raptors Flashcards

1.5.3.09 (8/4 online)

1
Q

birds of prey - the 4 classes

A
  • hawks (long winged)
    e.g. harris hawk
  • falcons (short winged)
    e.g. peregrine falcon
  • eagles
    e.g. golden eagle
  • owls
    e.g. barn owl
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2
Q

falconry - what is it

A

the keeping of falcons (or other birds of prey) and training them to hunt wild animals

sport?

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3
Q

(legalities)
licenses - when are they needed/not needed?

A
  • no license needed to own/fly CAPTIVE BRED birds of prey
  • illegal to take birds of prey FROM WILD and keep without Defra license , unless receiving treatment from vet/person registered to treat and INTENTION OF RELEASE
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4
Q

(legalities)

name an act that is responsible for protection and management of wild animals:

what this act states

why?

A

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

species listed in schedule 9 = non-native = if captured legally cannot be released OR ALLOWED TO ESCAPE
illegal to take eggs from nest > inform Defra

risk/may cause damage to native birds/plants

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5
Q

(legalities)

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 - what happens to a lot of ‘schedule 9’ birds when they are captured?

A

often euthanised

not ethical (welfare) to keep these birds of prey in captivity/confinement for rest of lives

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6
Q

(legalities)

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 - what is the exception for some ‘schedule 9’ birds?

A

the general license

‘schedule 9’ animals can be re-released after period of rehabilitation under this license

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7
Q

(legalities)

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 - NAME the ‘schedule 9’ birds which the general license applies to:

4

A

barn owl

northern goshawk

red kite

white-tailed eagle

(also applies to other mammals - above are birds of prey only)

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8
Q

common welfare problems in captive birds of prey

A

no license to fly/own CAPTIVE BRED =

  • poor housing
  • lack of exercise
  • incorrect diet
  • lack of social interaction (w humans and other BOPs)
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9
Q

flight weight - define

A

ideal weight for flying – lowest weight that allows optimal performance

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10
Q

CAST - 3 definitions

A

1- method of holding bird for examination ‘

2- regurgitate a pellet

3- 2 or more birds flown together

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11
Q

cast off - define

A

released from fist

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12
Q

casting - define

A

indigestible part of diet

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13
Q

foot/footing/being footed

A

bird strikes with its feet

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14
Q

imping - what is it

A

replacement of damaged feathers by gluing new tip onto broken feather

= precision in flying

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15
Q

mutes - define

A

droppings/faeces

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16
Q

manned (to man)

A

tamed and used to humans (not necessarily imprinted)

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17
Q

mews

A

building that bird kept/trained in

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18
Q

hood

A

leather cap that covers bird face, to calm

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19
Q

husbandry - the 2 basic systems for BOPs

A

1) tethered on blocks/perches (usually temp)

2) aviaries (‘free lofting’) - still need weathering no to protect from wind/rain

20
Q

2 examples of injuries from inadequate husbandry:

A

sand impactions (from eating?)

bumblefoot (pododermatitis)

21
Q

2 perch types

A

bow

block

22
Q

3 perch surfaces

A
  • astroturf
    (easy to clean, some argue too sharp on feet)
  • nylon rope
    (smooth = does not distribute weight/pressure well = pressure sores)
  • natural materials e.g. bark
    (not as easy to clean)
23
Q

diet - what body parts to raptors eat?

A

entire carcass

regurgitate bones/feather/fur (indigestible)

24
Q

diet - what to/not to feed?

A
  • do not feed pure muscle (not balanced diet)
  • do not feed same each day (mix chicks/rodents/rabbits etc.)

Ca:P ratio of 2:1 growing birds, 1.5:1 adults (most important dietary factor)

25
Q

diet - points to note

A

How food is sourced/kept/frozen/defrosted is very important - e.g. disease from pigeons (name?)

