MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands “Flying Devils”
The remarkable story of how the rare Falkland Islands bird of prey called the striated caracara survives has been told in a BBC wildlife television programme, with superb photography of these birds and other prolific Falklands species.
Film-makers Jane Watson and Mark Smith spent two years making the film, for a 50-minute programme on BBC Channel Two.
It focused on the caracara or "Johnny Rook" as it is commonly called by Islanders. It is one of the world's rarest birds of prey, with only 500 pairs worldwide, three-quarters of them in the Falklands.
The film showed how the caracara survives, both when there is plentiful prey about as they snatch the eggs and chicks of penguins, albatross and even baby seals during the breeding season ashore, and also when there is little food for them during the lean, stormy, winter months when the penguins go to sea.
Then the caracaras flock to farm settlements to forage. One of the most comical shots was of caracaras stealing clothes from a washing line, including a woman's brassiere and pants. These "flying devils", as the progamme called them, also attacked and wrecked the film-maker's tent.
The birds have been described as creatures straight out of a horror movie that will stop at nothing to get what they want and have no fear at all.
What the programme did not say is that a Falklands Conservation study has led to a Wildlife Ordnance protecting the striated caracara with fines up to £3,000 ( 4,500 dollars) for unlawfully shooting the bird even if it is causing damage to property or attacking sheep.
Harold Briley, (MP) London
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