Rtas' main collection

IV Birds and reptiles

B) Birds

5) Birds of prey

c) Bald eagles

Species : Bald eagle
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 16707 Bald Eagle Spread Wings (2001-2011)
- Schleich 14635 Baby Eagles in Nest (2012-2015)
- Schleich 16702 Bald Eagle (1999-2003)

Fun facts :
- There are some figures like these ones I never managed to replace by more recent models. I am too much attached to my bald eagle pair and they fit too well with each other (the female is significantly larger than the male as it should be) that I just cannot remove them from my main collection.
- I have the two adults from my childhood and found the chicks during one of my scavenger hunts.
- I have seen bald eagles in zoos.

Bullyland bearded vulture is at Toy Animal Wiki, here!

You can also see a comparison topic with most of those I mentioned on @Kikimalou's post in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I will take later a comparison picture of the Safari king vulture with something you know once I don't have any Schleich vulture.

Thanks, I will have a look at this thread.

Advicot wrote:

Magnificent bird in your photo Alain! :)

thank you Adam! :)

Caracal wrote:

The small village I am originated from is in the hearth of the area where griffon vultures have been reintroduiced 40 years ago, so when I am back in "my" highlands, I see them almost every days above all during summer in evening. They draw circles in the sky by packs of 30 or 40! In Occitan language, my great-father called them "bouldras" (from latin language "vulturas" = "big vulture") They had disapeared after the sanitary laws that forbad to leave death sheep or cattle in mountains.

Alain, they are very impressive birds, especially for someone who is used to seeing only buzzards, albeit not as impressive as the golden eagle in my opinion, even though it is smaller. What is this village you are talking about ?[/quote]


I am originated from Nant in Dourbie river cañon, between Larzac and Causse Noir. We have also, vautour moines (I don't know the english name!), egyptian vultures (percnoptères) during summer and in  my commune, a couple of barbed vultures have been released in Trevezel cañon. We have too, some couples of golden eagles (very hard to see, I personnaly saw few specimen only in Alpes mountains)  We have too several circaètes during summer. We are inside the "Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses" and As I have to look after a familial camping site we have there, I spend a lot of time there above all in summer..

..if you go here to "outdoor pictures and dio", then to "old Europa", you will see my "De Agostini flying bearbed vulture". I shot it in Vis river cañon (South Larzac) and I have the Bullyland one too..  :)

Ok here are my vultures: Safari condor, Bullyland bearded vulture and Mojo griffon

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Schleich and Papo griffon, Papo red headed vulture [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Nayab Andean condor & Safari king vulture[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Your eagles entered when the vulture discussion was still hot.
Here is a comparison picture of the Safari king vulture with the Schleich white rat. If it is not eloquent enough, I can take another with Papo marabou.

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Very nice bald eagles Ben, I have the one with the spread out wings and the nest aswell as the Schleich 2011 & 2017 figures and the Safari figure who has her wings tucked in

I did this comparison myself when I acquired the king vulture in 2018

Thank you for the pics Adam ! It confirms me that the king vulture is the one I want to put in my wishlist, along with the harpy eagle Susanne showed me.

Thank you for the comparison pic Roger but to be honest, it is not very useful to me as this white rat is disproportionately big compared with... well, anything else ! But don't worry, I think this king would be just fine next to my other birds of prey, I am confident about that

Caracal wrote:

Caracal wrote:

The small village I am originated from is in the hearth of the area where griffon vultures have been reintroduiced 40 years ago, so when I am back in "my" highlands, I see them almost every days above all during summer in evening. They draw circles in the sky by packs of 30 or 40! In Occitan language, my great-father called them "bouldras" (from latin language "vulturas" = "big vulture") They had disapeared after the sanitary laws that forbad to leave death sheep or cattle in mountains.

Alain, they are very impressive birds, especially for someone who is used to seeing only buzzards, albeit not as impressive as the golden eagle in my opinion, even though it is smaller. What is this village you are talking about ?

