Hunters Of The Skies | Full Episode

a forest somewhere in Central Europe Here lives a shy individualist many have already heard of him but only a few come face to face with him it is very rare to see him in the open field this very competent hunter has adapted excellently to his habitat Thanks to you, the northern goshawk, for many, the embodiment of the term bird of prey, there is probably no other bird in Europe that is detested, hunted and killed mercilessly like them, but what is the real role of the goshawk in the broader picture of nature? What makes Birds of Prey so unique and fascinating?

Hunters of the Skies Foreign birds of prey symbolize strength, speed and beauty. They attract more superlatives than any other animal species. Not only are they successful performers of the most phenomenal flight maneuvers, but they also master one of the most ingenious hunting techniques and are in possession of the best sensory abilities. Throughout evolution they have adapted to varied habitats and their choice of prey Their choice of breeding site is as varied as their diet is the prey They are masters of the

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They have conquered all habitats on Earth from the hot, dry south to the cold, wet river valleys from the coast of Norway upwards To the bleak landscape of the mountaintop world, some birds of prey can even hunt in dense forests, but those who fly here have to be in

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control of their aviation skills, exactly as the gossip does. he uses the forest as cover, he also uses it to reach his position for a successful surprise attack and can reach tremendous speeds during such attacks, but how can he despite such speed effortlessly avoid all obstacles or simply not fly into the next tree ?

One possibility is The shape of its wings has a relatively small width of only about a meter, ideal for small spaces. The long tail acts not only as a rudder but also as a brake. With such a tail, it can change its direction at lightning speed while hunting and also maneuver between densely packed trees and in thick undergrowth through the narrowest areas. It flaps its wings with its legs forward and can briefly hold its legs. wings directly on its back is just the tail that holds it in the air, if the opening is negotiated, its tail can unfold and act as a kind of third wing that holds the bird extremely fast and incredibly agile and dexterous, in addition, that is the secret of the successful flight of the gothawk, for which the entire body of the goshawk is prepared.

When hunting, in addition to its amazing aeronautical skills, it has long dagger-like claws with which it not only catches its prey, but also kills it. When it squeezes the prey, the claws dig in from behind and penetrate deep into the body. The victim usually dies more quickly. internal injuries and the goshawk also has extremely efficient eyesight, thanks to that it can concentrate on its prey and still instantly avoid foreign obstacles and this is approximately what it looks like from the goshawk's point of view, while we see with only a phobia per eye birds of prey have two here is an impression of vision with one pair you can map your surroundings looking forward at the same time this is how a goshawk can exert such exact precision and avoid obstacles now the same flight again with the second pair you It is more forward facing and serves for close-up things with this pair, even in the densest forest, the goshawk always has its prey in sight.

With this additional ability, the field of view is substantially expanded with the only pair of foveae that the goshawk can inspect. environment  and with the second pair you can look forward at the same time. The fact that both vision cones overlap gives the Raptor a spatial view that is still effective in very low light conditions. Birds of prey are endowed with the most efficient eyesight that Evolution has. ever created, in addition to having another exceptional quality, the resolution of the retina, what goshawks can see is three to four times sharper than that of humans, finally there is one last notable characteristic: it is like having a pair of Built-in binoculars that can recognize the little ones. objects from a greater distance between six and eight times stronger than the human eye thanks to this extraordinary visual capacity there is nothing that escapes its attention a flock of pigeons from our perspective the goshawk not only sees everything more clearly and much closer but which also has a completely different perception of movement compared to humans.

