Full Issue

Abstract

The meeting was recorded and a video of the event is available online at https://youtu.be/KU7MPekp41c and also via the Club website https:// boc-online.org.Dr Richard Sales, renowned for his wide-ranging research and publications on raptors, notably British falcons, and Steve Watson, who has been conducting a decades-long field study on the Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus in Gloucestershire, jointly presented a very well-illustrated talk entitled The Peregrine Falcon, based on their groundbreaking recent book of the same name. Richard's area of special research interest, namely the interaction between anatomy and behaviour underlying the Peregrine's flight characteristics and prey capture, synergistically complemented the broader focus by Steve on ecology and population characteristics, resulting in a particularly comprehensive overview. Broader discussion of the wide range and complex taxonomy (approaching 20 subspecies according to most authorities) of the species was not neglected, and the authors' detailed research included fascinating novel nuggets of information, including that the Peregrine's visual acuity is likely to be even greater than generally understood.The 1009th meeting of the Club was held in conjunction with the Linnean Society of London at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BF, on Monday 6 November 2023 when Dr Will Smith spoke on Rock Doves and the process of 'extinction by hybridisation'. A detailed account of this meeting will be included in the March 2024 issue of the Bulletin.