10ft windspan Vulture at 36,000 feet over Scotland
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10ft wingspan Vulture at 36,000 feet over Scotland
Hi,
A 10ft wingspan Vulture that can fly to 36,000 feet has been lost in Scotland. BBC News - Missing vulture could pose threat in Scottish skies Air warnings have been issued, could be quite a bird strike!
A 10ft wingspan Vulture that can fly to 36,000 feet has been lost in Scotland. BBC News - Missing vulture could pose threat in Scottish skies Air warnings have been issued, could be quite a bird strike!
Last edited by radio ears; 18th Aug 2010 at 15:45. Reason: Spelling windspan / wingspan!
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But in countries where these vultures fly in the wild there are still plenty of aircraft. How many suffer from vulture hits at such high levels?
I'm glad the vulture escaped and may now return to freedom in the sky, where it belongs...
I'm glad the vulture escaped and may now return to freedom in the sky, where it belongs...
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I'm glad the vulture escaped and may now return to freedom in the sky, where it belongs...
Closer to home than the wilds of the himalaya etc, you often get strikes out of Madrid, so it is a real threat. There are a lot of Black and Griffon vultures on Mallorca but I've not heard of any strikes. Anyone?
RR
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I'm glad the vulture escaped and may now return to freedom in the sky, where it belongs...
It remains to be seen how long it will survive in the wild to which it is not accustomed without being hand fed, as it has been used to.
So I have to say that not everyone would agree with your, no doubt well intentioned, sentiment.
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There are many animals in breeding programs all over the world, the location of the which having little to do with said program. I'm not sure, i'd need to check but I do not think this bird was bred in captivity, I suspect it is more likely to be a rescued bird.
The purpose of most programs is to (hopefully) successfully breed for release threatened or endangered species, back into what is their natural habitat. Where possible and practical, the offspring of the breeding pair will be released in carefully controlled programs, with minmal human conditioning. Obviously the down side of this is that the original birds will become so conditioned to human contact that they cannot realistically be released.
In centres like the one that this Vulture has been lost from, they also serve a secondary role of education and this particular bird, like many from true "Falconry" centres, fly daily under the supervision of their dedicated handlers, much to the awe and delight of many members of the public who would otherwise be unable to see them in action. This in itself is no good reason to hold a bird captive, but it is an interesting and useful bi-product of what many see as a necessary evil. The birds get their required exercise, and they are encouraged to work for their food.
It's not an ideal situation, but the recent (relatively speaking) reintroduction of Red Kites and White Tailed Sea Eagles to parts of the UK show the value of the sacrifice captive breeding birds make.
Captivity may technically be the correct word, but these birds are far from caged in frustration.
The purpose of most programs is to (hopefully) successfully breed for release threatened or endangered species, back into what is their natural habitat. Where possible and practical, the offspring of the breeding pair will be released in carefully controlled programs, with minmal human conditioning. Obviously the down side of this is that the original birds will become so conditioned to human contact that they cannot realistically be released.
In centres like the one that this Vulture has been lost from, they also serve a secondary role of education and this particular bird, like many from true "Falconry" centres, fly daily under the supervision of their dedicated handlers, much to the awe and delight of many members of the public who would otherwise be unable to see them in action. This in itself is no good reason to hold a bird captive, but it is an interesting and useful bi-product of what many see as a necessary evil. The birds get their required exercise, and they are encouraged to work for their food.
It's not an ideal situation, but the recent (relatively speaking) reintroduction of Red Kites and White Tailed Sea Eagles to parts of the UK show the value of the sacrifice captive breeding birds make.
Captivity may technically be the correct word, but these birds are far from caged in frustration.
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<<The birds get their required exercise, and they are encouraged to work for their food.>>
And in between "shows" they are sometimes kept in what I, as a bird lover, would describe as quite appalling conditions. My wife and I visited one of these places a few years ago. Seeing the birds fly was great, but seeing them sitting on small wooden perches in enclosures no bigger than my garden shed was heart-breaking. Those that appear at various country shows are carted around, cooped up in lorries. This is not, I suggest, the proper life for a wild bird.
"Re-introduction" of various species, e.g. Red Kite, has not, I suggest, any real benefit for the birds. It merely satisfies some bizarre human desire to prove it can be done. The attempted re-introduction of Bustards was tragic in the early days..
And in between "shows" they are sometimes kept in what I, as a bird lover, would describe as quite appalling conditions. My wife and I visited one of these places a few years ago. Seeing the birds fly was great, but seeing them sitting on small wooden perches in enclosures no bigger than my garden shed was heart-breaking. Those that appear at various country shows are carted around, cooped up in lorries. This is not, I suggest, the proper life for a wild bird.
"Re-introduction" of various species, e.g. Red Kite, has not, I suggest, any real benefit for the birds. It merely satisfies some bizarre human desire to prove it can be done. The attempted re-introduction of Bustards was tragic in the early days..
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The Red Kite reintroduction seems to have been extremely successful with the birds now visible in much of the UK again,the Chilterns being a particular stronghold...anyone visiting Wycombe Air Park or the vicinity is guaranteed seeing them in flight
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sitting on small wooden perches in enclosures no bigger than my garden shed
