Shaheen Falcon: An Extraordinary Bird

Shaheen Falcon is an endemic species of Peregrine Falcon. It resides here permanently except a small distance migration.

I as an wildlife explorer, have keenly observing this royal Bird . There is area consisting of fields, bounded by a river on one side and a forest on the other. There are water bodies in between where many water birds reside.

Although I been lucky to spot it and photographed it quite a number of times, my true observations started when the paddy in the fields ripened prompting hundreds of pigeons to descend on the harvested fields.

Shaheen Falcon are on the lookout for birds like egrets, pigeons and such fowls. When we first saw it, it looked as if a black colored missile is flying through the skies. A pair has come to hunt in this area.

One day I saw it quietly catching a pigeon in the flight. It caught it in the air. It can attain very highs speed in the air and attacks it’s prey with powerful talons.

One day I was surprised by its audacity. It was after a group of red-naped ibises which are at least twice its size but are not predators. It causes them to take flight from a field where they were foraging.

After catching the prey which dies instantly during attack, it flies towards a lofty tree where it chooses a branch where other pestering birds like crows and black kites don’t disturb them.

The bird has been featured in many tales. Its photograph adorns the Pakistani president’s chair.

Here are some pics of this great hunter. All these pics have been shot by me

• 

• 

• 

• 

•