A FALCONRY THREAD!!!

[TheBantyCoop]

Thats awesome! Birds of prey like to hang around cities because of all the pigeons oddly enough, at least from my experience that seems true. The way that the peregrine falcons hunt the pigeons is interesting. People often mistake pigeons for fat, but what looks like fat on their bellies is actually muscle. They can fly fifty miles per hour straight (but they have been recorded flying at ninety miles per hour for short distances), outflying a falcon is straight flight. So, the peregrines dive after their prey at up to 240 miles per hour. When I lived in the city I never got to see one, but my friend sees them often by her house. Her neighbor flies pigeons, and has shot down a couple of the peregrines. He has been fined, but he continues to shoot nonetheless.

 

[smalls]

Yeah the hawks stay around the college because there's lots of ground squirrels there, so easy pickings.

 

[TheBantyCoop]

Thats cool! Have you ever seen one hunt?

 

[smalls]

Yes, once in a while I will get to see one swoop down and grab a squirrel. Sad but amazing to watch! After a little bit more research in sure that the hawks l living there are red tailed hawks.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

I am hoping that within the next few years I will take up falconry. I would love a peregrine falcon as my hunting bird, they are truly amazing and beautiful. This is a very interesting thread. Birds of prey are almost as great as wolves! Haha! The pictures are stunning, especially the one of the eagle being mobbed by the crow. We have an osprey, American kestrel, plenty of Hawks, and even a Peregrine falcon around here! We go up to a ranch where there is a whole family of bald eagles. We watch them fly down and swoop up fish and water birds from the lake, it is very majestic. At our old house, we had a family of barn owls! We would see them all the time! They hit our windows once or twice, but were no worse for the wear! We would see them flying at night and their pellets would end up everywhere! Sometimes we dissected the pellets to see the skeletons of rats, mice, etc. it was a very valuable leaning experience, great for children. If you would like to conduct your own owl pellet experiment, some science places will sell owl pellets! It is very rewarding and I recommend it to families with children, or even inquisitive adults! Great job on this thread!
LeafBlade12345

 

[TheBantyCoop]

Thats super cool! Good luck with the falconry, peregrines are amazing indeed but not what I commonly see recommended for beginners. They can be hard to get your hands on, but keep your eyes open for oppurtunities.
I take it you like wolves? I love them too, they are among my favorite animals but I am a bird lady through and through! Have you seen the yellowstone documentaries on wolves? They are awesome!

-El

PS - I have a local abandoned barn where I collect pellets. I don't typically find them around my house, but just a couple hours ago I saw a great horned owl in the woods. I'll keep an eye out for pellets

 

[raptor2002]

I live in Missouri, do you have to have a special license for this?

 

[Talithahorse]

This is a great thread. I worked with a Golden Eagle when I was in college. It was the best experience. When I went to the local falconry group we would line up the birds and they joked that my eagle was just a super sized Harris Hawk!. I loved watching the Harris hawks hunt in groups. Amazing to watch. I have always wanted to get licensed but alas, life and family, etc. took over. Maybe when I retire.....

 

[Talithahorse]

Here is a picture of Nugget.

 

[raptor2002]

I've been wondering if you have to get a permit for falconry in Missouri, tell me, and how do you trap an american kestrel? That is the bird I want. A falcon that can sit on your finger!