Paskman
Well-known member
This clip is well worth a gander!:t:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz7FFlFy8eM&feature=player_embedded
Paul
Paul
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Golden Eagle throws goat off cliff (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Paskman
- Start date
Rui_Caratão
Well-known member
This incredable footage, was made by one of the most important naturalists of all time Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente.
It as at least 30 years, and it was recorded in Spain, where Golden eagles are known for hunting large cervids in mountains, in a distinct way. They take their prey above their nests, so they can carry all the weight, without effort, just gliding down the hill.
Killing a large animal at an altitude lower then their nest, would make it near impossible to carry it, and the kill would be lost for Vultures, and other mammals.
Golden´s are very powerfull eagles and capable of hunting scenes like this one, but most of time take smaller prey, because it as less risks to the bird.
In Portugal, at Tagus International Park area, every year the chicks are ringed, and the most common prey found at the nest, are foxes, not so large as mountain goats, but they can bite!!!!!
It as at least 30 years, and it was recorded in Spain, where Golden eagles are known for hunting large cervids in mountains, in a distinct way. They take their prey above their nests, so they can carry all the weight, without effort, just gliding down the hill.
Killing a large animal at an altitude lower then their nest, would make it near impossible to carry it, and the kill would be lost for Vultures, and other mammals.
Golden´s are very powerfull eagles and capable of hunting scenes like this one, but most of time take smaller prey, because it as less risks to the bird.
In Portugal, at Tagus International Park area, every year the chicks are ringed, and the most common prey found at the nest, are foxes, not so large as mountain goats, but they can bite!!!!!
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Rob Smallwood
Well-known member
I'm not sure that posting this clip isn't counter productive, it's this sort of thing that gets BoPs persecuted by farmers.....
NoSpringChicken
Well-known member
Strewth! What an amazing clip. Thanks for posting Paul.
Rui_Caratão
Well-known member
Recent footage from Finland, Golden Eagle hunting Reindeer calves Click here
For year´s locals, report these attacks, but no one believed!!!
For year´s locals, report these attacks, but no one believed!!!
nigeldphoto
Well-known member
What did the goat do?
Nigel8-P
Nigel8-P
Quite amazing!,I have never seen this sort of footage,we have Wedge-Tailed Eagles here in
Australia,they are a little smaller than a Golden Eagle,but have also been known to attack small calfs.I did not really believe this,but after seeing this,its quite possible.
How large is a Golden Eagle?a Wedge Tailed Eagle has a wing span of around 2 metres,I imagine a Golden is 2.5 m or bigger.Thanks for the pointer.
Australia,they are a little smaller than a Golden Eagle,but have also been known to attack small calfs.I did not really believe this,but after seeing this,its quite possible.
How large is a Golden Eagle?a Wedge Tailed Eagle has a wing span of around 2 metres,I imagine a Golden is 2.5 m or bigger.Thanks for the pointer.
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
Amazing footage but I'm afraid the "kill all raptors" brigade will be geting all excited now. "See, we told you birds of prey carry off small children etc. You've got to let us destroy them all!!!!"
Chris
Chris
jurek
Well-known member
The goat footage comes from classic Spanish wildlife film "man and nature". It was shown on TV some 25? years ago. This film - and several others - was made using falconry eagle, but replicates the natural behaviour.
BTW, films by Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente were important for publicizing conservation at that time.
BTW, films by Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente were important for publicizing conservation at that time.
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Borjam
Well-known member
Dr. Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente is still sorely missed. I dare to say that both Sir David Attenborough and him have made the very best nature documentaries ever shot. And I very much doubt that someone will manage to do it better: nowadays a beautiful show has priority over scientific content.
Beware, some of the documentaries can be cruel. I remember especially the one about the practice of leaving carrion loaded with venom to "rid the country of vermin". You can see a dead fox and the subsequent death of a vulture and several magpies and crows that fed on the fox carcass. Outrageous, but really effective to show it in the 70's, when it was "usual practice" in many big game "reserves" in Spain.
The series, shot in the 70´s, focused on a clear message about the importance of conservation and how species with a bad reputation are critical for the health of an ecosystem.
Compared to Sir David's series, the approach is quite different. Each of Attenborogh series focuses on a broad topic (Evolution and biodiversity, behaviors, ecosystems and adaptations, mammals, birds, insects and other invertebrates, plants, reptiles and amphibians), while Rodriguez de la Fuente mostly dealt with certain geographical areas (Iberian Peninsula, Venezuela and Canada) showing both certain ecosystems within them, focusing also on certain biodiversity hotspots (such as Sierra de Cazorla), and also devoting several individual programmes to key species such as vultures, wolves, kingfishers...
Now and then there is some discussion about "faked" shots. As far as I know, staged shots are a standard practice in nature documentary filmmaking. Of course, staged shots must represent authentic behavior. I can point out many aquarium shots in Attenborough documentaries, for example (I dare to say even Blue Planet has some, because I really can't imagine an underwater camera crew waiting underwater for months for a pair of Hymenocera picta to capture a seastar and it would be stupid not to stage it), and I think there's nothing wrong at all about it.
All I can say is: I am 45 now, and I watched all these documentaries as a kid. Many of my generation did. Whatever all of my generation know about nature, you can be sure we learned about it watching these programmes. And I can also say without doubt that those of us who hold some respect to the natural environment can directly attribute it to Dr. Rodriguez de la Fuente's work.
The whole series can be watched here, courtesy of the Spanish Television.
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/el-hombre-y-la-tierra/
It's only in Spanish and there's no subtitles, alas. But I am sure you will still enjoy the amazing shots, the rythm of visual narration, and even more thinking that all this was produced in a third world country in the 70's (that was Spain's situation at that time)
And yes, you would be amazed at how many kids at that time cried the day he died in an aircraft accident in Alaska.