Birds of prey have a much higher temporal resolution capacity. The weapons need only 18 frames per second to recognize the appearance of film-like movement. The goshawk can perceive up to 160 per second as individual images, however even the best sensory abilities are no guarantee of successful hunting within a flock. It is difficult for the goshawk to approach a target. Your chances only increase when you can separate one of the slower pigeons from the flock, mostly those that are sick. The weak or injured situation is totally different when there is an animal inside, the goshawk is the master of stalking and surprise hunting, it waits patiently for the right moment and then in an instant it begins its attack, the goshawk will strike anything that can overpower its prey spectrum. can range from a mouse to a rabbit from smaller birds to a goose the strongest goshawks can overpower animals weighing up to three and a half kilos the hooded crow seems to be in luck but the goshawk simply changes course and begins the attack again Now the same scene again as we would see it, the entire hunt ends in a fraction of seconds.

The goshawk resides in almost all countries in Europe. It can live in all types of forests. It can also live in cities and towns. You can even find it active in parks and cemeteries. The important thing is is that their environment offers enough prey and enough cover for their specialized form of hunting, for this reason their preference is for diversified forests that are not so densely populated and offer easy access to open fields, meadows and moors. Here, on the sparsely populated edge of a forest, is where the greatest selection of prey is offered, unlike many other birds of prey, the breeding grounds of goshawks are mainly found in the depths of the forest, the important thing is that it has an access corridor to the nest the nests are most commonly found in old, large trees at a height of 20 to 25 meters above the ground the male bird is responsible for provisions the female feeds the catch little by little to the hungry nest of chicks when The chicks do not need constant care and are more self-sufficient when it comes to disarming the prey themselves.

The female also goes hunting. The common buzzard often remains almost motionless for hours on a perch due to the weight of its prey. For the bird, it is a Economical form of hunting can be seen in all seasons along highways and roads, even on busy roads. The buzzard is counted as the smaller version of the eagle, however it has a wide wingspan and is considered a master of gliding and navigation, like the goshawk, the buzzard is hunted mercilessly. Some believe it is to blame for the decline in small game, but for larger prey this buzzard is too weak.

Anything larger than a wild rabbit is too big for it. The common buzzard is the most common bird of prey in Europe, thanks in part. Due to the rich variety of foods that humans inadvertently impart, it feeds primarily on voles, while the goshawk prefers the closed confines of a forest canopy, the common buzzard prefers open meadows and fields. Thanks, the number of new vultures changes significantly from year to year. In years where there are many mice, many more common vultures survive as in years of reduced supply, therefore, it is the food offered that regulates the number of vultures and not the vultures that are responsible for the number of their prey for these young vultures.

The lack of supply this year has marked consequences, because there is not enough to satisfy their hunger, which causes them to attack a brother by pecking until he dies. Horrible and cunning, only then do your chances of survival increase. The northern sparrowhawk is the smaller, more streamlined version of the goshawk and uses a different strategy to ensure more successful reproduction. They try to counteract the loss by producing a larger litter; However, with five to seven chicks the nests have little space from which one of the chicks would have to fall. The nest is common abroad. The chick has managed to survive the long fall.

However, a chick that has lost the protection of the nest is in big trouble. The parents will not worry about a chick that has fallen alone and helpless. , has no chance of survival on the forest floor, just a few meters above the chick, its siblings and the mother, who is busy trying to keep her chicks satiated, the fate of a solitary chick is irrelevant, even in the In the case of the goshawk, not all the young survive the natural enemies and the disease decimates the offspring, only one in two chicks survives the first year. If everything goes as it should, the goshawks can live until the advanced age of 20 years.

The female returns to the nest during the day with fresh suppliers, everything the mother catches to eat is fed to the young. They also do not receive any special nutrition even when the chick's appetite has been satisfied the female still has no peace she has to protect the chicks. Young not only from the rain but also from the unprotected rays of the sun, these young goshawks maintain a peaceful coexistence with each other, scenarios of competition in the food chain that threaten their lives or even the murder of other siblings, the so-called siblicide is not a factor For them, the three chicks of approximately the same age do not skimp on the portion for the decidedly smaller ones.

