Just saved a Pigeon
Discussion
stevensdrs said:
I think you have confused a Kestrel with a Sparrow Hawk. Your Pigeon was lucky this time but tomorrow is another day.
Agreed, I'd think it very unlikely for a kestral to take a pigeon but I have seen a sparrowhawk snatch one from the air!Re: morals of saving it. It's a tough one IMO, as like others have said the kestral/sparrowhawk undoubtably went on to take another pigeon instead but I think I would find it hard to leave nature to itself in the same cirumstance faced with the chance of saving one. On the balance of things I think I would leave it but, but be left wondering if I had done the right thing. Not least because I wouldn't fancy picking up a half mauled pigeon
Very common for sparrow hawks to take doves, not sue about a wood pidgeons. A not very nice nature video of same http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFIyXr-MGbw
A Sparrow hawk will take the breast meat (whilst alive) magpies and crows will have the rest........
A Sparrow hawk will take the breast meat (whilst alive) magpies and crows will have the rest........
SMGB said:
Brilliant if it recovers. keep it warm and fed and if it can fly let it go.
Yeah, great. Then it can find a mate, reproduce and pass on its "rubbish at avoiding sparrowhawks" genes. So the misery is multiplied, as it's offspring are killed.If it got caught by a sparrowhawk or whatever, perhaps it isn't very good at avoiding preditors. It was probably best off dead. Now it lives when it shouldn't have done, and genes that should never have been passed on get passed on, weakening the gene pool.
Saving this creatures life could mean extinction for the whole species. Hope you're proud of yourself!
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