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ontariohawkingclub.org
Sharpie caught in Dave Ascott’s trap. Dave Ascott photo.
President’s Message By Martin Gelynse
Editor’s Note By Yukio Yamada
Review
The Passage Merlin By Rob Conohan
Beach Trapping By Eric Edwards
Dark-phase Red-tail
Observations of the Harris’s Chick By Carole Precious
Longwinging It in Saskatchewan By Ulrich Watermann
Product Review By Mark Williams Nutrition and Training By Scott Craig Photo Gallery
Apprentice Workshop By Tom Goldsmith
Kitchener-Waterloo Peregrines By Dave Doughty
Book Review By Yukio Yamada
Lazy Falconry By Louise Engel
Ontariohawkingclub.org
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Cover photo: Golden Eagle X Harris’
By Yukio Yamada
Last issue cover
photo was
by Rob Conohan
and not Mark
Adam as reported.
2012 The Imprint 3
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Martin Gelenyse
Since 1984, one of the Ontario Hawking Club’s most important objectives has been to secure a safe legal environment for falconry that
includes the use of wild birds of prey. This year we achieved that
objective and so much more! Things started with a bang in January
when the Ministry of Natural Resources formally announced their
acceptance of the new wild-take policy. Although we did not get
everything we asked for, this was a huge step forward for falconry
and represented the culmination of years and years of effort by the
Club on many levels.
After the announcement, I had the very pleasant task of writing
thank you letters to the current and former Ministers of Natural Resources and the MNR staff that were instrumental in developing the policy and guiding it through the process. Compared to the whirlwind of activity in 2011 surrounding the EBR posting I thought things would settle down quickly, but something totally
unexpected happened! After years of caution regarding wild take, it seems the MNR became very excited
about this new program and its implications. We were contacted about doing a falconry cover for the Hunting Regulations, which by now I am sure you have all seen. Shortly afterward we were asked to help staff a
large falconry display in the MNR’s booth at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show. Thousands of people learned
about falconry including the new wild-take policy – so much for flying under the radar!
In May, the OHC, along with NAFA and other Canadian falconry clubs put together a booth and display
at the National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Congress in Ottawa. For four days we presented falconry to
a national audience of wildlife managers and had opportunities to meet with officials from several provinces
and the Canadian Wildlife Service to discuss a variety of falconry issues. We met both current and former
Ministers and presented them with a token of our appreciation.
With all this press and high-level attention, falconry sudden has a very elevated profile. This is a good
thing as it means falconry is becoming “main stream”. It also means that we have to step up and make sure
we build on the momentum. One example of this was partnering with the MNR to develop a random draw
allocation system for the permits, developing the software and then executing the draw. Another example is
the first apprenticeship workshop held in August for 35 prospective falconers.
As a Club, we have worked hard for many years on many levels. We have established excellent working
relationships across the board and built a positive reputation for falconry. So many members have contributed over the years that I could not begin to thank all of you here, except to say that your efforts have made
the OHC the most effective falconry organization in the country.
I am sure the wild take means something different to each one of you. I would like to leave you with my
perspective on why it is so important by including an excerpt from the thank you letters I wrote to the MNR
staff that helped make this dream a reality:
“Working together we have preserved something ancient and unique, and allowed an extraordinary bond
with wildlife to persist in a modern world that is increasing losing touch with nature. Furthermore, this
achievement … defies the notion that we must be separate from nature in order to value or protect it.
That is public service in the best sense of the word.”
Enjoy your hawking season, and for those lucky ones who got permits, good luck trapping!
Martin Geleynse
4 The Imprint 2012
Of the Falconer
Top: Maya Basdeo and Martin Geleynse presents Falconry: Celebrating a
Living Heritage to Minister of Natural Resources Micheal Gravelle at the
National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Congress in Ottawa, May 2012.
Above: Martin Geleynse presents the book to former Minister Linda Jeffrey
her Trillium Dinner fund raiser in May 2012.
The Ontario Hawking Club
President
Martin Geleynse,
[email protected]
Vice-president
Simon Etherington,
[email protected]
Secretary/Treasurer
Louise Engel
Directors
Gary Selinger
Jim Wilson
Dion Thomson
Editor
Yukio Yamada
[email protected]
The IMPRINT is the newsletter
of the Ontario Hawking Club.