Being late for the two and throwing with their share of the catch is more of a game than a fight between them, there is not much that differentiates the Raptor offspring regardless of which species they belong to. Something that has not yet been explained is why the offspring are mainly white in color. Certainly not a camouflage, forested lakes or floodplains here you will find the favorite breeding site of the Western Osprey, also known as the Fishhawk. In terms of where they breed, they are adaptable, so they increasingly build their nests at higher altitudes. Due to the scarcity of nesting sites in the overly cultivated forests, a pilot is set up and from there you simply have the best panoramic view, the osprey is the success story of a true specialist, although it can be found all over the world, it can only be found nearby.

For their food source, fish and many of them, building such a large nest is an extremely arduous task, each twig on each branch has to be lifted one at a time, but it seems that when it comes to safety, that Extra effort is necessary for everyone. It seems worth it Osprey pairs generally breed once a year Artificial nests are happily occupied Proximity to the power line doesn't seem to be of much concern and mating at such a heady height is a balancing act of the first order The young goshawks meanwhile are about Three weeks old, a pair of goshawks will normally have more than one residence which they change annually.

It has the great advantage that after the nest has been empty for a year it will be free of parasites. Old nests are often used for more than decades and often reach a diameter of up to one and a half meters. Even young goshawks learn to keep their nursery tidy from an early age. As soon as they can walk, they jump to the edge of the nest and make sure their droppings fly a long distance. From the nest their cleaning is purely instinctive, in exactly the same way that they regularly train their flight muscles a little.

This is the hunting territory of another type of eagle, the Short-toed Eagle, as its name indicates its diet. It consists mainly of snakes, whether venomous or not, it is of little concern once the snake has been seen. There is no escape, unlike most other birds of prey, the short-toed eagle's talons, as the name suggests, are relatively short, better suited for keeping reptiles still. The short-toed eagle is not immune to snake venom. , but he knows how to safely render them powerless. The short-toed eagle's nest can be up to 10 kilometers from its hunting areas. Successful reproduction depends on sufficient numbers. from nearby reptiles they only produce one offspring, but while raising it, the whole family needs at least three to five medium-sized snakes and that per day the small one will have to swallow between two and three hundred of them before it is

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y developed, but Start with a smaller version and if the mother has overestimated it a little, she is always available to help a little to swallow it, just a little tug, there and there is a short-toed snake.

The eagle was once widespread in Central Europe. today inToday they only live in southern and eastern Europe, but meanwhile there are nowhere, there are often expensive planes dotted with islands of trees, sometimes also a low mountain range. This is the home of the Eastern Imperial Eagle, which breeds from central Eastern Europe to Southern Europe. Russia, like the goshawk, has two very different hunting techniques: it circles in the sky before lunging at its prey or it sits very still high up and watches until the right moment. The Imperial Eagle is not a swordsman when it comes to hunting.

Although it is the third largest eagle in Europe, it prefers to hunt smaller prey. Occasionally, ground squirrels or maybe a hamster. Ground squirrels don't realize their danger, but the roof of this deserted house offers this young eagle a commanding view of the surrounding terrain. nothing escapes its attention from its privileged position it patiently waits for the right opportunity The foreign eagle can weigh up to four kilos so each hunting attack requires a great effort with a powerful flap of its wings the eagle accelerates its descent the ground squirrels suddenly appear Aware of the imminent danger, the foreign attack has come to nothing, the young Eagle will have to practice a little, because now the small rodents are too agile for him.

The bird of prey is only successful if the other is careless and in the way. On the ground, the heavy eagle does not pose any danger, even the ground squirrels know that for the young eagle it will simply have to retreat, but it will be when the

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and the hunted remain in an even balance, the predator and its prey have always done so. . had a mutual effect when one has improved his hunting experience, the other will do the same and develop new strategies to intelligently avoid attacks to the extent that it is practically impossible for a bird of prey to eradicate its prey compared to the talents of this bird of prey, the other eagles of Europe are moderate

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, the golden eagle is not only the strongest and most versatile of its closest relatives, but also the most daring hunter;

It is even entrusted to animals that are willing to defend themselves, so it is with a young fox that feels so helpless, normally the eagle would have no problem with a frustrated target and when it is on the ground, the golden eagle is at a clear disadvantage. However, the inexperienced young fox makes a fatal mistake, probably walking out of curiosity. towards the eagle, the eagle immediately takes advantage and lunges with its claws on the fox's head with such a strong grip of its long claws that the golden eagle can penetrate the skull of its victim mainly with the first grip and thus kill in seconds .

