OUCH!! (graphic image)

[Sushigaijin]

This is a shot I took the other day. I'm busy compiling a series; casualties of migration season, caused by urban sprawl. I know a particularly nasty building that claims dozens of migratory birds every season, generally I just find a dead bird and photograph it. Sounds kind of morbid, but the idea is to convey how much impact we have on these birds - kind of a "save the whales" campaign by showing a dead whale. you get the drift, thanks for not stealing my idea. In any case, I found this macabre curiosity the other morning, but it doesn't really fit in the rest of the series, so here it is. I will spare you the nasty shot from the OTHER side of the neck...

[Speed]

Now that's graphic!

It's a shame how many animals are inadvertantly killed each year. I'm sure the highways claim more wildlife than buildings, planes, and most other man made devices.

[paulnj]

Are you sure this wasn't dinner? Alot of birds die at the hands of tall buildings as most migratory birds fly at night and don't see the large buildings sometimes.

[Sushigaijin]

Are you sure this wasn't dinner? Alot of birds die at the hands of tall buildings as most migratory birds fly at night and don't see the large buildings sometimes.

This one was definately dinner for something, maybe a cat. Birds that hit buildings usually just look like live birds, only considerably more dead. That is why I don't think this photo works with the rest of the series.

[paulnj]

It appears more like a peregrine falcon dinner from that image, but who knows ?

[Sushigaijin]

It appears more like a peregrine falcon dinner from that image, but who knows ?

Could be, I know that there are peregrines in Chicago proper - I had one nearly slam into the L train I was on, last winter. I had never seen one that close before, I was maybe six feet from it, in flight - they are BIG birds!! I'd love to find one to photograph, but I think they do most of their roosting on buildings, not trees - hard to get a good vantage point, and hard to find them (without knowing where they might be)

[paulnj]

http://www.uptownchicagocommission.org/peregrine.htm

[JSPhoto]

I keep finding dead birds and other creatures in front of my house. In fact at the moment there is a racoon that got hit last night. The city limits keep getting closer and closer, I am now just three miles from the population, and two years ago it was 5 miles....

JS

[Loupey]

I keep finding dead birds and other creatures in front of my house.

JS

Sounds kind of ominous, JS. You haven't ticked off any of the neighborhood kids have you?

[Sushigaijin]

http://www.uptownchicagocommission.org/peregrine.htm

Thanks!

I live walking distance from the spots mentioned, guess I have a new destination for next week. The kestrel I saw was only blocks south of lawrance and broadway, guess it's a hot spot of birds of prey.

[Jaedon]

I occaisionally find heads like this downtown in Toronto too. The reason I was told here by a local ornithologist is that some of the birds lose their heads on the nylon wires they have strung across certain areas to keep the bird poop down in touristy areas. They swoop in and decapitate themselves.

That however accounts for only a small portion of the incidents as we have Peregrines and Goss Hawks (sp?) roosting on the building tops. Not sure of the hunting habits of the Goss Hawks but I know the Peregrines hunt pigeons.

[paulnj]

Goshawks hunt birds too

[Jaedon]

thanx Paul. I went off to do the research and come back here to find my answer. However I did find that they prefer lower wooded areas and don't seem to like to fly very high....would this mean that the ornothologist I met could be wrong about them nesting on the roof tops? Or are there exception to every rule?

[paulnj]

They are secretive birds and prefer thick (conifers) forests to nest so I have seen, but they will roost on buildings to hunt .

[Jaedon]

ahhh now I see the difference. Thanks Paul and sorry Sushigaijin for the thread hijack.