Title: Eleonora’s falcon (Falco eleonorae)The place it lives: Breeding within the Mediterranean and off the northwest coast of Africa, wintering in MadagascarWhat it eats: Bugs, bats and small birdsWhy it is superior: The Eleonora’s falcon is a small raptor that takes its looking talents to the following degree — by catching its prey alive and conserving them imprisoned. It captures small birds, strips their flight feathers stopping them from with the ability to fly, then stuffs them into rock fissures or deep holes, from which they can not escape.a small fowl with its head protruding of a gap in some rocksStrangely, just one inhabitants of Eleonora’s falcon is thought to partake on this uncommon predatory habits. The habits was already identified to native fishers, however ornithologists first described the looking approach in 2015 after finishing up a census of the species on the Mogador archipelago, off the west coast of Morocco.Scientists assume that by conserving birds captive, the raptors can preserve their meals supply recent till it is wanted. Whereas nearly all of the prey are small songbirds, in addition they eat swifts, hoopoes (Upupa epops) and a few waders. Associated: The human-sized African fowl that eats child crocodiles and kills its siblingsThe authors imagine this habits is exclusive to the Mogador inhabitants, having discovered no different reviews of dwell imprisonment amongst different Eleonora’s falcons or raptor species.RELATED STORIES—Aldabra rail: The fowl that got here again from the lifeless by evolving twice—Watch woodpecker evict starling that stole its nest by yanking it out with its beak—Gorgeous footage captures tiny fowl’s battle for survival in large Saharan sandstormTheir findings, nonetheless, had been met with skepticism by some. Rob Simmons, a behavioral ecologist on the College of Cape City in South Africa, informed New Scientist the imprisoned birds could be escapees hiding in rocks to keep away from being killed.All Eleonora’s falcons eat birds throughout their nesting interval, between July and October. They prey on migrating birds which can be drained from their lengthy journeys, catching them mid-flight. This feast helps the falcons and their younger put together for their very own migration to Madagascar. The remainder of the 12 months they feed primarily on bugs corresponding to dragonflies and butterflies.