Experts at the Institute for Natural History suspect that highly organized criminals have been preying on nesting falcons, systematically stealing their eggs. Demand for falcon eggs is very high in many Middle Eastern countries where trained hunting falcons are a prized status symbol. The Icelandic gyrfalcon is considered one of the best hunting falcons.
Read more: Video: Meet the friendly falcons of the Westfjords
The nesting season is just starting for the Icelandic gyrfalcon. The primary nesting ground of the birds are in North East Iceland, but falcons nest in cliffs and cayons all around the island and can be spotted on both lowland and at higher altitudes, although they prefer to hunt on heaths where their primary pray lives. It is estimated that 300-400 pairs of falcons nest in Iceland each year, a fourth of the European population of the birds.
An old problem
Ólafur K. Nielsen, ornithologist at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History told the local newspaper Fréttablaðið that the theft of falcon eggs is nothing new. However, very few arrests have been made in recent years for the theft or smuggling of falcon eggs. Last year a local man was arrested at Keflavík Airport for attempting to smuggle falcon eggs out of the country.
Read more: Farmer catches video of gyrfalcon feasting on a duck
In the early 1990s police investigated numerous cases involving the theft of falcon eggs. The thieves were foreign visitors, who came to Iceland with the sole purpose of stealing falcon eggs. Ólafur told Fréttablaðið that the thieves were extremely brazen. They didn't go to any particular lengths to hide their identity or activity, visiting the same nests year after year to steal eggs.
Falcon eggs switched for chicken eggs
After a crackdown on the practice the theft of falcon eggs dropped, but Ólafur suspects that the problem has resurfaced in recent years. I have a very strong suspicion that falcon nests are being raided systematically he told Fréttablaðið.
Ólafur points out that a number of old falcon nests where birds nest every single year have failed to produce a single young. Ornithologists have confirmed that the falcons in theses nests produce eggs, and lie hatching the eggs. The next time the nesting site is checked the eggs have all disappeared. In some cases ornithologists have even discovered that the eggs have been replaced with chicken eggs.
Experts at the Institute for Natural History suspect that highly organized criminals have been preying on nesting falcons, systematically stealing their eggs. Demand for falcon eggs is very high in many Middle Eastern countries where trained hunting falcons are a prized status symbol. The Icelandic gyrfalcon is considered one of the best hunting falcons.
Read more: Video: Meet the friendly falcons of the Westfjords
The nesting season is just starting for the Icelandic gyrfalcon. The primary nesting ground of the birds are in North East Iceland, but falcons nest in cliffs and cayons all around the island and can be spotted on both lowland and at higher altitudes, although they prefer to hunt on heaths where their primary pray lives. It is estimated that 300-400 pairs of falcons nest in Iceland each year, a fourth of the European population of the birds.
An old problem
Ólafur K. Nielsen, ornithologist at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History told the local newspaper Fréttablaðið that the theft of falcon eggs is nothing new. However, very few arrests have been made in recent years for the theft or smuggling of falcon eggs. Last year a local man was arrested at Keflavík Airport for attempting to smuggle falcon eggs out of the country.
Read more: Farmer catches video of gyrfalcon feasting on a duck
In the early 1990s police investigated numerous cases involving the theft of falcon eggs. The thieves were foreign visitors, who came to Iceland with the sole purpose of stealing falcon eggs. Ólafur told Fréttablaðið that the thieves were extremely brazen. They didn't go to any particular lengths to hide their identity or activity, visiting the same nests year after year to steal eggs.
Falcon eggs switched for chicken eggs
After a crackdown on the practice the theft of falcon eggs dropped, but Ólafur suspects that the problem has resurfaced in recent years. I have a very strong suspicion that falcon nests are being raided systematically he told Fréttablaðið.
Ólafur points out that a number of old falcon nests where birds nest every single year have failed to produce a single young. Ornithologists have confirmed that the falcons in theses nests produce eggs, and lie hatching the eggs. The next time the nesting site is checked the eggs have all disappeared. In some cases ornithologists have even discovered that the eggs have been replaced with chicken eggs.
