Olham 164 Posted April 2, 2010 Enjoy these incredible BBC camera views from the back of a Peregrine Falcon. When it's chasing through a forrest, you want to cover your eyes with your hand! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UK_Widowmaker 571 Posted April 2, 2010 Wow!...put's the F-22 to absolute shame!...thanks Olham Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duce Lewis 3 Posted April 2, 2010 Wow, that was better than the Speeder Bikes in Star Wars! I took notes but implementation may be a bit stodgy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scouseair68 0 Posted April 4, 2010 We're not worthy!!! We're not worthy!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catch 81 Posted April 6, 2010 Nice find Olham. Is there anything so majestic as a bird of prey ? Magnificent. I have an admiration for the Australian Magpie because of their insolence, aggressiveness, attacking spirit and intelligence. They don't take crap from anything basically and they also love to take time out to zoom and boom with their mates for a bit of play time. They are strong flyers with a perfect shape and wing span for efficient flying and they revel in it ! Often, they'll just attack some other creature (not necessarily another bird) for the fun of it. Doesn't have to be nesting time. I've been feeding 3 young Magpie chicks over the last 8 months with full co-operation from their parents and each have their own individual traits. The father in particular is very bold and just flies through the window, walks cockily around the place like he owns it until I give him a bit of cheese (they love it). Hand-feeding them as I do I see they have a little raptor hook on their beak so I guess they're related to the bigger birds of prey, and likewise have those intense forward set eyes that look directly at you. This vid is Attack of the Killer Magpie. Similar vids have been shown here before I think also showing their bold nature. And I admire them greatly for it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted April 6, 2010 (edited) Wow, it doesn't show any fear even from such a strange noisy bird. Saw a similar vid, but in this one you can really see the bird quite well. Found a video from a guy in Queensland - your Australian magpies really look different to our European ones - closer to ravens, it seems. I once watched a young raven, that seemed to have sailed from the nest too early. It was so thirsty, that it tried to get a drop of Coke from a can someone had dropped. There was really some Coke left in it, which he could see, but not reach through the tiny hole. I talked to him and went closer slowly. All the time, he watched me, really looked into my eyes, but did not run away. I slowly picked up the can and led it over his beak. And he really lifted his head, opened his beak and let the Coke run down his throat. (I hope he could digest it!) Then I saw the mother or father overhead, circling over the road and the yard of the opposite house. So I grabbed the youngster (which he got very upset about), carried him over and put him on the branch of a big chestnut tree. Hope he survived. It was a wonderful experience! Edit: Here's another vid, showing: they don't seem to know fear ...and they can recognise themselves in a mirror ! Edited April 6, 2010 by Olham Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catch 81 Posted April 7, 2010 It was a wonderful experience! You are obviously a man of culture, sensitivity and taste Olham. Good on you for helping out the youngster. I would've done the same because, for some of us, helping out distressed animals is a wonderful experience. I see from the last clip that the European Magpie is very different from the Ozzie version. Pretty cute. On Ravens, I was at the Bird show at Sydneys Zoo many years ago (which included ravens and maggies amongst others) and the trainer showed us ravens were extremely intelligent ..... a piece of meat was suspended in mid-air at the end of a thin rope attached to a tree branch. The Raven cooly sat on the branch and reeled in the rope with his beak, each time holding it in place with one claw so it didn't slip back, until he brought the meat up to the branch and ate it ! The trainer swears he didn't have to teach the bird this trick which is in essence using a tool. That is intelligent. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted April 7, 2010 (edited) Yes, I've seen that on TV too. Here, the ravens and crows have learnt, that the humans keep throwing half eaten food into the orange garbage bins attached to lamp posts. They now regularly come to inspect them, throwing all the litter on the pavement. When they find nuts, they drop them from high altitude, so they crack. And when you watch the way they look at things of interest, or at you, everone MUST feel, that they are pretty clever. Now there surely is a lot of video stuff on magpies and raven birds, but here is a last one that I found very touching: a raven, caring for a kitten. Edited April 7, 2010 by Olham Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catch 81 Posted April 7, 2010 Lol that vid's a beauty Olham ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duce Lewis 3 Posted April 8, 2010 Here's an amazing video where a researcher experimented with crow intelligence A rather "rewarding" course of study I'd say http://www.ted.com/i...e_of_crows.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olham 164 Posted April 9, 2010 Yeah, I've seen these video takes in short versions, when I searched YouTube. Yesterday, I watched the third "Jurassic Park" movie, were Sam Neill comes to the conclusion, that the raptors did communicate, and were hunting in teams with strategies. He assumed, that they might have been more intelligent than even primates. And the birds are the decendants of the raptors. I think, we roughly underestimate the intelligence of animals in general. Many animals are really into learning something. And when you teach them, like we teach our children, they will really learn and develop. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duce Lewis 3 Posted April 10, 2010 I think, we roughly underestimate the intelligence of animals in general. Many animals are really into learning something. And when you teach them, like we teach our children, they will really learn and develop. We often hear animals praised as having the intelligence of a 4 year old Makes me think 'What would happen if you dropped a 4 year old out in the middle of the forest?' I don't think we've scratched the surface of analyzing animal intelligence IMO, survival in the wild requires far more intelligence than fitting the round peg into the round hole Dolphins, Otopus, Chips, and Crows have much more to teach us Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Morris 2 Posted April 10, 2010 If i drinks lots of beer and fly OFF i get very dizzy. I would love to have a bird like that. During the clip the falconer stand on the edge with his hands extended to release the bird. Awesome awesome. m Share this post Link to post Share on other sites