Raptor prey remains : a guide to identifying what's been eaten by a bird of prey

'The book you have all been waiting for!' - John Miles, Birdwatching Are you curious about the remains of an animal you have found? This compilation of the most likely found body parts of animals eaten by raptors will help you identify your discovery. Including over 100 species of bird and mammal prey of raptors such as sparrowhawks, peregrines and hen harriers, this photographic guide highlights the common feathers, fur and other body parts found at raptor nests, roosts, plucking posts and other opportunistic spots. Discovering what raptors eat is an important part of confirming their feeding ecology and how this might change over time, vary on a local level or in response to changing prey populations, as well as dispelling myths and assumptions about what certain raptors species eat. Diet studies are vital for the conservation of raptor species; the more we know about what they need for survival the more we can predict and plan long-term for the protection and survival of raptors that may be vulnerable and in decline. This is the first book to show in detail the actual parts of a bird, mammal or other animal that you are likely to find in a garden, woodland or beneath a raptor roost. As more people take an interest in raptors and watch species such as peregrines via webcams and through watch groups, there is greater opportunity for finding prey remains. This book provides the first and most important step in identifying a prey species. Cover Half Title Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Introduction Finding and identifying raptor prey remains Where to begin Who’s been at work? A mammal or bird predator? Signs of predation Visiting regular prey sites Collecting safely Working out how many individuals of a species you have Building up a reference collection and protecting from insects What clues do different raptors leave behind? Other resources for identifying prey My own story – learning my feathers and identifying peregrine prey Parts of a bird Glossary Mallard Teal Other ducks Red grouse Red-legged partridge Grey partridge Quail Pheasant Chicken Storm petrel Manx shearwater Little grebe Sparrowhawk Water rail Corncrake Spotted crake Moorhen Coot Oystercatcher Avocet Lapwing Golden plover Grey plover Ringed plover Whimbrel Curlew Bar-tailed godwit Black-tailed godwit Knot Dunlin Woodcock Jack snipe Snipe Common sandpiper Green sandpiper Redshank Black-headed gull Gulls (chicks and fledglings) Adult gulls Sandwich tern Common tern Auks Feral pigeon Stock dove Woodpigeon Turtle dove Collared dove Cuckoo Barn owl Little owl Swift Kingfisher Lesser spotted woodpecker Great spotted woodpecker Green woodpecker Kestrel Ring-necked parakeet Red-backed shrike Great grey shrike Jay Magpie Jackdaw Blue tit Great tit Skylark Sand martin and house martin Swallow Willow warbler and chiffchaff Blackcap Goldcrest Wren Starling Blackbird Fieldfare Redwing Song thrush Mistle thrush Robin Wheatear House sparrow Dunnock Pied wagtail Meadow pipit Tree pipit Chaffinch Brambling Hawfinch Bullfinch Greenfinch Linnet Goldfinch Siskin Yellowhammer Reed bunting Fledglings Other animals Photo credits With thanks "Are you curious about the remains of an animal you have found? This compilation of the most likely found body parts of animals eaten by raptors will help you identify your discovery. Including over 100 species of bird and mammal prey of raptors such as sparrowhawks, peregrines and hen harriers, this photographic guide highlights the common feathers, fur and other body parts found at raptor nests, roosts, plucking posts and other opportunistic spots. Discovering what raptors eat is an important part of confirming their feeding ecology and how this might change over time, vary on a local level or in response to changing prey populations, as well as dispelling myths and assumptions about what certain raptors species eat. Diet studies are vital for the conservation of raptor species; the more we know about what they need for survival the more we can predict and plan long-term for the protection and survival of raptors that may be vulnerable and in decline. This is the first book to show in detail the actual parts of a bird, mammal or other animal that you are likely to find in a garden, woodland or beneath a raptor roost. As more people take an interest in raptors and watch species such as peregrines via webcams and through watch groups, there is greater opportunity for finding prey remains. This book provides the first and most important step in identifying a prey species."--Provided by publisher