AUSTRALIAN 238 \ ARNEY: Peregrine Falcon BIRD WATCHER
Attack by a Peregrine Falcon on a Little Eagle On November 25, 1979 whilst inspecting Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus eyries at Nowingi, Victoria, in company with Brian Smith, we witnessed an attack by a pair of Peregrines on a Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides. At the time I was participating in the Victorian Fisheries and Wildlife Department's Peregrine Project.
Almost immediately after the Little Eagle was disturbed from its perch in a Belar Casuarina cristata it was pursued by the Falcon, closely fol lowed by her mate. Both birds made several passes at the Little Eagle, the Falcon pulling out when within two metres of its prey, and the Tiercel when approximately five metres from it.
In the final attack the Falcon actually struck the Little Eagle behind the head, dislodging a few small feathers and causing it to plummet into a wheat crop some 7-10 metres below. Although we made a diligent search for 20 minutes we failed to locate the victim, but to our utter amazement it then rose from the crop in an endeavour to reach the cover of trees about 150 metres distant succeeding just in time to avoid another onslaught by the Falcon.
Over the past four years there has been a close associatiOn between these birds, the Peregrines breeding in the nest occupied by the Little Eagles the previous season. At the time of this incident the Peregrine chicks were fledged and witnessed the encounter from a nearby vantage point.
It is significant that the incident took place in the vicinity of the nest in which the Little Eagle had recently reared its young, for when I passed it again on August 17, 1980 the Tiercel was indulging in court ship behaviour in the presence of the Falcon perched in the particular nest tree, thus indicating a continuity of the pattern over the previous four years.
There is little doubt that in November 1979 the Peregrines were already selecting their eyrie for the 1980 season.
By M. J. ARNEY, P.M.B. 5, Red Cliffs, Victoria, 3496.
ABW