Serge Le Huitouze, wrote:

> I tended to believe, like Dennis, that it was the lack of
> predators in heavily crowded areas that was the cause of these
> guys to survive.
>

Could be simply a case of more pairs of eyes, more likelihood that albinos
are going to be seen. I'm sure that most urban areas are regularly patrolled
by Sharpies, Coops, etc, though obviously unlikely in the same numbers as more
rural habitats.

What is the evidence for prey selection is falcons and hawks (Prof. Baccus
are you reading this ?). I know of one study in the Keilder Forest in northern
England that was radio tracking various sizes of songbirds - within 2 weeks
Sparrowhawk (latinus haventaclueus) had eaten every one.

Stuart MacKay