About Falconry
Introduction to Falconry
Falconry is the pursuit of wild game in its natural state with a trained raptor. The person that handles and trains the raptor is called the falconer. In common usage the term “falconry” refers to the use of both groups of raptors known as falcons and hawks.
Because the use of hawks is very popular, sometimes you will hear falconry also referred to as “hawking” or “gamehawking”.
The person that chooses to undertake falconry must be committed to the overall welfare of their bird(s). The falcons and hawks used in falconry are not pets, they are wild raptors that are trained to accept the presence and participation of humans in their natural pursuit of prey.
Because of this, people that are upset by the sight of blood and the death of animals should not pursue falconry as a past-time. Hunting often with their hawk(s) is a primary goal of the falconer. Falconry is a time consuming activity that also may require more space and cost than some people may have available.
In the United States, falconry is legal in all states except Hawaii and the District of Columbia. A falconer must have state and federal licenses to practice the sport. Acquiring a falconry license in the U.S .requires an prospective falconer to pass a written test, have equipment and facilities inspected, keep and complete annual paperwork, and serve a minimum of two years as an apprentice under a licensed falconer.
The breeding, training, and management techniques developed by falconers over the centuries are the same ones that are largely responsible for the success of efforts to save many species of endangered raptors from extinction in the modern era.
The Roots of Falconry
Falconry has been around for 4000 years. Its history has been traced as far back as 2000 B.C. through ancient writings, artifacts, and art. It developed in the ancient civilizations of the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
The ancient Egyptians worshiped a falcon god called Horus and trained raptors on perches are depicted in Egyptian art.
By the second century A.D. falconry had spread into Asia and by the fourth century it had spread further into Europe. Most people’s knowledge of falconry stems from its popularity in medieval Europe and the middle east during the middle ages. It sometimes is called the “sport of kings” because of its association with the ruling classes and royalty of these early societies. With the advent of gunpowder and firearms in the 17th Century, falconry as a means of obtaining food declined. In the early 1900’s falconry was reborn in the U.S. and Europe as hunting sport and its popularity has been increasing ever since.
The Raptors of Falconry
In general the discipline of falconry employs birds from three distinctly different genera of raptors. These include the Accipiters or “shortwings”, the Buteos or “broadwings” and the Falcons or “longwings”. Each group is different in their general ecology, body form, and their use in falconry. To learn more about each type of raptor, click on the silhouette below.
Buteos
The genus Buteo includes numerous hawks or “buzzards” that are very diverse in their size, shape, and plumage. The group is sometimes called the “broadwings” due to their large broad wings that allow them to soar effortlessly on themals. In addition, they have short wide tails, large beaks, strong talons, and heavy feet.
These characteristics help them capture and hold relatively large prey. Though they often hunt from perches, they spend much of their time searching for prey from a soaring position. They have very acute vision with large eyes that can easily spot a field mouse a mile away. Their quarry consists of everything from insects and snakes, to birds and mammals. What is hunted is typicallly a function of what is available, as well as the size and level of experience of the hawk.
In the United States, the Buteos that are most commonly used in falconry include the the Red-tailed Hawk and the Ferruginous Hawk. The Harris’s Hawk is also included in this group although it is actually in the Parabuteo genus. In falconry, Buteos generally hunt from a perched position, following from tree to tree, as the falconer (and sometimes a hunting dog) beats the bushes
Falcons
When people think of falconry, this is the group of raptors that they most often picture. In ancient times it was the falcons and their great hunting abilities that were so highly prized by royalty which lead to the popular phrase “the sport of Kings”.
Falcons are often referred to as “longwings” because of their characteristic long pointed wings. In addition, they also have narrow tails, short rounded beaks, and flat feet with relatively weak talons and long thin toes. While most falcons such as the Peregrine almost exclusively hunt birds, smaller falcons such as the American Kestrel also rely on insects and small mammals to survive. Most hunt from high soaring positions in the sky where upon sighting prey, fold their wings and dive in a “stoop” after their quarry. With stoops in excess of 180 mph the Peregrine Falcon the fastest bird in the world. In most cases the prey is knocked from the air and often killed by the impact of the falcon’s feet. Falcons also have a special notch in their upper beak that can be used to snap the vertebrae of its prey.
Today in the United States there are generally five kinds of falcons that are used in falconry. These include the American Kestrel, the Merlin, the Peregrine Falcon, the Prairie Falcon, and the Gyrfalcon.
As a group, the falcons display a larger variety of plumage than the buteos or accipiters. Colors range from the bright blues and reds of the American Kestrel to the the nearly all white plumage of the Gyrfalcon. Unlike the other groups some falcons also are sexually dimorphic which means that the adult males and females have different plumages.
In falconry, the properly trained falcon is released to establish a high position in the sky where it circles or “waits on” until the falconer or his dog flush prey from the cover below. Unlike Buteos or Accipiters, falcons are not hunted from the fist or from a perch. Hunting with falcons requires a relatively high level of maintenance and training and as a result only more experienced falconers are permitted to possess them.
Many falconers hunt with falcon hybrids acquired from commercial breeders.
Accipiters
In falconry, the “Accipiters” mainly refer to those in the genus Accipiter such as the Northern Goshawk (Gos), the Cooper’s Hawk (Coop) and the Sharp-Shinned Hawk (Sharpie). These hawks mainly are found living in forested areas and their bodies are adapted for hunting in habitats where cover is thick and visibility is limited. These adaptations include short rounded wings and long rudder-like tails that enable them to manuever through deep forest cover in rapid pursuit of game. In falconry, the Accipiters are often called the “shortwings” .
The Accipiters are very similar in their appearance – often making it difficult to tell the difference between species. Adult plumage is generally gray all over with fine black barring on the chest, broad black bands on the tail, white under tail coverts, and red eyes.
The females are about a third larger than the males. Their plumage offers them excellent camouflage in forest evnvironments, where they typically hunt from a perched position. They hunt a variety of game from small birds to medium-sized mammals.
For falconry purposes, the Accipiters require a high level of attention. They tend to be higher-strung than most raptors and require much patience. They generally are trained to hunt directly from the falconer’s fist or by following the falconer from perch to perch.