Always provide fresh water for bathing and drinking

Diet should be tailored to activity > weighing birds daily to allow for this - take fluctuations seriously

A good falconer will know their bird very well. If they say their bird is sick take them seriously (they will detect very early signs of ill health).

if bird has not passed cast (pellet-regurg.) and fed again, can cause GI obstruction

26
Q

safe handling of BOPs

A
  • ALWAYS CAST TO EXAMINE
  • if bird used to hood, always use to red stress
  • WATCH FEET (not beak)
27
Q

common injuries in BOPs

A

1 wing tip oedema/necrosis syndrome (WTONS)

2 pododermatitis

3 blunt trauma (e.g. head trauma, fractures)

28
Q

how to cast

A
  • use towel to grasp from behind, both hands around wings/body
    (not front - restrict keel movement > breathing)
  • wrap towel around body
    (ideally cover head/if not hooded)
  • place one side of bird against body
  • move one hand to place fingers around legs to hold feet
29
Q

BOPs - 6 causes of pododermatitis

A
  • inappt perch/perch covering
  • poor perch hygiene
  • obesity
  • nutritional deficiencies
  • injury (e.g. rodent bites)
  • self injury (long talons curl back into foot)
30
Q

BOPs - preventing pododermatitis

A
  • balanced diet
  • clean env
  • suitable perch material/texture/diameter
  • handle/fly/free loft more
31
Q

BOPs - WTONS (what is it/caused by)

A

reduced blood flow to wing tips

can be caused by e.g. frostbite or injury - frostbite usually both wings, injury may only be one

causes feather loss/oedema/damage to tissue at tips of wings

32
Q

WTONS

A

wing tip oedema and necrosis syndrome

33
Q

BOPs - WTONS treatment/prevention

A

antibiotics - often causes secondary infections

keep warm and dry - prevents frostbite

34
Q

BOPs - head trauma

what you should do when examining, conclusions you may make

A
  • check whole body for trauma (e.g. bleeds/fractures)
  • OPTHALMIC EXAM - BOPs have pecten at back of eye, can never see properly/be able to hunt with precision again = poor prognosis
35
Q

what does the pecten do (where is it)

A

back of eye

retina has no blood vessels, so pecten provides retina with blood supply

36
Q

BOPs - fractures

points to note when repairing fractures

A
  • assess future chances of survival before starting lengthy treatments/surgeries
  • (unlike other wild birds) need very neat healing of fractures, esp wing fractures (need precision to hunt and survive)
    surgical fixation often best option for this
  • aim is to restore limb function asap
  • e.g. fractures involving a joint unlikely to heal well
37
Q

BOPs common diseases

A
  • enteritis
  • endoparasites
  • crop stasis
38
Q

BOPs common diseases - name 2 types of endoparasite and their signs

A

coccidia - diarrhoea

capillaria - white plaques in mouth

39
Q

BOPs - disease - enteritis

what is it?

A

inflammation of intestinal tract

40
Q

BOPs - disease - enteritis

clinical signs

A
  • abnormal mutes (blood/undigested food)
  • vomit/regurgitate
  • anorexia

(acute - very sudden onset = emergency)

41
Q

BOPs - disease - enteritis

causes

A

bacterial
viral
fungal
endoparasitic
toxicity (salt/lead)
foreign bodies (e.g. stuck in GI tract)

42
Q

BOPs - disease - parasites

caused by?

A
  • poorly sources/infected food e.g. pigeons
    (freezing pigeons before defrosting and feeding = prevents some infections)
  • poor hygiene/biosecurity when multiple birds kept in close prox to each other
43
Q

BOPs and parasite burden
explain

A

wild birds naturally have some parasite burden, but in balance = NOT causing clinical disease

ill or stressed (e.g. moving into captivity) = worm burden imbalanced = clinically unwell
SO
ALL animals brought into captivity routinely tested/treated for worms/parasites

44
Q

BOPs - disease - crop stasis

what is this?

A

crop is storage organ

if crop emptying is prolonged (stasis) = meat stored inside goes rotten

45
Q

why should you never feed a bird if the cast has not yet been regurgitated

A

risk of gut/GI tract OBSTRUCTION

46
Q

BOPs - disease - crop stasis

how to prevent

A

appropriate sized food pieces

good BCS of bird = less prone to gorging

47
Q

BOPs - disease - crop stasis

causes

A
  • crop infection
  • inapp food
  • dehydration
  • low BCS
  • over full crop/over gorging