Design & production
by the Harris Media Group.
harrismediagroup.ca
General contact:
[email protected]
www.ontariohawkingclub.org
He ought to be of great strength to bear the fatique of ascending hills, wading over rivers, pressing through thickets and of
surmounting the other difficulties that may be in his way. Agility
is also requisite, that he may be able to attend his hawks in their
flight and serve them with game, while they are hanging over his
head in the air in keen expectation of it. As they will often outfly
his outmost speed, his voice should be full, clear and loud, in
order to be heard at a distance and to bring them back to the
destined scene of diversion. They demand great regularity in their
food and exercises, and he may be seldon tempted to neglect it,
he must be methodical and temperate in his way of living. His love
of the sport must be very intense, to animate him to undergo, undaunted, the numberless inconveniences of attendence, weather
and soil, wherewith it is generally accompanied. This will make it
his main pleasure to be always with his hawks, training them to
obedience, correcting their faults and consulting their health and
beauty. To do these things effectually, he must understand their
temper and constitution and ought to possess much patience and
mildness in the application of his knowledge. Hawks under the
management of a man thus qualified, will be always in good order
for flying, exhibit the greatest boldness and address in chasing
their prey, give the highest pleasure to the beholders of their motions and do just honor to the skill and attention of their keeper.
- James Campbell in A Treatise of Modern Falconry 1773.
2012 The Imprint
EDITOR’S NOTES
Yukio Yamada
The Imprint is going “green.” We are building the
under-utilized OHC website. This is very exciting as
the OHC member will be connected like never before.
New possibilities include; a members-only section that
is password-protected, a news section, a bulletin board,
relevant links, new product reviews, video and pics of
great slips. In time, it will be possible to download the
Field Meet’s Keynote speaker’s presentation. These are
just some of the features of this digital portal.
The OHC website team is being developed. Louise
Engel, Gary Selinger and Martin Gelynse are active and
they will be joined by Liz Dubas and Tom Goldsmith.
Liz is one of few falconers with the where-with-all to
bring her camera into the field. Tom is a great illustrator and writer. He has provided much artwork for The
Imprint including this issue and is also the hunting dog columnist for Ontario OUT OF DOORS magazine.
Talk to any of the people mentioned if you have anything to “bring to the table” for the website.
The Imprint has been published for several years and it has met its objectives - to raise the club’s profile
and to provide a communication tool for members. Yah, there were some typos (spelling errers) and not
everyone agreed with everything in the magazine. But it is said, “if its in-print its history.” Welcome to the
digital age of instant communications. As for the mag’s first objective - The OHC has a very high profile
with falconers second to none.
Finally, I thank all the contributers to this magazine and the tireless efforts of those who are dedicated
to improving the club and Ontario falconry. OHC members are quick to assist other members and are very
generous as can been seen by the quality and quantity of donations to the Field Meet’s raffle.
I also thank the advertisers to the magazine for their support and product donations to the Field Meets.
The OHC cordially invite the advertisers to our Field Meets to see Ontario birds in action. We will offer
online banner ads and we will contact you about this. You maybe able to have print ads as the OHC is considering publishing an annual or special one-off issue. The Imprint could not have been published without
the support of Rob McCallum and Delphax (www.delphax.com). This falconry-friendly company printed
the inside pages at no charge.
It has been my privilege and honour to serve as your editor and I look forward to getting in the field
with you. Good hunting.
6 The Imprint 2012
Marshall Telemetry
ad
2012 The Imprint
REVIEW
OHC president Martin Geleynse was acknowledged for his tireless work
handling the club’s affairs and enhancing the sport of falconry in Ontario.
Dave Doughty (left) presented Geleynse with a framed peregrine print as
a token of appreciation from the club at the 2011 Field Meet.
The OHC was invited to be a part of the MNR booth at the
2011 Sportsmen’s Show. Members spreading postive PR
were; Martin Geleynse, Dave Doughty, Ken Roczniak,
Colleen Simmons, Bronco Bob, Tom Goldsmith,
Doug Wilson, Dave House and Dion Thomson.
Top left: Dave House explains the differences between
falcons and hawks. Bottom left: Dion Thomson dazzles
show goers.
Every September for the past 11 years, Dion Thomson
and OHC members have volunteered to provide falconry
demos for kids and parents at the Luther Marsh Kids’
Day. This event is put on by the Grand River Conservation
Authority. Approximately 280 kids attended September
2012. The kids saw flying peregrines, red-tails and HH’s.
Right bottom: Rudy Krupa allowed kids to hold his HH.
