The police were called to Suðurlandsvegur yesterday when a pedestrian found a falcon that appeared to be ill or wounded, Vísir reported this morning. The information was revealed on the Suðurland police’s Facebook page.
“The projects of the police are different and not always about people,” the post read. “Police also come to help animals in various situations, when they are lost, found, or sometimes injured. It is not often that falcons come to the attention of the police, but it happened today.”
The police then called a specialist from the Institute of Natural History, and the falcon was taken for further examination. It has not yet been announced what exactly was wrong with this particular falcon.
The Institute’s website gives further information on falcons. The Icelandic falcon is fully protected. It is forbidden to disturb nesting falcons in any way–even for photographs–without the permission of the Environment Agency.
However, shooting and egg theft is still a threat to falcons despite this: a quarter of the dead falcons received by the Institute appear to have died by being shot. Other long-term threats include the accumulation of pollutants in the birds’ bodies and the decline of the ptarmigan population, ptarmigan being a type of northern grouse on which falcons feed.
Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.
You can also check out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door.
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
