THE BIRDS OF PREY OF THE PUNJAB. 



28» 



Genus Falco. 

 No. 1255. Falco peregrinator. The Shaheen Falcon. 

 Characteristics. 



Colouration. 



Measurements. 



Habits, etc. 



Length of male about 15", of a female about 18" ; 

 1st primary longer than the .3rd ; cheek-stripe broader 

 than the eye (sometimes, in very old birds, the cheek- 

 stripe is fused into the back of the head and nape and 

 indistinguishable in itself), no nuchal collar, crown 

 blackish ; lower parts deep rufous. Wing 11 .5 to 13". 



" This falcon is distinguished from the Peregrine at 

 all ages by its darker and almost black head and nape, 

 and by the deeper rufous of the lower surface, especial- 

 ly on the breast, abdomen and lower wing-coverts. 

 The colour of the lower parts varies, however, greatly; 

 in some birds, especially those from Southern India, 

 it is deep ferruginous or chestnut, whilst in many 

 Himalayan birds it is scarcely darker than in some 

 (exceptional) Peregrines. Except in very old birds 

 there is almost always in the present species some 

 rufous sprinkled over the nape, o\^ang to there being a 

 rufous band on the feathers between the black ends 

 and the white bases. In old birds of F. peregrinator 

 all markings disappear on the breast and abdomen 

 very narrow bars remaining on the flanks alone, and 

 bars almost disappear on the pale ashy feathers of the 

 back, rump, and scapulars. 



In young birds of the year the whole upper surface 

 is almost black, the feathers at first having rufous edges 

 which soon disappear by wear ; there is some rufous 

 on the nape ; and the tail is marked \vith transverse, 

 oval, rufous spots as in the Peregrine but they are 

 more numerous ; the chin and throat are pale rufous 

 and unspotted, the breast and abdomen marked with 

 longitudinal droits, but the lower abdomen is some- 

 times unspotted." (Blanford). 



" Bill slaty blue, dark at the tip ; cere, orbits and 

 legs yellow ; irides intense brown." 



" Length of a female about 18" ; tail 6' 5 ; \ving 13" ; 

 tarsus 2; mid-toe without claw 2*1 ; bill from gape 

 1-25; of a male, length 15; wing 11*5. (Blanford). 



This beautiful falcon is a dweller of the hills and 

 breeds freely all over the lower hills in the Punjab, up 

 to an elevation of about 7,000 ft. 



Pigeons, doves, parrots, mynahs and thrushes come 

 in for the attentions of this falcon and to watch one 

 hunting, particularly in the hills, is an education. Like 

 the Peregrine it is a very early hunter and begins 

 its day if anything earlier than does the latter, and 

 certamly continues to a later hour in the evening. 



I have had the good luck on several occasions to 

 have nij' camp near a Shaheen's pet hunting grounds, 

 and it is extraordinary how faithful they are to certain 

 locaUties, even to the extent of the same branch of a 

 particular tree in that locality. 



In Dharmsala there are cliffs just above my house. 

 Above and all down one side, these chffs are smTOunded 

 by a heavy oak forest. Immediately below is fairly 



