Bird, bug, butterfly and a wild variety of photos from Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland and Spain by Irish wildlife photographer Patrick J. O'Keeffe and invited guests

Sunday 29 October 2017

EURASIAN TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus) Balbriggan, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) is of the family Passeridae which is in the genus Passer.

Monday 23 October 2017

EURASIAN KESTREL (Falco tinnunculus ) male at Rogerstown Estuary, Rush, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 
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The Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a small bird of prey of the family Falconidae which is in the genus Falco. Alternative names include European Kestrel, Common Kestrel or simply referred to as a Kestrel. This falcon occurs throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. 
More recently, the British and Irish populations have been in serious decline which may be as a result of changes in agricultural practices and  increased use of rodenticides (rat poisons). Nest predation by Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Grey Crow (Corvus cornix), Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) and Common Raven (Corvus corax), whose populations have increased, may also be a factor.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Tuesday 17 October 2017

EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK [Male] (Accipiter nisus) Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland


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The Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), alternative names include, Northern Sparrowhawk or simply Sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey of the family Accipitridae which is in the genus Accipiter. It has a widespread distribution across the temperate and subtropical parts of the Old World. It is a partial migrant and in the more northern and colder parts of its range, it disperses south for the winter. The preferred habitats include open type wood land, hedge rows, parks and gardens where a wide variety of small to medium sized perching birds are preyed upon. Males are up to 25% smaller than females and tend to prey upon sparrow sized passerines but can include starlings and thrushes. Females, on the other hand, can tackle larger prey including doves, pigeons and magpies.

Text © Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Six subspecies are generally recognised:

  •  Accipiter nisus nisus - breeds from Europe and west Asia to western Siberia and Iran; northern populations winter south to the Mediterranean, north-east Africa, Arabia and Pakistan.
  •  Accipiter nisus nisosimilis - central and eastern Siberia east to Kamchatka and Japan, and south to northern China. This subspecies is wholly migratory, wintering from Pakistan and India eastwards through South-East Asia and southern China to Korea and Japan; some even reach Africa.
  •  Accipiter nisus melaschistos - Afghanistan through the Himalayas and southern Tibet to western China, and winters in the plains of South Asia.
  •   Accpiter nisus wolterstorffi - Sardinia and Corsica
  •  Accipiter nisus granti - Madeira and the Canary Islands.
  •  Accipiter nisus punicus - north-west Africa, north of the Sahara.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_sparrowhawk