Welcome back. This is the third and last installment of my interview with Falconer, Jonathan Clarkson.
KMS
Is any breed of raptor bolder than another?
J
Yes —Goshawk’s are very aggressive, and some species of falcons are more aggressive than others. Some falconers like certain falcons over others because of their flight styles. The Red Tail hawk is a very good hunter, plus many like them because of their beauty. It really depends on the falcon or raptor, just like a litter of pups; there are the bold ones and shy ones.
KMS
You spend so much time with your bird, does a bond form between you and the bird?
J
Yes it does, but not as much as you think…we (falconers) all kind of want our birds to love us, like a dog, but they only perform because they know they will get food. Their bond is mostly around the food and game we provide them. As they become better at hunting with you as a team, they learn that you are their partner and you help provide game. There is a species of hawk however, called the Harris Hawk, that is very social and they live in a family group. Most raptors I know are solitary. Even during breeding season, they stick to themselves. The Harris Hawk on the other hand, is a big family group.
KMS
Do hawks then mate for life?
J
Yes most species do, until one dies or is killed. They will use the same nesting sites for many many years too. Often when one of the parents dies, the offspring will come back.
Let me go back to the Harris Hawk, because they live in families, when you take one you can take two and hunt them both or sometimes more. This is called gang hawking, kind of like a wolf pack. These raptors actually form a bond with you. They are very smart, and a lot of falconers like them because they are easy to train. Out of all the hawks, I would say the Harris Hawk builds the biggest bond
KMS
Are raptors considered a bird or is a raptor in its own category?
J
They are a bird, but they are in a group called Falconiforms, (eagles, falcons, hawks, osprey, secretary bird, vultures; class Aves) An order of diurnal birds that have sharp claws and strong hooked bills. They are mainly carnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of animal prey.
There are five families:
Accipitridae …
which are true hawks…hawks, eagles etc.
Falconidae …
Falcons,
Pandionidae …
Osprey
Sagittariidae …
Secretary bird that lives in Africa
Cathartidae …
are the vultures, which are really not considered birds of prey but they classify them together.
Owls are strigiformes
KMS
Tell me a little about Amelia
J
She is a Prairie Falcon captured from the West Desert in Utah. Prairie Falcons are only found in the North American continent. For years, they thought they only lived in the Western Plain State and a little bit of Canada, but now they are finding that they nest deep in to Mexico.
KMS
Do you think that’s just recent?
J
No they probably just didn’t know. There are probably a lot of remote areas no one knows of yet. They believe the biggest population is in the Snake River Valley in Idaho. Falcons nest in rocky cliffs. Sometimes they will use old crows, ravens nests but not usually. Falcons do not build nests, they just lay their eggs in a little scrape. Some on real steep cliff faces. Their habitat is grasslands, prairie, desert, and open spaces.
KMS
In General how many young do they have?
J
This year in the nests they had around five babies, which is a good year. The amount of eggs a Raptor has depends on the prey base.
KMS
Kind of like the wolf population?
J
Yep, all predators are the same in that respect. When there is a abundant food source, predators have a successful year.
KMS
Out of those five eggs, how many usually survive?
J
Rule of thumb, mortality rate is 80%. 80 out of 100 raptors will die before they reach maturity.
KMS
Is that from other predators or different factors?
J
Lots of things. Other predators, competition for food. Not enough food. Harsh weather. A predators life is hard on them.
KMS
At what age do birds of prey start hunting in the wild on their own?
J
Few months, the Prairie falcon fledges at about 8 to 10 weeks.
KMS
Do birds of prey normally only have one brood a year or more?
J
Normally they only have one. Sometimes though rare, if it’s a good year they can have a second.
KMS
How long has Falconry been in existence and where did it start?
J
One debate is that it started in Middle East. There’s also evidence it started in China. We know for sure its at least 4000 years old and that it may be older. I think probably the Middle East is where it started. There is evidence that the Egyptians practiced it and then Japan also. It got very popular again in the Renaissance, well even before that, in the Middle ages. It was for the hierarchy.
Back in the middle ages, different birds signified different classes. The birds the kings didn’t desire were for the peasants. They were very strict too. If you were caught with a bird out of you class designation they would cut your hands off. It was a very big social status, mostly for the rich. As you look through history, it was mostly a sport for the higher class.
KMS
How do these birds fit into the hierarchy of the animal world and who are their predators.