I am originated from Nant in Dourbie river cañon, between Larzac and Causse Noir. We have also, vautour moines (I don't know the english name!), egyptian vultures (percnoptères) during summer and in  my commune, a couple of barbed vultures have been released in Trevezel cañon. We have too, some couples of golden eagles (very hard to see, I personnaly saw few specimen only in Alpes mountains)  We have too several circaètes during summer. We are inside the "Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses" and As I have to look after a familial camping site we have there, I spend a lot of time there above all in summer..

..if you go here to "outdoor pictures and dio", then to "old Europa", you will see my "De Agostini flying bearbed vulture". I shot it in Vis river cañon (South Larzac) and I have the Bullyland one too..  :)

Very interesting birds of prey you have there, I have never seen cinerous, Egyptian or bearded vultures. I have seen short-toed snake eagles (circaètes) and only one golden eagle in the Alps, but it was a great observation (it was fighting with two buzzards which looked tiny in comparison !). The "Parc Naturel Régional des Grands Causses" is where I saw the griffons, I went wild camping with my hippy colleagues when I worked as a street fundraiser for Greenpeace ^^ I travelled a lot in France back then...

I think I would be passionate about birds of prey if I had grown in you region. There is so much diversity ! But I grew up in Brittany where the most impressive raptors are peregrine falcons and ospreys. I saw a goshawk on its nest once, but they are difficult to find. Most of the time, that's just buzzards, kestrels and buzzards again As a consequence, my main interests are waders, sea birds and ducks, rather than birds of prey.

I just watched your Old Europe outdoor pictures and I can tell you I like them even more than your inside dioramas.

Thanks for your honesty, Benjamin! I have time for useless pictures now.
Here is the Safari king vulture with the Papo marabou!

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Thank you ! That's what I thought, it will be fine with my other raptors which are ALL too large anyway

IV Birds and reptiles

B) Birds

5) Birds of prey

d) Other birds of prey

Species : Peregrine falcon, golden eagle, osprey, common buzzard
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14633 Peregrine Falcon (2012-2017)
- Schleich 16701 Golden Eagle (1999-2003)
- Schleich 16703 Osprey (1999-2002)
- Schleich 16704 Common Buzzard (1999-2003)

Fun facts :
- The golden eagle is also a very precious figure of mine. Indeed, there are few good figures of this iconic species on the market and it's quite ancient and rare.
- The peregrine falcon's paintjob can vary quite a lot from one figure to another and Susanne's model is very different from mine for example.
- I have all these birds from my childhood except the peregrine falcon I got more recently to replace the old one from 1999.
- I have seen all these species in the wild. I have seen an osprey catching a fish, a pair of peregrine falcons hunting a sandwich tern and a golden eagle fighting with two buzzards in the sky.

Update :
- Safari 150929 Harpy Eagle (2017-still in production) was added to the collection. For further information, please check the addition topics.
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Oh the Schleich golden eagle, a figure I bought on eBay for £3 and then in 2016 it mysteriously disappeared without a trace, I am still upset now If only someone had one to trade or buy.

My Schleich peregrine has the same paintjob as yours Ben, and the common buzzard by Bullyland is the one in my collection. Now the osprey is a little too unrealistic for me but if someone offered it to me I wouldn't turn it down.

The Schleich pergrine falcon 14633 varies very much depending on the country it is made

Here is one made in Germany, and one made in China :
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I sold one of them to a lady, whose granddaughter desperately wished for one for her birthday

I have all, except the osprey which is difficult to find at an affordable price now..

Do you know there is a opened wings and socleless Bullyland common buzzard too Benjamin?..

These retired raptors are magnific and difficult to find! :) Congrats for having them! :)

The peregrine made in China it's hybridiced with a gyralcon

My only raptors at the moment are the Safari's California condor (thanks Kikimalou!) and the Science & Nature wedge-tailed eagle.

I never saw an osprey, nor captive or wild

Advicot wrote:

Oh the Schleich golden eagle, a figure I bought on eBay for £3 and then in 2016 it mysteriously disappeared without a trace, I am still upset now Sad If only someone had one to trade or buy.

My Schleich peregrine has the same paintjob as yours Ben, and the common buzzard by Bullyland is the one in my collection. Now the osprey is a little too unrealistic for me but if someone offered it to me I wouldn't turn it down.

If I had two, I would gladly trade one with you but I would accept nothing less than one of your female ostriches in exchange !