If the Alps are the kingdom of the golden eagle, they also extend to other parts of Europe, but they are always in short supply. They often fly for hours scanning the terrain for suitable prey or looking for dead prey. The golden eagle navigates or glides over steep slopes. slopes   The wider the wingspan, the lighter the body of the bird, the better for carrying heavy weights   in the case of the golden eagle, it is built in perfect proportion, can reach up to two meters in width and length and is perfectly suitable for hoisting and transporting the eagle on the currents of wind It is also thanks to these formidable wings that the eagle is able to transport prey sometimes heavier than itself, from a mouse to a chamois, few mountain creatures are safe from it, often its attacks are at lightning speed the element Surprise is the secret of its success, the golden eagle has caught many alpine marmots with this tactic, but even the alpine marmots have their defense strategy, while the others play and have fun , one is always on guard, those who remain alert stay alive longer.

The golden eagle can reach speeds of up to 160 even 190 kilometers per hour. Short cry that means an eagle is approaching. They all return to their burrow immediately, but one of the youngest has not heard the signal at the last moment, he manages to escape. The golden eagle hunts its prey mainly by circling the

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. The goshawk uses along with surveillance flights another hunting technique: it sits and waits until something edible flies or jumps in front of its beak. However, even the goshawk needs an element. of surprise for a successful kill As it is neither the fastest nor the strongest native bird of prey, it can nevertheless accelerate very quickly to its maximum speed despite not being able to maintain it for long if it fails to overpower its prey in the first few hundred meters it travels.

You'll probably write him off, less than 10 percent of his forays are successful abroad. The deadly grip of the goshawk puts an end to the hunt in an impeccable wet car. Meadows is home to Germany's smallest eagle, the least spotted eagle. The eagle is a bird of prey, it has an unusual method of hunting, it searches for its prey on foot, the spotted eagle can also hunt from the sky, but less than other birds of prey, in Forest Meadows and on the edge of the river banks, does it move. It moves like a stalk and covers great distances with its long legs.

A snake like that would be wonderful, but it doesn't feel so safe. For this adult specimen there is certainly some easier prey elsewhere, as unusual as its hunting method is the only superlative that can be attributed to this, sadly it is the most endangered eagle in Central Europe. The foreign spotted eagle has very high standards for its environment which today in many areas is not adequate, as such the number of lesser spotted eagles breeding in Europe is decreasing year on year. year currently there are only about a hundred pairs left in Germany more intense deforestation less clearings and more drainage with each human intervention the eagle's habitat decreases the last native pears that reproduce in Germany live today in cultural landscapes that are not the subject of intense farming and if life wasn't hard enough for the spotted eagle, this marsh harrier wants his piece too, the harrier constantly harasses the eagle, finally the spotted eagle has had enough of the troublemaker, will there be a fight if so? the harrier's chances don't seem good, the eagle weighs almost twice as much as the harrier, but therefore the harrier is a little more daring who just wants a little peace and goes into the desert, where the harrier finally gets his prey In a landscape where there are small groups of trees and the grasslands are bordered by deciduous forests there is another orphaned bird in search of food that has the most unusual hunting method of all other birds of prey the European honey buzzard this large bird feeds in surprising ways mainly insects, the larvae and pupes of wasps and bumblebees make up the majority of their diet.