Far right: Coordinator Dion Thomson captivates the
audience with his long-wing. There is a volunteer appreciation dinner later in the month. Contact Thomson to get
involved in next year’s Kids’ Day.
8 The Imprint 2012
Liz Dubas photos
Luther Marsh
Kids’ Day
Thank you to the Donors for the
Field Meet Raffle
2010
Western Sporting
1 Rollins Dutch Hood w/exterior stitching & Gortex braces.
1 leash (KC) Dacron Tethering System
1 Leash (MC) Nylon Hawk Tethering System - Leash
extender, swivel & jesses
1 DVD - Raising the Imprint Goshawk
1 Nelson Darted -Dutch Hood
1 Glove: Goat Skin, Short Cuff
1 Glove: Cowhide, heavy duty
1 Logo hat
1 Leather Conditioner
Mikes Falconry Supplies
1 Transmitter signal finder
1 Cow Hide Gauntlet, Medium Cuff
1 Raptor casting jacket XL
1 Raptor casting jacket medium
Pure Fishing - Cam Thomson
1 Fenwick Fly Rod, Reel & Case, 1 Fly line
1 Abu Garcia Spinning Rod & Abu Garcia Cardinal 301
Spinning Reel
1 Shakespeare UglyStik Spincasting Combo
Ericka and Erik Copeland - Gift basket
Dave House - Cargo Shrit and Hat, Equator Bells
Dion Thomson - 6 sets braided leashes
Hauser Industries - 2 Gift Baskets
Davidson Falconry - 2 pairs squirl chaps 3 pairs anklets
3 pairs leather jesses
Jeff Wiltshire - Falconry logbook CTC $25 Gift Card
Carmelo Cannova - Peregrine hood
Lily Postl - Vulture Book
Rudy Kruppa - Buffalo Horn Carving
Aaron Putnins - $70 LCBO Gift Card
Faris Alfaris - 4 Hoods
Doug Wilson - 2 Starfrit Scales, Right Handed Glove
Bill Balko - Astro Turf
Tina and Rob Boyd - 2 Mark’s Work warehouse gift cards
Paul Smith - Photo of Harris, Fishing Rod
Dave Doughty - Indian Jones Hat
Ed Pitcher - Book The Fying of Falcons
Jim Wilson - 3 Hoods, 2 Bird Vitamins, Natural Honey
Steve Shute - Tail saver perch
John deJager - Bow Perch
Dale Montgomery - Backpack
Carole Precious - Vitamin Supplements
Ken Roczniak - Spot Light
Joe Stocco - Binoculars, Tiercel hood
Mickey Miyoshi - Knife, Decals, Whistles,Decals Germany
Yukio Yamada - Scotch
2011
Western Sporting
2 books, DVD bells, chap grease
2 hoods, 2 lease & jesses, glove hat
Mikes Falconry Supplies
2 Squirrel chaps & large hawking bag
Dale Montgomery - Back Pack
David Banel - Honey Basket
Manuel Costa - Glove
Gary Selinger - 3 Shop Cuts
Gord Selinger - Recharge Flashlight
Yukio Yamada - Fishing Tackle
Ben Woodruff - 2 Books & 2 lures
Aaron Putrins - 2 Keg gift certificates
Dion Thompson - 6 braided gay leashes
Hauser Industries - BBQ Basket
Paul Smith- Harris’s Print
Darren Smith - 2 gift coupons for Medieval times
Louise Engel - Tee shirt
Tyler Grist - Camo Bag - 2 skull caps
Mike Robertson - Bird book, shirt and hat
Audrey Marquis - Book (photographs of birds)
Rob & Tina Boyd - 2 baskets, 2 gift cards, 3 socks
Mel Denis - Framed print
Rudy Kruppa - Book,encyclopedia, NA birds hat
Colleen Simmons - Solar light
Faris AlFaris- Box of hoods & $150. from sales
Bill Balkos - Goalie mask-Jim Rutherford
Doug Wilson - 3 weigh scales
Urzula Korolczuk - Slingshot
Mark Adam - Framed print
Ken Roczniak - Falconry Journal
Joe Stocco - Binoculars, tool set, winchester
Steve Shute - Hood
Simon Etherington - Leather hunting bag
Dominic DeCarlo - 6 live pigeons
Maya Basdeo - Saskatoon Berry kit
Barry Davidson/ Davidson’s Falconry - 3 leather
jesses, hood, 2 squirrels chaps.
