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Show RAPTORS - "Birds of Prey" Prevalent in Garfield County The American bald eagle it only one of several raptors or "birds of prey" to be found in Garfield County. Raptors of the area in-: dude, beside the bald eagle, the golden eagle, hawks, falcons and owls. The best known and most popular of the raptors, the bald eagle, isn't really bald at all. His head is covered with white feathers. The word bald comes from the Old English word "balde" which means white. "Eagle-eye" is an apt description for someone with good eyesight. Eagle-eye refers to the eagle's extraordinarily ex-traordinarily keen eyesight, which enables some of them to spot a fish from more than a mile away. Owls, falcons and hawks share the eagle's exceptional eyesight. Bald eagles, who mate for life, tend to use the same nest each year, piling new matetials on top of old, year after year. One of the largest nests ever found weighed more than a ton and measured 20 feet deep and 9V4 feet across. A new nest is small by comparison about three feet deep and five feet across. A mature American bald eagle weighs between eight and twelve pounds. Most female bald eagles weigh a little more than their mates. The huge birds may have a wingspan of six to seven feet. Eagles, as well as other raptors, are great fishermen, fisher-men, able to nab a live fish right out of the water by swooping down and grasping it with sharp talons. Eagles will also eat ducks, geese, turtles, rabbits, rats and squirrels. Other raptors feed mainly on rabbits and small rodents. Two-thirds of the 400 species of the bird of prey the hawks, eagles, falcons and vultures seek their prey between sunrise and sunset. The other third, the owls, are mainly night hunters. Both the bald eagle and the golden eagle may be spotted in Garfield County and sometimes difficult to tell apart. Where the white feathers on the mature bald eagle distingiush him from the golden eagle, younger birds are quite similar in appearance. A mature bird is usully about four years old. Bald eagels found in the area will be seen only in winter when they arrived from Canada. Golden eagles are also migratory with only a few nesting in the area. almost soundlessly. Their fluffy feathers muffle the swishing sound that most birds in flight make. Falcons are often mistaken for hawks, but their wings are long and pointed and their tails fairly long compared to the hawk. They also have a different kind of flight, with rapid wing strokes and, unlike the hawk, they do not soar. Despite its name, the Sparrow hawk is actually a falcon, the smallest found in America, and seen locally. The peregrine falcon, whose numbers have been deminishing in the past century, is being planted in areas in an effort to increase its numbers once more. Its speed when it swoops on its prey, has been estimated as high as 180 miles an hour and it can easily overtake other birds. The falcon has a sharply hooked beak and powerful feet with sharp talons and will often attack prey as large as himself or larger. Local Conservation Officer Norman McKee, Panguitch, reported seeing a peregrine falcon near its nest at Lake Powell last summer. Local conservation officers work in conjunction with non-game biologists like Mike Coffeen of the Cedar City office of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in protecting the raptors of Garfield County. The Golden eagle here perched on a fence post is only one of several "birds of prey" or raptors to be found in-the in-the Garfield County area. Hawks, falcons, owls and bald eagles may also be seen in the area. Marsh hawks and rough-legged rough-legged hawks are also commonly seen in Garfield County. Male hawks vary from 10 to 22 inches in length, with the slightly larger females ranging from 12 to 26 inches. Females are not only larger but are also stronger and usually bolder than the males. Unlike many birds, the male and female are colored almost alike in most cases. The hawk's usually light-colored light-colored eyes give him a fierce and belligerent look. His wings are more rounded than a falcon's and his neck is thickly feathered. Among the owls seen in the area are barn owls, great horned owls, and saw-wheat owls. Easily recognizable with its broad head and giant eyes, the owl hunts mostly mammals. The larger owls eat squirrels, the smaller ones, mice, rats and shrews. Owls have binoculare vision, and, like man, can watch an object with both eyes at the same time. Their huge eyes don't move in their sockets, however, and they must turn their heads to follow moving objects. Their dull coloring allows them to blend into their background. Fairly fast, they can swoop down upon their unsuspecting target |