Enjoy!
Beware, some of the documentaries can be cruel. I remember especially the one about the practice of leaving carrion loaded with venom to "rid the country of vermin". You can see a dead fox and the subsequent death of a vulture and several magpies and crows that fed on the fox carcass. Outrageous, but really effective to show it in the 70's, when it was "usual practice" in many big game "reserves" in Spain.
The series, shot in the 70´s, focused on a clear message about the importance of conservation and how species with a bad reputation are critical for the health of an ecosystem.
Compared to Sir David's series, the approach is quite different. Each of Attenborogh series focuses on a broad topic (Evolution and biodiversity, behaviors, ecosystems and adaptations, mammals, birds, insects and other invertebrates, plants, reptiles and amphibians), while Rodriguez de la Fuente mostly dealt with certain geographical areas (Iberian Peninsula, Venezuela and Canada) showing both certain ecosystems within them, focusing also on certain biodiversity hotspots (such as Sierra de Cazorla), and also devoting several individual programmes to key species such as vultures, wolves, kingfishers...
Now and then there is some discussion about "faked" shots. As far as I know, staged shots are a standard practice in nature documentary filmmaking. Of course, staged shots must represent authentic behavior. I can point out many aquarium shots in Attenborough documentaries, for example (I dare to say even Blue Planet has some, because I really can't imagine an underwater camera crew waiting underwater for months for a pair of Hymenocera picta to capture a seastar and it would be stupid not to stage it), and I think there's nothing wrong at all about it.
All I can say is: I am 45 now, and I watched all these documentaries as a kid. Many of my generation did. Whatever all of my generation know about nature, you can be sure we learned about it watching these programmes. And I can also say without doubt that those of us who hold some respect to the natural environment can directly attribute it to Dr. Rodriguez de la Fuente's work.
The whole series can be watched here, courtesy of the Spanish Television.
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/el-hombre-y-la-tierra/
It's only in Spanish and there's no subtitles, alas. But I am sure you will still enjoy the amazing shots, the rythm of visual narration, and even more thinking that all this was produced in a third world country in the 70's (that was Spain's situation at that time)
And yes, you would be amazed at how many kids at that time cried the day he died in an aircraft accident in Alaska.
Enjoy!
Farnboro John
Well-known member
For those interested I recommend a book entitled "Snarl for the Camera" which is a wildlife cameraman's reminiscences. It includes accounts of staged shots involving animals from invertebrates to mammals: its interesting, well written and some of it is LOL funny. It will certainly pop a few illusions!
John
eddy the eagle
Well-known member
Borjam,thankyou for those words,I too watched the whole series in the 90´s and again in 2012.This video is the most famous of the them all and there is only one word for it AWESOME....Eddy
Chosun Juan
Given to Fly
Paul, Rui, and Borjam, thanks for posting the original clip, and the additional info. I had previously only seen the abbreviated version, and assumed it was in the Himalayas.....
Fascinating stuff. I hope our own Wedgies can take to throwing the multitude of feral goats in this country off cliffs too! They have already learned to take smaller (though far more bitey) introduced ferals, such as foxes, and feral cats.
Btw, Albion 14, Wedgies are larger than most Goldies, but not quite as heavy as the largest Himalayan Goldies. Tasmanian Wedgies have been recorded at 112cm length, and 284cm wingspan.
Chosun :gh:
Fascinating stuff. I hope our own Wedgies can take to throwing the multitude of feral goats in this country off cliffs too! They have already learned to take smaller (though far more bitey) introduced ferals, such as foxes, and feral cats.
Btw, Albion 14, Wedgies are larger than most Goldies, but not quite as heavy as the largest Himalayan Goldies. Tasmanian Wedgies have been recorded at 112cm length, and 284cm wingspan.
Chosun :gh:
Borjam
Well-known member
Now that I recall, at that time Dr. Rodriguez de la Fuente also ran a wildlife hospital for birds of prey. They specialized on bop's recovered from captivity (in one of their programs they even showed an iberian imperial eagle that had been smuggled ilegally to USA, recovered by the USA law enforcement and brought back to Spain).
They healed broken feathers, and even helped trained the birds to hunt, some of them had been in cages and were unable to feed themselves in nature. They have some footage of the trainers running while pulling a furry decoy with some meat on it for the eagles to attack.
When the birds were well healed and apt to hunt by themselves, they released them at a different place. They fed them very well just before the release so that they wouldn't be hungry and follow their healers for food.
It is an episode called "El Valle de las Águilas" (The Eagles' Valley).
They healed broken feathers, and even helped trained the birds to hunt, some of them had been in cages and were unable to feed themselves in nature. They have some footage of the trainers running while pulling a furry decoy with some meat on it for the eagles to attack.
When the birds were well healed and apt to hunt by themselves, they released them at a different place. They fed them very well just before the release so that they wouldn't be hungry and follow their healers for food.
It is an episode called "El Valle de las Águilas" (The Eagles' Valley).
AlfArbuthnot
Well-known member
What's cool about it? It's a tame falconer's bird, and tame goats, and the goats are already dead when thrown off the cliffs by the crew (how else did they get that camera angle just at the right time? The editing is so bad that the goat shown being attacked is not even the same one that is seen falling in the next frame, look at the facial markings). As it's a young tame bird, how did it learn the supposedly wild behaviour of attacking goats which is supposedly specific to birds in this area? And if it's a tame bird, which it is, then it's been trained to attack the goats by the crew, so either way it's about as real as a circus. This is not wild behaviour, it's just a cruel exploitation of a tame eagle and terrified tame goats, for the sake of making a film. I think it's quite disgusting.
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