Raptor perch 猛禽棲架
Stop 1 of the Wetland walk · 濕地路線第1站
Set up with a smart camera in June 2025. Within two hours a Brown Fish Owl had landed, and it was filmed catching a rat in the fields.
Brown Fish Owls use it almost daily in the breeding season, often flying straight off with prey for their young; at least twice a week otherwise.
Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Black-capped Kingfisher, Crested Serpent Eagle, Amur Falcon, Black Kite and Besra have used the perches too, and even drongos and sparrows: perches help keep the rodents in check.
Why a perch? Raptors hunt by sight. Up high they see far and wide over the fields, as a Black Kite does circling in the sky, but on a perch they can sit, watch and wait without spending energy on flying.
The technology: the camera is a CCTV powered by a solar panel, watching day and night. An ordinary camera trap only records when something moves, and someone has to walk out to change its batteries and memory card.
2025 年 6 月設置並配備智能攝影機，兩小時後褐漁鴞已前來停留，更拍到牠捕捉田鼠。
繁殖期褐漁鴞幾乎每日使用，多數捕獲獵物後立即離開，相信是帶回巢餵哺幼鳥；非繁殖期每星期最少兩次。
鵰鴞、藍翡翠、蛇鵰、阿穆爾隼、黑鳶、松雀鷹，甚至黑卷尾及麻雀都曾停留；棲架有助控制鼠患。
為何要設棲架？猛禽靠視覺狩獵，站得高便看得又遠又闊，就像黑鳶在高空盤旋俯瞰田野；停在棲架上守候，更可省下飛行的體力。
科技：棲架上的閉路電視由太陽能板供電，日夜監察。一般紅外線相機只在有動靜時拍攝，還要有人定時到場更換電池及記憶卡。