The Feathery Folk
'Enriching the lives of birds and people'
Elki (Common Buzzard)
Elki joined us at only 16 days old and was raised as a social imprint. He is very friendly and confident and is a big hit on our bird of prey encounters. He will fly to customers and then chase our dummy rabbit lure to demonstrate how he would hunt in the wild. He is also a firm favourite at events, often sunbathing on his perch or having a bath, to the amusement of the public!
His favourite thing is his 'box of mess': a box filled with cardboard rolls, twigs, treats and rolled up paper. He spends hours rooting through it, eating the edible bits, then drapes the rest of the contents around his aviary.
Date of hatch: 5th May 2015
Skill: Charging after a Dummy bunny
Temperament: Excitable, friendly
Did You Know?
As well as small mammals, Buzzards will eat bugs and grubs and
carrion.
About the Species
Scientific name: Buteo buteo
Habitat: Woodland, farmland, grassland, heath-land and upland.
Diet: Small mammals, birds, carrion, large invertebrates and earthworms.
Species traits: Arial displays, juveniles travel together.
Distribution: UK, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, north-west to south-west of Southern Ireland.
Wild population: 57,000 - 79,000 pairs
Conservation status: Green/stable