Susanne wrote:

The Schleich pergrine falcon 14633 varies very much depending on the country it is made

Here is one made in Germany, and one made in China :

I would obviously prefer one from Germany but I never found it. Actually, I would like to have both versions.

Caracal wrote:

I have all, except the osprey which is difficult to find at an affordable price now..

Do you know there is a opened wings and socleless Bullyland common buzzard too Benjamin?..

No, I didn't. I almost know nothing about Bullyland. I found every figures I saw from them in "La Grande Récré" ugly. As a result, this brand did not get my attention but maybe it should

Pardofelis wrote:

I never saw an osprey, nor captive or wild

You have to catch them while they are migrating, in autumn or spring. Actually, I am fond of wild ducks and small waders (you know, like sandpipers, those tiny insignifiant birds nobody is interested in except hardcore birdwatchers ) and I have always seen ospreys while I was trying to find sandpipers on ponds, lakes or marshes. However, it remains an uncommon species and I would have never seen it if I didn't go birdwatching regularly.

Bullyland Buzzard, not as good as the Schleich [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I would trade you her, if you had two that is.

I have a good batch of raptors but with me, at this moment, only the Southlands wedge-tailed eagle, Opentoys Spanish imperial eagle and CollectA secretary bird.
My most precious are surely the Mojö Fun golden eagle and the Reisler golden eagle hunting a fox.
I see I missed some important figures like the Bullyland goshawk, Safari Harpy eagle and red-tailed hawk, birds are eing a little sacrificed lately among my options. Something to rethink.
I see you have the Schleich raptors series almost complete.

IV Birds and reptiles

B) Birds

6) Fowls

Species : Common pheasant, Indian peafowl, wild turkey, western capercaillie
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14242 Pheasant (2001-2003)
- Schleich 13144 Peacock (2001-2002)
- Schleich 13900 Turkey (2020-still in production)
- Schleich 14240 European Grouse (2000-2002)

Fun facts :
- I think that the western capercaillie is one of Schleich's most original and boldest species choice. I discovered this species thanks to Schleich, it was of course well before I became a birdwatcher. I believe Schleich decided to make a figure of it because it is a German company and western capercaillies were threatened in the Black Forest (their number is now stable).
- I have always had a turkey in my collection and I have always used it as a wild turkey although it is a Farm World figure.
- The old peacock is so much better than the new one in my opinion.
- I look forward to see Papo's pheasant even though I think I will not replace my old beloved Schleich one.
- I have all these poultries from my childhood, except the new turkey which I bought recently, in embarassing and "18-rated" circumstances I do not wish to talk about here.
- I have seen pheasants in the wild, peacocks and turkeys in zoos and farms but I have never seen a western capercaillie.

Update : The old Schleich pheasant and peacock were respectively replaced by
- Papo 50263 Pheasant (2020-still in production)
- Papo 51161 Peafowl (2013-still in production)
For further information, please check the addition topics.
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Advicot wrote:

Bullyland Buzzard, not as good as the Schleich [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Better in my opinion

Roger wrote:

I have a good batch of raptors but with me, at this moment, only the Southlands wedge-tailed eagle, Opentoys Spanish imperial eagle and CollectA secretary bird.
My most precious are surely the Mojö Fun golden eagle and the Reisler golden eagle hunting a fox.
I see I missed some important figures like the Bullyland goshawk, Safari Harpy eagle and red-tailed hawk, birds are eing a little sacrificed lately among my options. Something to rethink.
I see you have the Schleich raptors series almost complete.

I hesitated a lot over getting the CollectA secretary bird or not, but I think it would be too big for my collection. You now know my collecting tastes, what I would accept or not, so what do you think about it ? Should I buy it or not ? Keep in mind that, when I have the opportunity to display my figures temporaly, I always display African species in a diorama with the Scheich waterhole, so proportions are even more important in that case.

I did not know Mojo made a golden eagle, it is not on TAI

Did not know there was a Bullyland goshawk, I should definitely take an interest in this brand

Indeed, my Schleich raptor series is complete, you just don't see the old peregrine falcon and the old eagle owl because they were replaced by newer versions, but I still have them in my vintage treasure box.