ZARQA GOVERNORATE, Jordan; ERBIL, Iraq; QAMISHLI, Syria — In the darkness of a small, windowless room, half a dozen falcons were perched on low wooden stools, their eyes covered with leather hoods. Crouching on the sand-covered floor, their caretaker gently unhooded some of the birds, which stretched their wings cautiously. For most of them, free […]
Tag: falcons

He Filmed Powerful People Trying to Hunt a Protected Bird. Then He Was Murdered.
Last month, the tortured body of a man who filmed hunters in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province was found in the mansion of an influential politician and feudal lord. A day before, the hunting party – foreign guests of the politician – had been attempting to hunt houbara bustard, an endangered bird coveted for the supposed […]

I thank my lucky stars for the rosellas that led to my career in ornithology
A flash of colour that takes my eye at the age of 10 in 1968 and learning that it is an Adelaide rosella. Reaching the edge of a vast swamp north of Birdsville in 1982 thinking, “This is perfect habitat for grey grasswrens. They must be here.” And they are! Right at the edge of […]

Golden eagle deliberately poisoned near Balmoral estate, say police
The bird of prey was found dead on a hillside on the Invercauld Estate, in the heart of the Cairngorms, near Crathie and the Balmoral estate on March 19 after being illegally targeted with a toxic substance. Police Scotland said officers searched a number of properties on the estate on Tuesday as they continue carrying […]

‘I swapped my gun for binoculars’: India’s hunters turn to conservation
It is Sunday in Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, and like many Naga, Gwasinlo Thong has spent the morning in church. A tall, elegant man in a crisp navy suit, he hands over a bag of guava from his garden as we sit down to talk. “When I was a child we used to hear […]

Orange County (California) Birds of Prey
Of all the subjects I photograph, birds of prey are my favorite. These predators are birds that hunt for food primarily via flight, using their keen senses, especially vision. Many different species call Orange County, California their home. With some moderate hiking and a small dose of patience, it is possible to capture most of […]

A Visit From A Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon (Falcon peregrinus) photos by Larry Jordan Recently I had a photo blind reserved at Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. When I arrived at the blind about an hour before dawn, as is required, I was not too excited. As the sun rose above the Sierra Nevada […]