J
Different species have different predators. An Eagles predator would be other Eagles or man —man is their biggest predator. For the small raptures, their predators would be Eagles and Owls. Most all raptors who are diurnal, fear Owls. Because Owls are a nocturnal predator that hunt at night, and take a lot of young birds and many adult birds when they are sleeping. Prairie Falcons, for example, if they see an owl in the daytime, they will try to kill it.
KMS What do raptors eat?
J
Prairie Falcons or other birds of prey?
KMS…
Any bird of prey
J
Some birds have specialized diets such as some Kytes which is a small falcon. The Snail Kyte that lives in Florida, live only on a certain snail. That would be an example of a specialized diet. Osprey, mostly eat fish. Bald Eagles, eat fish and will eat carrion and dead animals if they have to. Most of them are opportunists, they will take the opportunity to get any kind of food they can get.
KMS
Will falcons or hawks eat anything that is dead?
J
Not usually. But I have seen Red Tails in the winter eat road kill. Usually though, that’s only if they are injured or it’s a hard winter and they are hungry. If they are starving, they are not dumb; they know they need to eat. In the wild, Falcons mostly eat birds. During breeding and hatching season they will change their diet, to rodents and other small game. But when they are hunting for themselves in the wild, the falcon is adapted at catching birds. Red Tails, (buteo) will hunt rodents, some birds and reptiles. Eagles would be the same, mostly rodents, but they can also catch birds.
KMS
You told me that Prairie Falcons hits speeds of 200 MPH. How do they catch their prey?
J
They will bind to them in the air, which means they will impact with their feet, called raking (strike hard and rake its longer talon across the preys back). Some birds will just clutch their prey, take them to the ground and if they are not dead, sever their spine with the notch on their beak that I mentioned earlier. All birds of prey have that notched tooth in their head that when used kills their prey instantly.
KMS
So actually then, the bird of prey is a humane hunter.
J
I guess we as human would consider it to be humane but I think its natures way of equipping them with hunting and taking their prey quickly without getting hurt. The whole point is to kill something. Many times their prey is at least the same size or larger than they are, and if there is a struggle, they could get hurt.
KMS
So when I see a bird of prey carrying a rabbit or something away, they’ve killed it before they carry it away.
J
Usually. But the only bird that could really fly away with a rabbit is an Eagle. A very large Red Tail might be able to carry a rabbit a short distance, because a rabbit weighs at least a couple of pounds. Something that size they will usually eat on the ground.
KMS
How long do birds of prey live ?
J
They can live a long time. There is a famous Eagle in captivity, who is still alive that is about 80 years old. Red Tails are known to live up to 40 years in captivity. In the wild, approx 20 years.
KMS
You mentioned some words before, such as feaking?
J
Yes Feaking is when they are done eating they wipe their beak off.
There are many falconry related words, such as Cadger.The old Hag. Hag refers to the term haggard, which is an adult raptor with adult plume. Cadger…is the person who carried the falconry ‘cadge’. A crate in medieval times that held many falcons at one time. The Cadge would carry the crate with the birds for the kings and the knights to the hunting grounds. So …the term come on you old cadger, came from that.
KMS
I’ve watched you with Amelia since you’ve been here in NY for a visit and you fly her every day.
J
Yes…and its still not as much as I fly her at home. That’s why yesterday she was a little bit excitable and did not come as quick as she usually does when I asked her to come in. She’s use to more fly time. Can’t blame her, she’s a bird, she loves to fly.
Some guys get so involved and because falconry is so time consuming, they loose their jobs, get divorced, all because of the time it takes. But you need to spend this time to make sure your bird is in tip top shape and in good health. In the wild they hunt and kill something every day, so not only do you need to take the time to train them but you have to take the time to hunt with them. You have to find places where they can actually hunt. So that means if you live in the city, you have to take them somewhere they can hunt.
KMS
As you with Amelia. She is not old enough to hunt on her own, so you have to do her hunting for her while she is in training and make sure she gets all the proper nutrients she would get out in the wild, correct.
J
Yep exactly, I am her parents. I need to take care of her as they would. They have to eat wild game; they can’t just eat bird foods. There are certain nutrients and fats they only get in wild game that they need. If and when you capture a raptor to train, you also have to go through a legal process, put up facilities that have to be inspected and follow certain codes. Its not just catch a raptor, and then treat it like a parakeet you buy at the store.
KMS
What would you tell someone wanting to become a falconer?
