• Welcome to The Bushcraft Forum

    You are currently viewing the site as a guest and some content may not be available to you.

    Registration is quick and easy and will give you full access to the site and allow you to ask questions or make comments and join in on the conversation. If you would like to join then please Register

Q Ystranc. Raptor Poles

MikeR

Slightly Addicted
Messages
331
Points
470
Maybe I'm being dense or just too precise, is there a recommended height/ diameter to encourage Raptors to perch ?
 
Not that I know of but I've often see owls perched on fence posts by the side of the road and buzzards on top of telegraph poles so I'd assume each species has its own preference and will thrive if you create the right habitat for whatever species it is that you have. I've seen the owls using the poles that support my tree guards and they're only around four and a half feet to five feet high. That is what I've been putting into the fields where I've been planting year old trees as whips (also called maidens because they've not forked yet;))
I can only suggest that you get the binoculars out and do a little observation, then recreate the habitat that you see the birds using.
 
Last edited:
Will do. I know there's kestrels and something bigger, not sure what. Owls I've no idea, there must be some as there's a little copse at one side and plenty of hedgerows. I'll have to give fishing a miss one night and do a reccy.
 
There are a couple of buzzards near us and they perch on anything, gate posts, tall trees, hedges. I don't think they are too fussy.
 
The local buzzards also perch on anything and from time to time surprise us by flying up out of the undergrowth. Mike - don't forget to listen aswell as look. Buzzards and owls have characteristic sounds which you can find out about by googling the relevent species.
 
Birds of prey have differing perches depending on where they are in their hunting territory, but they prefer to be high up to take advantage of their superb eyesight. Owls, although having excellent sight, have incredible hearing and tend to perch lower to the ground which is why you often see them on fence posts. The only way to attract birds of prey is to unfortunately have a healthy supply of Voles & other Rodents to attract them in the first place.
PS. Owls ears are at different positions on their heads, which is why you often see them tilting their head when hunting. This allows any noise to arrive at their ears at slightly different times, allowing precise prey location even in the Dark, Owls....you gotta love em.
 
There's Barn Owls up at the Farm, I've often seen them quartering the fields beyond the lake and Kestrels. My next project then is to install some poles of various height. No fence posts to speak of as the farm has no livestock.
 
Why are you trying to encourage them to perch in a specific location please?
 
No particular reason other than I would like to encourage Raptors. :) Ystranc mentioned them in another thread.
 
Last edited:
My reason for encouraging owls in a certain place is to control a vole population by natural means.
 
Well , check with the RSPB but my gut instinct is you won't encourage them unless you can increase their prey species which is a massive task in itself. Supply and Demand really.
 
They're about, it would just be nice to see more than a flypast though.
 
Well , check with the RSPB but my gut instinct is you won't encourage them unless you can increase their prey species which is a massive task in itself. Supply and Demand really.
I have an elegant sufficiency of voles, the fields are full of them...if I was running a vole farm I would be a rich man.
 
Maybe I'm being dense or just too precise, is there a recommended height/ diameter to encourage Raptors to perch ?
Not sure about raptors mate but when I bred chickens I was advised to us 2"x2" squared poles because round ones aren't so good for their feet so I guess the same might apply to raptors
 
Back
Top