Peregrine falcon spotted training its young in Havelock, thrills wildlife enthusiasts
A local peregrine falcon family has continued to captivate wildlife lovers, with an adult falcon recently seen taking its juvenile on what appeared to be a training flight.
Ang Peng Yock Steven spotted the birds at Jalan Kukoh, a popular hunting ground for the falcons, and captured several impressive shots of the moment.
Source: Peng Yock Ang on Facebook
Around 8.30am on Tuesday (22 July), both falcons took flight towards nearby buildings, with many birdwatchers eagerly awaiting the opportunity to capture the moment on camera.
Mr Ang shared with MS News that while the adult falcon typically hunts pigeons in the area, it did not do so on this occasion.
Source: Peng Yock Ang on Facebook
“The adult and juvenile flew together, putting on an aerial display,” he said.
Mr Ang speculated that the adult falcon was introducing its young to the hunting grounds as part of its training process.
By 9.15am, the pair had flown off without making a catch.
Source: Peng Yock Ang on Facebook
Photographer excited to witness falcon chick’s progress
For Mr Ang, this marked the first time he had seen a parent-child falcon duo in action.
“It was a very exciting moment, seeing these predatory birds and knowing the young one is thriving,” he told MS News.
Bird photographers, especially, were excited to see such a rare sight, with many animal lovers expressing their admiration for the stunning shots in the comments under his Facebook post.
Falcons nesting at OCBC Centre are Singapore’s first local family
The peregrine falcon family is currently nesting at the OCBC Centre, marking the first successful hatching of two chicks in Singapore.
In fact, the juvenile falcon featured in Mr Ang’s photos has a tag around its leg, which was attached by NParks a few weeks after its hatching.
Source: Peng Yock Ang on Facebook
Mr Ang had previously made several unsuccessful attempts to photograph the peregrine falcons at Jalan Kukoh.
However, on 17 July, he finally captured the shot he had been waiting for: the bird of prey tearing into a pigeon it had caught.
Source: Peng Yock Ang on Facebook
The hunting grounds are not without their drama, though.
On 15 July, a brahminy kite swooped down and engaged one of the falcons in a battle for its meal.
‘Battle of the Raptors’: Brahminy kite swoops down & fights peregrine falcon for prey in Havelock
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Featured image adapted from Peng Yock Ang on Facebook.
