Birds of Guernsey (1879): And the Neighbouring Islands: Alderney, Sark, Jethou, Herm; Being a Small Contribution to the Ornitholony of the Channel Islands — John Shaqi
Birds of Guernsey (1879): And the Neighbouring Islands: Alderney, Sark, Jethou, Herm; Being a Small Contribution to the Ornitholony of the Channel IslandsSmith, Cecil
History
Birds of Guernsey (1879): And the Neighbouring Islands: Alderney, Sark, Jethou, Herm; Being a Small Contribution to the Ornitholony of the Channel Islands
Smith, Cecil
Birds -- Channel Islands
5. PEREGRINE FALCON. _Falco peregrinus_, Tunstall. French, "Faucon
pèlerin."--The Peregrine can now, I think, only be considered an
autumnal visitant to the Islands, though, if not shot or otherwise
destroyed, it would, no doubt, remain throughout the winter, and might
perhaps have been resident, as Mr. MacCulloch sends me a note of one
killed in Herm in December. All the Channel Island specimens I have seen
have been young birds of the year, and generally killed in October or
November. Adult birds, no doubt, occasionally occur, but they are
comparatively rare, and it certainly does not breed anywhere in the
Islands at present, though I see no reason why it should not have done
so in former times, as there are many places well suited to it, and a
constant supply of sea-birds for food. Mr. MacCulloch also seems to be
of opinion that the Peregrine formerly bred in the Islands, as he says,
speaking, however, of the _Falconidae_ generally, "There must have been
a time when some of the species were permanent residents, for the high
pyramidal rock south of the little Island of Jethou bears the name of
'La Fauconnière,' evidently denoting that it must have been a favourite
resort of these birds, and there are other rocks with the same name."
Certainly the rock here mentioned looks much like a place that would be
selected by the Peregrine for breeding purposes, but that must have been
before the days of excursion steamers once or twice a week to Jethou and
Herm. Occasionally a young Peregrine is made to do duty as a Lanner, and
is recorded in the local papers accordingly (see 'Star' for November
11th, 1876, copying, however, a Jersey paper), but in spite of these
occasional notes there is no satisfactory reason for supposing that the
true Lanner has ever occurred in either of the Islands. The birds,
however, certainly resemble each other to a certain extent, but the
young Lanner in which state it would be most likely to occur, may always
be distinguished from the young Peregrine by its whiter head, and the
adult has more brown on the head and neck.
The Peregrine is included in Professor Ansted's list, but only marked as
occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is no specimen at present in the
Museum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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