NAFA - badges and pins
John deJager - Hand-carved bufflehead decoy
2011 Keynote speaker Ben Woodruff
who spoke about raptor trapping.
2010 Field Meet Keynote speaker,
Ed Pitcher who spoke about his book
The Flying of Falcons.
There were several others who donated anomalously.
2012 The Imprint 9
REVIEW
Liz Dubas photos
Yukio Yamada photo
2012 Field meet
The Red-tail bolted off the branch, hard
pumped her wings for a couple hundred
metres and stooped – crashing into cover.
Beautiful. The bunny gave her the slip.
That flight alone was worth the price of
admission to the Red-tail-themed 2012
Field Meet in Woodstock. The Meet poster
has an incredible Red-tail photo be Steve
Dickson and keynote speaker Gary Brewer
talked of Redtails. Couldn’t ask for better
weather on November 16 -17 with highs
of 11 degrees with little wind and partly
cloudy skies. The long and short-wingers
did well with ducks, crows and rabbits.
Master bird trapper Martin Wernarrt gave
a trapping talk Friday night. This year’s
venue was at the Quality Inn in Woodstock
and the facilities were superb as was the
dinner. 93 people attended the sold-out
dinner. The raffle table was again stocked
with generous donations and Jim Wilson
donated a peregrine for the silent auction.
The raffle table raised $2,510.00 and the
highest bid for the peregrine was $850.
Thank you to all the volunteers who made
the 2012 Field Meet exceptional.
10 The Imprint 2012
Top left: Tom Goldsmith and
his 2nd-year female RT. Above
and left: Ken Roczniak’s
peregrine showed onlookers
why it is the master of the sky.
2012 Donors
Martin Wernaart is a highly experienced waterfowl and raptor bander. Every fall he operates a raptor
banding station on the north shore of Lake Erie near Long Point and bands a wide variety of hawks,
falcons and occasionally eagles! On Friday evening Martin Wernaart gave a fascinating presentation
on raptor migration and his banding experiences. His talk focused on trapping techniques, migration
timing, and also touched on band recoveries.
Above: Martin Geleynse got a standing “O”
for his tireless work in improving Ontario
falconry. Left: Colleen Simmons (left) and
Louise Engel (right) were acknowledged
for their work with the OHC and in setting
up the Apprenticeship Workshop and the
Field Meets.
Louise Engel 2 bottles of wine
Gord Selinger 2 scales
Erika Copeland First aid kit for Falconers
Mike Robertson Hood, Rod Tender, Knife
F & D Hoesterey 2 Gauntlets, 1 Hawking Bag
Dion Thomson 7 Sets of Jesses and Leashes,
2 sets of anklet templates
John DeJager Lined Gauntlet
Marzo Black Gauntlet
Yukio Kite
David Bond Candles, 1 Honey
Nathan Hyland Leather Punch
Ken Roczniak Multi Tool
Darren Smith Medieval Times Hoodie
Joe Stocco Binoculars, Precision Knife Set
Urszula Korolczuk Falconry T-Shirt
Tina Boyd 2 x $25.00 Tim Hortons Cards
Mark Adam Peregrine Falcon on Hun Print
Simon Etherington Gyr Falcon Picture
Adam & Robyn Lambert Bird Feeder,
$30.00 Gift Card for TSC
Rudy Kruppa Game scissors, Eagle Carving
Hugh Metcalfe Great Horned Owl Pencil
Drawing Print
Goran Canadic 1 Bottle of Plum Brandy
Dave Ascott Falconry Apprentice Kit
Dale Montgomery BBQ set, Hunting hat
and gloves
Doug Wilson 1 Bottle of Crown Royal
Carole Precious 3 Bottle of Vitamins,
1 pheasant hunting excursion
Nat Chiodo 1 Bottle of Grey Goose Vodka
Marshall Radio Telemetry Medium Track Pak,
2 Hats, 2 T-Shirts, 2 Crimping tools, $50.00
Gift Certificate
Davidson’s Falconry 3 Sets of Anklets, 3 Sets
of Jesses, 1 Set of Squirrel Chaps
NAFA NAFA Posters (6)
Northwoods Falconry 1 Hawking Bag
Mikes Falconry 1 Hawking Bag, 5 Sets
of Jesses
OFAH Four 1- Year Ontario Out of Doors
subscriptions
Aaron Putnins 4 French Snaps
Cam Thomson Pure Fishing Pflueger spinning
and fly rod set.
