Latest news with #birdsofprey
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
UAE: 3 rare Arabian spotted eagle owl babies hatch in Sharjah
In a rare and heartwarming event, three Arabian Spotted Eagle Owl chicks hatched at the Kalba Birds of Prey Centre, the Environment and Protected Areas Authority of Sharjah announced. This particular species — rarely found in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen — originates from Africa. The centre said the event "marks a milestone" in the captive breeding programme for birds of prey, which aims to "protect rare species from extinction and rehabilitate them in their natural environments". Take a look at one of the baby chicks. The first time the species of this owl was found in the UAE was in 2003, after a donor from Dibba gifted it to the Dubai Zoo, claiming it was from the Dibba mountains. In the beginning, the staff did not take much notice of it, but after some time they realised it looked different in appearance than other chicks of the Desert Eagle-Owl owl. Meanwhile, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the Arabian Eagle Owl (Bubo africanus milesi) — part of the same family — was first discovered in 2017 in Fujairah's Hajar Mountains. At the time, Jacky Judas, Manager & Scientific Advisor of Terrestrial Biodiversity, EWS-WWF, had said that despite the UAE's hot and arid climate, a "wide variety of resilient and fascinating species thrive in our deserts and mountain areas". "Unfortunately, the rapid pace of development has become a major threat to many of these creatures. Thus, it is crucial — now more than ever— that we ramp up collective efforts to protect and safeguard key habitats and endangered species, all of which constitute the UAE's rich natural heritage," Jacky had said at the time. He continued: 'If a large bird, 45cm in height, weighing 600 to 800g — even if nocturnal and elusive — went unnoticed up to the beginning of the 21st century, what about much smaller species of animals and plants, or under-surveyed taxonomic groups? We have very little doubt that so much more is still to be found in the Hajar Mountains.' Recent rare appearances In August of last year, a Mediterranean Gull was spotted for the first time in 28 years at Dubai's Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Over the past quarter-century, there have been only 15 recorded sightings in the country, with nine in Abu Dhabi, four in Dubai, and two in Sharjah. Another rare species of bird was also spotted that year. The red-footed Booby was seen in Abu Dhabi. One of the rarest and smallest species of Booby, the creature is found on the coasts and islands of tropical regions. It is very rare to see it in the Arabian Gulf region due to the absence of resident groups in the UAE. Meanwhile in 2019, the Arabian Caracal (Caracal schmitzi) was sighted on Jebel Hafeet National Park in Al Ain. The medium-sized, sand-coloured cat with characteristically elongated, tufted black ears was last seen in Abu Dhabi in 1984.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Flamstead hawk finds forever home with falconer
A Harris's hawk which terrorised a village for at least a month has found a forever home with a local Bomber Harris, the hawk was captured in Flamstead, Hertfordshire, in April, and falconer Wayne Housden has been training bird of prey was blamed for attacks on about 50 people including one incident where a man was taken to Housden said the story had reached "a happy ending". After working with birds for about 30 years, he said his first priority was to stabilise his new feathered friend."He has calmed right down," said Mr Housden, who said he had spent about £1,000 building him an falconer said he would take Bomber Harris to the Flamstead Scarecrow Festival in August and aimed to let him loose in the hawk's "unusual" behaviour was likely hormonal or territorial and he was "not nasty at all", Wayne said. "I am keeping him full-time... that wasn't the plan and that isn't why I tried to catch him," he Housden said Bomber Harris - a non-native South American species - was likely a captive-bred bird that had lost its falconer. He said the dried-out leather tags on its feet suggested it had been loose for more than a had not been contacted by anyone claiming to be its owner, Mr Housden said."If I was to let someone else have him, I would have wanted to stay in contact with him," he added."He's been failed once and he is not going to be failed again and the only way that I can make sure of that is by me keeping him myself." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
