Even as many birds are pushed to the brink of extinction due to deforestation and habitat destruction, the few green spots of the city give home to some of rare species of birds. Recently, a rare shaheen falcon was spotted at a house at Suryabagh. It had minor injuries on the wings but later flew atop the tall branches of the trees in the vicinity. The falcon that has become a rare sight in the region is listed as an endangered species. Due to several factors, the population of this raptor is on a decline. “The shaheen falcon is rarely found in the cities and its population has drastically dropped over the past decade,” said Prof. B. Bharatha Lakshmi of Director, UGC Academic Staff College, AU, and senior professor of AU Dept. of Zoology.
Reasons
The reasons sighted for its decline in population are habitat destruction, human disturbances and pollution in the food chain. The raptor is renowned for its speed and is more active before dawn and after dusk. It feeds on smaller birds, parakeets and bats. These medium sized raptors belong to the order
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The shaheen and peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas due to the use of pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the beginning of the 1970s onwards, the populations recovered, supported by protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.