Jim Wilson 1 Peregrine Falcon
Mark Perkins
with his donation
of a hand-crafted
Mongolian
recurve bow. The
bow was won bu
Rob Boyd.
2012 The Imprint
11
REVIEW
Gary Brewer on Red-tails
“This is the first time that I’ve been north of the border” said
Brewer with his Texas drawl. “This is great. I am so honoured
to be here.” he said. In his easy-goin-way, Brewer talked about
Red-tails and entertaining marriage tips.
“The Red-tail is the workhorse of American falconry” he said.
He believes that falconers have yet to realize the potential in
Red-tails. He said that there is no such thing as Red-tail bad behaviour. The bird just does it. The bird’s surroundings and thus
various stimuli brings out different behaviour. The falconer must
understand how behaviour is generated through stimulus as the
bird is always communicating with the falconer.
He discussed his Red-tail training techniques. He freelofts
his bird and has 16 inches between the perch and window. His
perches are high because the bird prefers to be looking down.
Make sure that the door opens to the outside because the bird
will try to fly to the top of the door when the door is being
closed.
2012 Field Meet keynote speaker
His weight management is give ot take a quarter ounce. The
Initial Response Weight for a newly-trapped female is established by taking ten percent off her empty weight (Optimum
Weight). Wait 48 hours to get the Optimum Weight if the bird
has a crop or 24 hours if the bird has a casting.
He flies her on a 25-foot creance (total 50 feet flying distance). The bird flies for three times. Then she flies free. He
calls her immediately with a tidbit before she settles on a branch
and gets her bearings.
He also uses a lure and a hood. When the bird is on the lure,
he moves his hand in and out and around so she gets used to his
hand. Brewer said that that the falconer must be sensitive to her
time frame and move in after she starts plucking. Then the bird
can be traded off.
He believes that the female is superior to the male because of
its superior strength. “I fell in love with the red-tail, and to this
day, I believe them to be the best birds in falconry” he said.
Ben Woodruff on Trapping
2011 Field Meet keynote speaker
The 2011 Field Meet Keynote speaker presented
various techniques on trapping raptors. Woodruff has
written and illustrated Trapping Essentials.
His book provides info on; nooses, Bal-chatri, harnesses, Dho-ghaza, Phai, Bownet and Stationary traps.
Woodruff provides his methods for obtaining bait
for the traps and personal trapping ancedotes. One of
those stories includes his entire head being engulfed by
a pelican and trapping three red-tails at the same time
on one pigeon. Hey, Woodruff why don’t you or your
apprentice carry a camera and send your pics to us at:
ontariohawkingclub.org
Trapping Essentials is published by Western Sporting.
Check: westernsporting.com and mikesfalconry.com
Illustrations by Woodruff from Trapping Essentials. Left: pigeon harness.
Above: raptor secured with pantyhose. Transport bird chest down. Right: starling harness.
12 The Imprint 2012
The Passage Merlin
Story and Photography By Rob Conohan
T
he passage Merlin is
an amazing falcon. She
tames quickly, is easy
to handle and best of all she’s
a spectacular hunter capable of
astonishing agility, speed and
determination. By the time she
is in your hands she has already
learned how to use the wind,
developed her own specialized
hunting style and knows how
to avoid predators which is unlike an eyass.
2012 marks an exciting new
era for the sport of falconry in
Ontario – the wild take. This luxury has been afforded to almost
every other jurisdiction in North America where our sport is
regulated. As a result, falconers in these areas have been able to
gain experience and learn from each other, resulting in a stronger knowledge base from years of experience on how to best
successfully hunt passage birds in a particular region. It’s exciting to think what Ontario falconers may be able to achieve as
they continue to discover and learn about their newly acquired
wild birds. It’s a wonderful time to be a falconer in Ontario.
Originally from the Ottawa area, I flew Harris’ hawks and
later goshawks before moving to California four years ago.
Since that time, I have been fortunate enough to surround myself with some expert Merlin falconers who have shared their
decades of knowledge. I am in no means an expert on Merlins
and I am learning all the time. So far, I have successfully flown
one female (flying weight of 200 grams) and two jacks (flying at
150 grams). This is my attempt to share some of those experiences with you.
