Further to T R Andrew’s letter stating “Peregrines are the killers of the sky” (The Argus, May 7), I must disagree with his comments regarding raptors taking the songbirds and eating them.

The biggest cause of the demise of songbirds is not peregrines and sparrowhawks but cats, crows and, mainly, magpies.

I am a falconer and probably know more about raptors’ behaviour than a pigeon fancier.

Peregrines will not take songbirds as prey. Their main food are feral pigeons and the odd gull. A bird of prey is not going to waste valuable energy chasing prize-fit racing pigeons.

Despite the raptors in my aviaries my garden is regularly visited by songbirds, which don’t seem bothered by the two eagle owls, falcon and hawk in close proximity.

What people need to realise is that building an open coop is like putting a bird feeder in your garden. A sparrowhawk or peregrine will fly over and see, what is to them, a laid table of free food and pop by for a snack. It will remember this all-day buffet and frequent this diner regularly.

It is not only pigeon fanciers and parrot keepers who have problems with wild raptors. Even falconers take a risk when we fly our birds.

I know a local falconer who has had three of his falcons killed by peregrines on the hospital over the past five years. Two of my falcons have been attacked while flying.

As sad as it is when another falcon is taken, we don’t get all high and mighty demanding wild species are culled. It’s nature, get over it. Your pigeons stand more chance of being shot than taken by a peregrine.

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