Rfalconcam glossary - a work in progress

[ezsha]

How about TV (turkey vulture), and I can't remember if there are any other abbreviations for commonly chased intruders...

Falcon - approximately a third larger in size than a tiercel... (recommend side-by-side comparison of B and A that someone so kindly posted previously)

BWF/BYF (big white feet / big yellow feet) and the age approximately that they change...

Crop (picture most definitely helpful, especially a full one)

Egg-turning - done frequently during incubation to keep one side from sticking, and helps ensure fertilized eggs develop properly

The reason bad eggs must be removed from the nest (bad for feathers, I think?)

The major landmarks in eyas development - pin feathers, body temperature regulation, etc...

Money bag / purse and foot - parts of Mercury statue

Courtship behaviors - bowing, food deliveries, etc.

Pebble-picking

Falcon eating eggshells - helps replenish mama's calcium levels

Brooding, mantling, and other eyas-protecting behaviors

Food-exchange, talon tag, stoop, and any other flying behaviors

We don't have any little ones locally to watch this year, so if we dig through our memory banks to other behaviors or characteristics we have watched during the past summers, I'm sure there are more... and a pleasant reason to reminisce...

[ezsha]

Watcher! The dedicated locals and visitors who volunteer to help educate the public while observing and, if necessary, intervening to protect sick/injured/disoriented peregrines (and occasionally other strays) should they become unable to properly care for themselves.

Wildlife rehabilitator - An authorized specialist devoted to taking care of sick/injured wild animals, who works with the goal of releasing healthy animals back into the wild. Often works in concert with a veterinarian, providing longer-term care for wild animals. Some provide sanctuary for animals otherwise unable to be released back to the wild.

[margaret]

Excellent suggestions for the glossary!

[ezsha]

Cache or food caching - storing dead birds in known 'larders' (a.k.a. various building nooks and crannies) for later consumption... especially helpful when dealing with hungry eyases...

[Dumpsterkitty]

Thanks for the suggestions!  Any others are more than welcome!

I'll do some updating later in the week-haven't had time to restore the master copy from my backup...

[chlosmom]

question: what does hacked or hacked out mean?  thanks

[Dumpsterkitty]

question: what does hacked or hacked out mean?  thanks

Quick answer-release of a young bird (usually raptors) from an artificial nest box.  Usually after they've been rescued/rehabbed or something happens to the parents before they're flighted.  It was used in the reintroduction of peregrines to the east coast-eyases hatched in captivity were released from hack boxes.

[chlosmom]

thanks Ei--so Jemison wouldnt qualify, because she was already flighted?

[Dumpsterkitty]

thanks Ei--so Jemison wouldnt qualify, because she was already flighted?

Correct.  Once they've actually flown there's no need to use the gradual release method of hacking.