A few days of heavy rain had left a favorite sparrow field
muddy and full of standing water, perfect for snipe. As I approached a muddy shoreline a lone snipe burst from my feet and
gave the characteristic “SCAAIP” call as it flew off. I thought
that there had to be more than one. I un-hooded “V”, my dark
passage female Merlin and she quickly mounted up above me.
When she was in position, I ran in, clapping my hands, wildly
thrashing and stomping about, hoping to flush up another bird
from the mud. My efforts worked as I heard the beautiful alarm
call of another fleeing snipe. I looked up to see my falcon folding over and powering down in a shallow stoop. She came down
in tight cork-screw dive and smacked the fleeing shorebird in a
puff of feathers. The Snipe however was un-phased and proceeded
to fly towards the horizon with my
Merlin in hot pursuit. I pulled my
binoculars up and watched them
fly off out of sight over a busy road
and into a business area. A sense
of amazement from the power and
determination of the Merlin and a
sense of helplessness of my current
situation hit me. With the help of
telemetry, I found her a short while
later with a full crop and a half
eaten snipe in her feet. She chased
that bird more than a mile and a
half. She was never going to give up until it was in her talons.
At the suggestion of my experienced falconer friends I had
been using a fast track approach when training Jacques (after
Villeneuve the F1 driver). It’s said that you should try and get
your Merlin on the wing and over wild quarry as soon as possible while they still have some wildness and are still in strong
condition. If you spend too much time training the bird to the lure they
will become “soft” – flying about you at a low pitch or worse,
landing, waiting for the lure to be thrown. I had trapped Jacques
not more then ten days before, and today was going to be his
first free flight. I had done the creance training and given him
bagged sparrows on a string to reinforce the make-in processes
and wanted to get some wild birds under him. The idea was
to allow him to take to the sky and as he circled around, flush
some birds to get his attention. He would then turn to chase the
quarry flushing at my feet before they dumped into the cover. As
he climbed away again, I would flush more to keep him interested in staying overhead. As he turns back my way I would throw
out a sparrow on a string for him to catch, positively reinforcing
my purpose in the field as his helper.
The session was going to be short and sweet. The field I
selected was perfect – lots of birds and high cover for them to
escape into. I had a young lady alongside who I was eager to
impress. Jacques had been fairly predictable to date so I was
not too concerned about looking foolish. I removed the jesses
from his anklets and walked ahead confidently. I paused and
slipped the hood from his head. He looked around nervously,
continued on page 14
2012 The Imprint 13
Rob Conohan with his
light-guage feathered
shotgun. This jack
flies at 150 grams.
Since 1984
HUNDREDS OF FALCONRY AND
RAPTOR CARE PRODUCTS
We also breed Gyrfalcons, Peale’s & Anatum Peregrines,
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Give us a call at 1-800-446-3212 or 360-446-3212
Check out our web site at northwoodsfalconry.com
Email: [email protected]
Quality Gloves
RR#2 Rockwood Ontario N0B2K0
www.hidesinhand.com
519-856-4505
14 The Imprint 2012
PASSAGE MERLIN
continued from page 13
bobbing his head and scanning the horizon with his large, dark
eyes for potential prey. He stared far off into the distance not
interested in the countless sparrows flicking about at our feet.
With a quick rouse and a mute he was off, pumping hard for
the horizon. I thought “ugh oh...looks like he’s heading for the
pacific...this isn’t good.” But I didn’t dare say it. His flight was
direct and filled with purpose. Did he see something he wanted
to chase? Remaining calm and pretending like this was part of
the plan, I watched him as he shrunk into a smaller dot into the
sky. I pulled out his beloved lure and started swinging it to get
his attention. He was still climbing, up and away. Then at about
two hundred feet up and too far out to tell what exactly was happening, the dot that was my Merlin dodged to the left and then
to the right, then started sailing back to the earth. “I think he just
caught something!” my friend yelled out. “I think your right!” I
excitedly replied.
He had blasted off the fist with the intent of catching a bird
cruising by far up in the sky. Jacques at least had the courtesy
to fly back in our direction before diving into one of the many
rows of the immense, covered raspberry fields which bordered
this hunting area. With the help of my telemetry, I was able to
locate him. He was plucking his prey. However, the failing winter light and covered rows made it difficult to spot him. I slowly
crawled up on my belly with a freshly opened sparrow in my
hand. I would inch forward when he took a bite and stop when
he stopped, ready to offer a tid-bit and pick him up. Then when I
was inches from securing his prey, he bolted into the darkness of
the raspberry rows. “s@&t!!!” my friend tried to help locate him
for a bit but had a prior engagement so had to leave. This was
going from bad to worse.
