Birds of PreyHawks and Falcons of British ColumbiaDay flying raptors with hooked beaks and talons are usually known as 'birds of prey'.They actually form two different groups - the hawks, including eagles, kites, buteos accipiters and harriers, and the falcon group which are falcons and caracaras. Basic identification is by shape, silhouette and size of the bird in flight, followed by colouration. Hawks and falcons, or birds of prey, are not always welcome in our gardens. It’s hard to see a murder, or the evidence of one at the feeder or where the tiny birds we love to watch congregate. Birds of prey, however, are essential to the good health of the flock of birds; in effect, they are keeping in check those animals or birds that without them would become unmanageable and overpopulated. Migratory songbirds and galliform birds such as grouse and quail form a large part of the raptors diet. Most times, the birds of prey you see are taking the weak and sick birds, and the slow and stupid ones. Survival of the fittest was never a truer saying. Hawks and falcons don’t always feast on the songbirds that we see every day in the garden. Many times they are doing us a favor by killing mice, shrews, voles, rabbits and other creatures that predate our plants. 
Some, like Ospreys, fish in lakes by diving in to take an unwary trout; others plummet soundlessly from high overhead to grasp a rabbit or other prey with their sharp talons. All are carnivorous; some occasionally feasting on carrion, but for the most part will only eat the prey that they catch live. If you’re lucky enough to have hawks nesting nearby, identifying them and watching their comings and goings is a fascinating hobby. Their cries remind us of the wildness that still exists here in our complacent world. You can forgive them for killing songbirds when you see them wheeling and circling high overhead after catching a thermal uplift from your roof. Knowing more about birds of prey of all kinds can easily become an obsession, leading to an interest in the ancient art of falconry. Merlins, the grey ghost of the woods and fields, Harriers that hover almost without movement over the edges of lakes to find muskrats and the most colourful American kestrel perching on power lines are fascinating to see. Many of these birds, including Peregrine falcons and hawks of all kinds have come back from the brink of extinction once certain chemical pesticides were banned. The shells of their eggs were too thin to successfully hatch, leading them to perilously low replacement rates. After DDT was banned, the population of many birds of prey has amazingly bounced back to pre-chemical levels. The Magic of Mimicry:For years, I would hear the cry of a red tailed hawk, but looking up into the sky expecting to spot a hawk I would see only a Stellars jay. I named the jay ‘Memorex’ after the advertising jingle, ‘Is it live, or is it Memorex?’Stellars jays and many other birds such as starlings have an uncanny ability to mimic other birds’ cries or even the sound of a squeaky gate or circular saw. Some fans get a camera that can stream video from the nest of a hawk or owl in wildlife trees or on a cliff to a computer or website for some incredible footage of real life drama. Another way that we can protect these fascinating birds is a simple one. It was found that hawks and other raptors use high watch towers such as tall trees and power poles along highways to look for prey. As the birds swooped down from their perch, both wings would touch the top wires, completing a circuit and killing the bird. The risk of accidental electrocution was eliminated by placing the wires lower down from the top, or adding a platform to the top of the pole. Birds of prey with their colourful history are worthy of our respect and admiration, not only for their useful function to cull the weak and sick, but for their ability to rise high above the earth, and adversity. Birds of prey in all their elusive beauty are welcome visitors to my xeric garden, and I feel honoured by their presence.
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Wildlife and Birds
Important Visitors to your Xeric Garden
Don't be too quick to condemn insects or spiders - they are useful too. Trying to find out what kind of insects you have? Check the Insect Encyclopedia. Look for your spider on the Spider Identification page.
Many prey insects such as aphids will be attracted to dill or other nectar producing plants. In turn, they will feed wasps, crickets, ladybugs and many other beneficial insects.
You may find that hedgerows are not limited to wildlife habitat, they are also valuable for growing craft supplies.
Xeric gardens truly are the multi-taskers of the the natural world.
Find all pages to do with wildlife in your xeric garden on the Wildlife Site Map.
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