Thread: Bald Eagle
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Old 01-21-2005, 08:05 AM   #36
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Question Buzzard

1) One of the videos shows the "Tilly" the eagle being attacked by a "buzzard" in Scotland. The brief encounter shows a "buzzard" with its talons dropped -- a threat-gesture. In the video, Tilly does a barrel-roll to counter the threat with her talons. I had never seen this among the many turkey- and black- vultures in the US -- birds we might call buzzards.

It turns out that some buzzard species in the UK are raptors -- hawks that take live prey. http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/buzzard.htm

From the description, a buzzard in the UK seems closest in behavior to our large red-shouldered hawk, a common roadside hawk, very tolerant of human presence. (I know. One set up a nest right above my car in the driveway.)

2) To the casual coin collectors among us, a bald eagle also appears on a solid-silver United States coin commemorating the Confederate soldier. It circulated over a million half-dollars, and sells today for 50-60 dollars. I had never before seen a reference to it -- until Google turned it up. http://www.commem.com/prod31a4.htm
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