The Eleonora’s Falcon on Mogador Island captures small birds, plucks their flight feathers, and stuffs them into crevices to create a reserve of food.
Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae) is a bird of prey that breeds in the Mediterranean and off the northwest coast of Africa, wintering in Madagascar. They are relatively small, typically measuring 36 to 42 cm in length with a wingspan of 87 to 104 cm. Their diet mainly consists of insects, bats, and small birds.
Eleonora’s Falcon has a unique hunting strategy. (Photo: Saviero Gatto/Biosphoto/Alamy).
The uniqueness of Eleonora’s Falcon lies in its hunting strategy. The predator captures small birds, plucks their flight feathers (the long, stiff feathers on the wings and tail that aid in flight), rendering them unable to fly, and then stuffs them into crevices or deep holes to prevent their escape.
Interestingly, only the population of Eleonora’s Falcons on Mogador Island, off the western coast of Morocco, engages in this form of captivity. Local fishermen have been aware of this behavior, but ornithologists first described it in 2015 after conducting a population survey of the falcons. Specifically, expert Abdeljebbar Qninba from Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco, along with colleagues, encountered small birds trapped in deep hollows, missing flight and tail feathers. They were unable to flap their wings or use their injured legs.
A small bird believed to be captured by Eleonora’s Falcon on Mogador Island. (Photo: Abdeljebbar Qninba).
The research team suggests that the captivity of prey allows Eleonora’s Falcon to keep its food supply fresh until needed. Most of the prey consists of songbirds, but species such as swallows, flycatchers, and some shorebirds are also included. The researchers also believe that this prey-captivity behavior is unique to the Mogador population, as there have been no reports of such behavior in other Eleonora’s Falcon populations or in other raptor species.
However, some experts remain skeptical about the study’s findings. According to Rob Simmons, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, the birds in the rock crevices may simply be hiding to avoid being killed.
All Eleonora’s Falcons are carnivorous during the breeding season, which lasts from about July to October. They hunt tired migratory birds that have flown long distances. They catch their prey mid-flight. This abundant food source helps Eleonora’s Falcons and their offspring prepare for their own migration to Madagascar. For the rest of the year, they mainly feed on insects such as dragonflies and butterflies.
