04 »
Hello,  I have been wondering, the Brandon parents seem much more distant than the Radission parents.  It also appears to me (with my limited experience) that the chicks are growing at a slower rate.  Is that right?  Is there any evidence to support the idea that chicks with more involved or present parents mature faster?  Do you have any concern at all for the Brandon chicks?

The simple answer is "no".  Every pair is different in their parenting and Hurricane and Brooklyn are doing fine and their chicks look fine for their age.  Remember, they are three weeks behind the Radisson birds, which in a chick's life is the difference between a toddler and a teenager.  Compounding that is that the Brandon chicks have hit the 10 day mark and can thermoregulate on their own and the parents know it, so unless there is a need, the chicks don't need them and the so the adults are always nearby, just not in the box with them.

One of the things that makes it seem that the Brandon pair are more "distant" is that you've got two ends of a spectrum going right now - the Brandon pair and the Radisson pair almost couldn't be more different.  The Brandon pair share duties alot more through incubation and brooding so there is lots more on/off going on.  With the Radisson birds, it starts out Princess does more then Ivy gets to do more as time goes along in the incubating cycle, then the brooding cyle and now in the late teenager stage, you almost see Ivy more than you see Princess.  And yes, the Radisson chicks do get fed more but that's not because they need more, its because Ivy's a killing machine.  Mostly chicks are a little hungry at times during the day.  At the Radisson, we have chicks burping and waddling away from food - that is not the norm.  In previous years when we have banded the Brandon chicks they have been proper size and weight so there is no reason at this point for us to be worried about the chicks.  When we band them we'll be taking a close look at them and if there is anything to worry about, we'll take care of it.

Offline birdbrain

  • Falcon Fan
  • Hatchling
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2012, 16:25 »
Hello,  I have been wondering, the Brandon parents seem much more distant than the Radission parents.  It also appears to me (with my limited experience) that the chicks are growing at a slower rate.  Is that right?  Is there any evidence to support the idea that chicks with more involved or present parents mature faster?  Do you have any concern at all for the Brandon chicks?

Offline The Peregrine Chick

  • Administrator
  • Old Bird
  • *****
  • Posts: 11,519
    • Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project (Manitoba)
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2012, 12:25 »
What is the relationship between the peregrines and crows/ravens?


Antagonistic.  The peregrines won't tolerate crows/ravens in the area immediately around the nestsite.  Usually the peregrines win since for them its location, location, location.  With the ravens and crows, location is nice but they can build elsewhere.  Mostly its a question of timing - if the ravens/crows have chicks, they won't move but they do tend to nest early so the overlap can be rather short and they peregrines are able to drive out the entire family (kids included) and take over the site.  That is a general statement, can't say that I know about any less-than-antagonistic crow/raven-peregrine relationships, but also can't say that there haven't been the occasional aberation.

Offline birdnut

  • Phanatic
  • Chick
  • ***
  • Posts: 201
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2012, 10:41 »
What is the relationship between the peregrines and crows/ravens?

Offline birdcamfan

  • Phanatic
  • Old Bird
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,061
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2012, 06:59 »
Thank you. Nothing I read described the anatomical difference that makes this possible. The first time I saw a tiny stone owl eat a mouse whole I panicked thinking that there was no way that could happen. Great explanation. Thanks again.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

  • Administrator
  • Old Bird
  • *****
  • Posts: 11,519
    • Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project (Manitoba)
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2012, 22:06 »
I understand the anatomy but if it looks equivalent to what I imagine a human would look like if they tried to swallow their pet dog whole! Doesn't it occlude their airway?

If you check out the relative size in the diagram, a bird's airway and throat (simple terms) are much larger than ours.  That and the mouth is only so big, they aren't like snakes and a few other reptiles who can "dislocate" their jaws in order to eat much larger prey.  And if something is larger/longer than they can manage, they hack it up ... watch this year when the chicks eat a leg and the foot is sticking out their mouth because the leg is longer than the distance between their mouth and the bottom of their crop.  Takes a bit of manuevering but they get it out and generally don't try it again.  Could there ever be tragic results from lets say, errors in judgement?  Probably, but that's part of the evolutionary process I'm afraid.

Offline birdcamfan

  • Phanatic
  • Old Bird
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,061
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2012, 21:09 »
I understand the anatomy but if it looks equivalent to what I imagine a human would look like if they tried to swallow their pet dog whole! Doesn't it occlude their airway?

Offline The Peregrine Chick

  • Administrator
  • Old Bird
  • *****
  • Posts: 11,519
    • Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project (Manitoba)
Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2012, 19:06 »
TPC, I hope you can answer this question which is about owls (Sorry, I know this is a PF site). I have looked everywhere for the answer but have not been able to find it. I have watched owls choke down their prey basically whole. Even the chicks seem able to swallow something that is only slightly smaller than themselves. It sometimes takes up to a minute. How do they do this and breathe at the same time??

Same way you can breathe and chew at the same time  :)  The esophagus leads to the crop and their airways are totally separate.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/PigeonAnatomy.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_anatomy)

Hope this helps, or at least is a start ...