To get to them, you extract them. The bird does not worry about stings from wasps or wild bees because it has horny platelets that protect its legs. and its face is protected by our tightly concentrated layer of feathers. Even the anatomy of the honey buzzard has adapted over time to its particular hunting method, while most other birds of prey have long claws. The honey buzzard's claws are very short. with a gentle curve not only makes life on the ground much easier but, more importantly, are ideal for excavating the goshawk's hunting grounds, they are the boundaries of the forest from their elevated position, between the cover from the trees, observe the surrounding countryside. and waits for potential prey, it can also hunt without problems in dense forests;

However, hunting in the open field has some clear advantages, firstly, visibility here is paramount and there are no obstacles to impede hunting and secondly, the victim does not have a readily available place to hide and get out. They keep them more or less defenseless throughout the entire flight path. Goshawks, buzzards and eagles kill their prey with their claws on their legs. The goshawk only uses its beak to tear off the lean meat from the body when the prey is already dead. Avoid all the parts that are not so easy to digest. Each catch returned to the nest has already been meticulously plucked for the young goshawks.

There are few distractions in the nest. As they grow, they will train their flight muscles more frequently and more intensely later on. It will be imperative for their survival, however, most of their time is spent sleeping, waiting and sitting around doing nothing. When the young goshawks get bigger and stronger, the supply delivery starts to become more and more unruly, sometimes there will be Many hours have passed between feeding times, which means that the babies are very hungry and it is every man for himself. This is where the claws come into action and where the feathers start to fly.

The adult birds sometimes only stay a few seconds. throwing prey into the nest before taking off again a female only returns to the nest nest to feed when the young are about three weeks old oh strange yet even when the young are alone in the nest the father is always there Be careful, the danger of an enemy taking advantage is too great, anything that gets too close to the nest. will be attacked, the adult goshawk is quite prepared to take on opponents much larger than them, this eventually becomes evident even to this golden eagle, but it is a dangerous game, the golden eagle could kill the goshawk with a single grab, but the goshawk has the advantage.

It is much more agile and faster, time and time again it lunges at the largest eagle. It only ceases its attack when the eagle retreats and the danger to the offspring abroad has been avoided. It is the largest and heaviest eagle in Central Europe and of the North the white-tailed eagle, the wingspan of this emblematic bird can reach up to 2 meters 40 and can weigh up to seven kilos. Thanks to this, its population throughout Europe also decreased drastically until the mid-20th century. Thanks to extensive protection measures, the situation has now improved significantly. There are more sea eagles breeding in Central Europe today than in the last 100 years.

Almost half of the breeding pairs live on the Norwegian coast and, therefore, in an environment of extreme climatic conditions. However, here the bird can find a safe place to build its nest. In the quiet forests along the vastness of the Atlantic and the vast open countryside, those who want to survive here must be prepared to adapt. The eagle in this sense is truly expert, it will hunt everything that is native to the surrounding environment. Here you will mainly hunt. In search of fish, you will hunt in flat, calm waters, where you can best locate them, although against a stunning backdrop high in the north and on the rugged Atlantic coast, it is not always so romantic, especially when the fog rolls in. from sea to land   It is not unusual for these conditions to be followed by whole days of bad weather   at such times the baby sea eagle becomes quite uncomfortable the powerful beating of the wings not only invigorates the muscles but also helps to maintain the heat   there are Not many birds of prey in Europe that have to endure such a changeable and extreme climate.

A stable nest, however, offers excellent protection if it were not for the annoying screeching gulls, especially when the adult bird brings its catch to the nest, considering that the annoying troublemakers are the females. It does not stay long in the nest, throws away the food and quickly moves away again. The young eagles will have to deal with neighbors' complaints alone. A nest in a tree directly on the coast of Norway is an exception most of the time. The breeding grounds of the sea eagle can be found here directly on the ground or on the cliffs. Sea eagles are very adaptable in terms of their diet, mainly hunting fish and waterfowl.

