The Lugger Falcon is native to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. They mainly catch feathered prey on the wing at high speed, usually pigeons and doves, but will also eat insects, lizards and small rodents taken from the ground.
Falcons are longwings, with long, pointed aerodynamic wings and form to reduce drag, They specialise in high speed pursuits and stoops – vertical dives down – in order to catch their prey. While most prey is killed upon impact with the sharp talons, the more delicately built falcon cannot afford a struggle on the ground and to aid them, they have a special notch in the beak known as the tomial tooth which slots perfectly into the back of the vertebrae of the prey, allowing the falcon to break the neck easily with the beak.
Although not as fast as the Peregrine Falcon, the smaller Lugger Falcon is an intelligent hunter and effectively uses its surroundings and environment to full advantage. Flying Voodoo on a sunny day can be an interesting experience, as he flies with the sun behind him at every opportunity to dazzle the falconer with the lure – a tactic his wild counterparts would apply to their prey.
Voodoo is quite a character, who is often up to something. Despite a cheeky personality he is a lovely bird to fly and shows something a little different in his tactics when pursuing the lure.
Voodoo is flown seasonally in the Ultimate Falconry Experience.
Lugger Falcon