J
We come across that a lot during falconry shows. People watch us, think they like it and want to do it. But we always tell them…it takes a LOT of time. I can’t stress that enough, the time it takes. You have to have a lot of spare time or make sure you MAKE the time. You can’t capture a bird, put it in a cage then expect it to perform. Falconry is not pet keeping. If you want a bird for a pet, I tell people get a parrot. Again, raptors are not pets. Make sure its what you want to do. Go spend some time with a falconer and see the time it takes before you go and catch a raptor. Spend time with some one who bands birds, anything to get to know the raptor better.
Its important you understand the commitment it takes. You have to be fair to the birds. Its a must you take the time and know what you will be getting in to when you become a falconer.
My wife and I will be having a baby in Dec. and I’m not sure what I will do. Though I would love to be a falconer full time, having a family, a home and taking care of them will not allow that. Like I said…it is VERY time consuming. And it’s time you have to spend, not always time you want to spend. So just make sure you are willing to commit all you have to it before you enter in to it.
These birds, (birds of prey) truly are amazing and they deserve nothing but respect.
It is not something anyone should take lightly.
A Note of Thanks to Jonathan and Amelia for letting me get up close and personal.
I learned a lot and having Amelia fly so close to me that I could feel the silent air from her wings on my legs, was a dream come true.
To you Amelia, I say thank you, may your wings take you to new heights.
Jonathan, Thank-you for giving me an experience of a life time.
May you both fly with wings of Freedom
Kellie
Post Note;
December 12th I found out that Jonathan and Amelia competed in a tournament and kicked, butt, or maybe better said in falcon terms…they kicked tail feathers.
Yeahhhhh Amelia….Great things come in small packages! Amelia is living proof of that.
Amelia says have a bit of fun
Try a few questions from the New York State Falconry Examination Manual! Passing the Falconry Exam is one of the requirements for obtaining a falconer's license to be able to hunt with a trained bird of prey. These questions are from the 2001 manual the Department of Environmental Conservation gives out as a study guide, but all of these answers are still correct.
Now don’t peak at the answers until you’ve read all the questions.
1. Which bird is most likely to require a plucking log or stump near its nesting site?
a. Red-tailed hawk
b. Goshawk
c. Kestrel
d. Harris' Hawk
2. True or false. Most Buteos make good hawking birds.
3. The term "gang hawking" is associated with
a. Goshawks
b. Merlins
c. Harris' Hawks
d. Red-tails
4. Indicate the species that is not a true eagle (Aquila)
a. Bald Eagle
b. Golden Eagle
c. Tawny Eagle
d. Walberg's Eagle
Bonus question:
True or false. There is no sexual dimorphism in the Red-tailed Hawk.
Answers and explanations from the manual.
1. b. The plucking log is characteristic of Goshawk nesting sites. It is very noticeable at some sites. It is usually a large, fallen tree on which the male stands while plucking prey. This plucking site is always present, but sometimes it is as much as a quarter mile from the nest. Goshawks also appear to require permanent water near the nest site, usually a lake or river with a sloping beach used for bathing.
2. False. Of the ten species of North American buteos or buzzards, most are noted for laziness and lack of spirit compared to other predatory birds of similar size. Most of the species live on insects and small rodents and so are of considerable value to agriculture, but of little use to falconers. The two largest members of the group, the highly spirited Ferruginous and Red-tailed Hawks, are the exceptions.
3. c. "Gang hawking" or "social hawking" involves a group of falconers or hawkers in the field all at the same time and flying collectively at the same quarry. Harris' hawks lend themselves to gang hawking because of their social nature. At some falconry meets it is possible to see up to 15 Harris' hawks in the field with dozens of hawkers and beaters at once.
4. a. There are 70 species of Aquilas or true eagles. The Bald Eagle is not one of them. The Bald Eagle is a sea eagle (Haliaeetus) of which there are many speices of world-wide distribution. All feed on fish to some extent, some species are strictly fish-eaters. The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) of North America is listed as an endangered species in most of the lower 48 states. Neither the Bald Eagle nor the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) may be used for falconry in New York.
Bonus: (Sexual dimorphism is the difference in form between male and female members of the same species.)
False. In addition to being much larger and heavier, the hens, generally, though not always, have larger more powerful thighs and feet, broader and larger heads, wide wings and a blockier overall build. As to behavior, the tiercels (males) are somewhat more spirited but also more temperamental. The hens more readily "crash" heavy cover in pursuit of quarry but they lack the quickness and aerial dexterity of the tiercel.
Go here for Glossary of falconry terms
http://www.americanfalconry.com/Glossary.html
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