Mammals make up only a small part of their diet and are mostly carriers. Which species will be hunted depends on what is offered locally and what each season offers. For now during breeding The offspring the fish will make up the majority of their diet The young have already learned that their large beaks will only serve them well If cleaned regularly After 80 to 90 days, the offspring are fully developed and say goodbye to the nest. The young will remain in the care of their parents for some time before flying away to find their own territory, while adult birds generally stay close to the nest. breeding ground throughout the year the hatchlings wander everywhere and finally leave until that moment however they are killing time everything interesting will be investigated maybe it will be something to eat or at least something to play with back to the forest of the goshawk many things have happened happened in the nest The young ones will certainly soon leave the nest unlike adult birds the young goshawks have a different color they have a red tint on the lower part of the belly with black spots before leaving the nest they will have to make a Intensive training of flight muscles will be vital to their future.

Despite such concerns, young goshawks are easily distracted from learning and training abroad. Ages between 40 and 45 days will make their first attempts to fly.branch as close as they will spend the most During the time they spend sitting on other branches close to the nest they are not yet able to fly properly and will therefore remain for four more weeks and continue to be cared for by their parents. The hatchlings always stay close enough to the nest so they can come back quickly again, for now one or two of them are still a little shaky on their legs.

Over time, the distances will increase until you can reach neighboring trees with a jump and a flap of your wings, your flight muscles during this period are constantly trained. so that their first jumps become short flights throughout the summer, the young goshawks will finally leave their parents in the rain, from then on the young kestrel will have to face everything alone in the rain. On the other hand, its parents pamper it comparatively. and receives his food already prepared in small pieces. Their home, however, is not an island and in this forest they are not alone. When the adults go hunting, it is dangerous and the offspring have to fend for themselves.

However, what returns is certainly not a kestrel, but a very hungry young gossip. Young people in an unguarded nest are easy prey. Birds of prey have no inhibitions about killing their fellow species. What can be mastered will be better. The goshawk is more than capable of taking. The young of other goshawks from a strange nest and then feed them with their own, only their own young will be saved. The kestrel has noticed the attack. The prey only perceives movement. For those who play dead, there is a possibility, but in this case. The young goshawks kill one after another.

The adult kestrels have to watch helplessly. Not only did their rescue come too late, but they are also helpless because the young falcon is totally unperturbed. No one is going to separate it from such rich foreign prey. At the end of it all, only one kestrel. young has survived extremely few birds of prey are killed by their fellow species because most of humanity is responsible   one problem is the increased number of wind turbines   birds of prey are especially affected because they collide with the rotor blades   the spotted eagle in contrast is kept away from wind turbines due to the nuisance caused by noise during their operation to limit the danger to birds of prey in the future wind turbines should be built at a certain minimum distance from nests, especially commercial forests already they do not offer a habitat for a bird of prey like the goshawk, foreign cultures are not a habitat for the hunter or the hunted, what is here for a bird of prey to hunt, what prey should continue to live here.

Birds of prey are rigorously protected, but they continue to be illegally hunted or, as the cramping feet here are poisoned, we sense the agony of this goshawk, added to the fact that the birds of prey are shot as before, as demonstrated by all this riddled sternum of a goshawk is the blood of This particular species which some hard-nosed humans even after hunters see the goshawk as competition for their hunting of hair partridges and pheasants for pigeon breeders, is enemy number one, but how can a goshawk distinguish between wild and carrier pigeons? It is often forgotten that birds of prey more frequently hunt sick, weak or injured animals, no matter how much they maintain a healthy population balance for the goshawk, the buzzard and the eagle, hunting is not a hobby, they hunt to survive, they do not kill for boredom or out of a desire to kill, they kill because they are Hungry birds of prey lived on earth before there was any trace of humanity in this infinite period of time have not eradicated any of their chosen prey in stark contrast to humans.

Birds of prey are fascinating animals, henceforth equipped with extraordinary abilities. It is up to us to ensure the survival of the hunters of the foreign skies.