Interactive Raptor Quiz

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Questions: Text only:

1. How long does it take for a young peregrine to fly after hatching?
A) 3-5 weeks B) 5-7 weeks C) 7-9 weeks
After hatching, the young are totally dependent upon their parents until they are ready to fly in about 40 days (sometimes even sooner). Upon leaving the nest (known as fledging), the young remain dependent on the adults until they master their flight and hunting skills.

2. Do Peregrines migrate?
A) Always B) Never C) Sometimes
Well it depends on the weather you see. Arctic populations are migratory with some Peregrines flying from Alaska to Argentina - a round trip of 15,000 miles! Others don’t migrate at all. Northern Ireland peregrines are unlikely to migrate because the landscape (e.g. quarries) offers protection right through the winter.

3. Who’d win a race between:
A) A Cheetah B) A Peregrine C) Asafa Powell (World 100m record holder)
Peregrines are the fastest animals on the planet. They have been recorded diving after prey at approximately 200 mph - that is almost 3 times faster than the cheetah who clocks a speed of around 70mph and 6 times faster than Asafa Powell.

4. Which continent do Peregrines NOT live in?
A) Arctica B) Asia C) Antarctica
Peregrines are widespread. They breed in the Arctic, Europe, North America, Africa, South America, the Pacific Islands and Australia. But they don’t breed in Antarctica because southern birds migrate only short distances, if at all, and won't migrate any further south (probably because the weather is too harsh

5. Approximately how far away can a Peregrine can spot a mouse on the ground?
A) 200 metres B) Quarter of a mile C) Half a mile
It’s hard to imagine but it’s true. A Peregrine’s eyesight is 8 times sharper than yours – making it an awesome predator

6. How does a Peregrine hunt its prey?
A) They soar high above their prey and then drop headlong towards it.
B) They use their sharp beaks to dig up worms.
C) The Peregrine_s eats other birds who accidently land on their nest.
Peregrines hunt by soaring high above their prey. Once their target is singled out, they fold their wings and drop (stoop) headlong towards it. Its wings are then extended in a braking motion while the legs are thrust forward, usually killing its prey by the impact of this mid-air collision. Ouch!

7. A Peregrine nest is called a scrape, but why?
A)They scrape a hole in a dead tree
B)They scrape a hole in a gravel surface
C) They scrape their feet when collecting materials from the ground.
They literally scrape at the soil with their feet and mouth to create a small hole in the ledge.

8. What time of year does a Peregrine lay eggs?
A) Between February and March B) Between March and April C) Between April and May
Egg laying occurs between late March and the end of April.

9. Typically, how many eggs does a Peregrine lay each year?
A) Between 1 and 2 B) Between 3 and 4 C) Between 5 and 6
A female will deposit a clutch of three to four eggs.

10. How long does it take for the eggs to hatch?
A) 1 month B) 2 months C) 3 months
Incubation (sitting on eggs to provide heat) occurs only after all of the eggs have been laid and lasts 28 to 33 days.

11. What are baby falcons called?
A) Eyasses B) Chicks C) Falconettes
Technical speaking, baby falcons are called "eyasses" and are totally helpless when born. But if that’s too much of a mouthful, it’s ok to call them "chicks".

12. How long will it take a baby Peregrine to double its weight from birth?
A) 6 days B) 6 weeks C) 6 months
Falcons eat an incredible amount of food - doubling their weight in only six days. At three weeks they will be ten times their birth size!

13. How long do male and female peregrines stay together?
A) Only to mate B) 6 weeks (until their offspring 'fledge'). C) For life.
Peregrine pairs mate for life (although there are the occasional divorces and change-overs) and often use the same nest site for many years in a row. Their courtship flight includes a mix of aerial acrobatics, precise spirals and steep dives.

14. Who’d win a sumo fight between a male and a female (e.g. who is larger)?
A) The male B) The female C) A draw
As is true in most species of birds of prey, the female is larger than the male.

15. What would be a Peregrine’s favourite food?
A) Pigeon pie B) Rattatouie C) Welsh Rabbit
Peregrines feed almost exclusively on birds but they occasionally hunt small mammals including bats, rats, voles and rabbits. Insects and reptiles make up a very small proportion of their diet.

16. Where does the word "raptor" come from?
A) it means "flying dinosaurs" and refers to the birds that flew in the Jurassic period.
B) It means birds of prey that hunt primarily using their talon (claws).
C) It refers to the tapping sound made by the beaks of birds of prey.
The word raptor comes from the Latin word "rapere", meaning to seize & carry off. Rapere soon became "raptor" meaning plunderer, robber or ravisher. Raptors found in the British Isles include eagles, kites, falcons, owls, harriers, hawks and buzzards.

17. Which of the following is the biggest raptor?
A) Eagle B) Falcon C) Buzzard
You will always know an eagle when you see one mainly by their larger size and more powerful build. Even the smallest eagles like the Booted Eagle are larger than most other raptors, apart from vultures who look like giant turkeys!

18. Which raptors in the only full-time scavenger for food?
A) Peregrine B) Vulture C) Buzzard
Scavengers are animals that feed on dead or injured animals and although they are not usually held in high esteem, they have a job to do: they are nature’s janitors! Although you may see a Buzzard hovering above a motorway scavenging for dead animals, they do also hunt for food and so vultures are the only raptor to have evolved into a full-time scavenger.

19. What colour are peregrine eggs?
A) Brown B) Pale Blue C) White
Peregrines lay a small clutch of brown speckled eggs..