Dejected, muddy and grumpy I finally gave up well after dark.
All was fine the next day as he was located the next morning
and retrieved easily. As for the girl, lets just leave that one
alone. Jacques turned into a steady partner and strong flying
game hawk. He was released back into the wild after a successful season.
It is important to note that although some Merlins can be difficult to pick up when they are with prey and will have a tendency
to carry. With patience and conditioning most tame down nicely
and let you pick them up with no problems.
By Eric Edwards
Beach Trapping
When it comes to trapping merlins on the beach the Dhogazza reigns supreme. I carry a variety of net sizes with me
when I head out trapping but I typically use a pair of three
foot by six foot nets arranged in a shallow “V”, with the point
of the “V” aiming north (or the direction the merlins are
coming from). Some situations may call for different configurations like a three-sided “backstop” but the “V” rarely
fails me and makes the nets harder to see.
Each corner of the net is cable-tied to a small steel ring,
these rings then slide onto half-inch galvanized conduit
poles. The top rings have two-inch long pieces of monofilament tied to them. I attach a wooden clothespin to the top
of each pole to act as the trigger mechanism. The clothespin
holds the piece of monofilament, holding the net up. When
the bird hits the net the monofilament pulls free from the
pins and the rings slide to the ground collapsing the net on
the merlin.
The lure bird pole is placed in the corner of the “V” and
the lure bird is given just enough line to reach the ground.
Next, I have a pole, straight back, twenty feet from the first
pole, with an eyebolt at the top. I run my lure line from the
lure bird, through this eyebolt and back to the blind. This
allows me to position my bait bird exactly in the center of
the nets and it’s not necessary for my blind to be directly
behind the nets.
The English sparrow is the best bait bird and I use a lure
pigeon on a separate pole about ten feet from the nets. The
pole for your lure pigeon should be at least 10ft high so you
can get the pigeon high into the air. The pigeon is used to
lure in birds from a distance, once the bird is close enough
to see the sparrow drop the pigeon and bring the merlin
in to the sparrow. It’s important for the pigeon to be out of
sight when it’s dropped, either into tall grass if available or
you can even provide a bucket for it to hide in or dig a hole
for the pigeon to hide in. Otherwise the merlin may keep
coming at the pigeon and never see the sparrow.
The background is the most important element for
success. It’s very important to make sure you have a dark
background. Stand about five feet away from your nets, on
the side the merlin will be coming from, and get down on
your hands and knees so you can see what the merlin will
see. If you see sky behind the nets they are too visible. You
need a dark background to make the nets disappear. If you
don’t have such a natural background available there are a
few props you can take with you. I have several small arti-
ficial Christmas trees I carry with me and I have found the
best and easiest solution is camouflaged cloth stretched
between two poles
Hunting
Lets get one thing straight, although merlins and kestrels
appear similar in size, as predators they could not be more
different. A good friend of mine and experienced Merlin
falconer provided me with the perfect analogy, “Mother
Nature took both birds, put a VW engine in the kestrel and
a Porsche engine in the Merlin”. Any thoughts of hunting a
Merlin in the way you hunt a kestrel should be abandoned
if you want to see the true potential of this bird. Merlins are
extremely determined, persistent and have the ability to
show tremendous speed in a stoop as well as level flight.
Here in Southern California, Jacks are quite popular.
When provided with the correct opportunities they give wonderfully sporting flights at sparrow sized birds from a pitch.
They have also been known to take larger prey (I had a Jack
take a snipe which flushed as I was running in to flush a
sparrow), but these quarries are best left for the female. I
suspect that she would be the better choice for falconers
in Ontario due the difficulty in finding smaller quarry during
the winter months. Although typically less co-operative in
providing a classic waiting-on flight, she has the potential
to catch anything from sparrows to starlings, doves and
pigeons.
I can’t wait to see what Ontario falconers achieve with
these birds in the coming years.
Eric Edwards is a well known Merlin Falconer from Florida.
2012 The Imprint 15
to be feed as such. No Gold medals were ever
won on a diet of fast food and soft drinks .
PASSAGE MERLIN
Preparation for the Bird
More than any other falconry bird I have flown,
the Merlin requires specialized equipment and
planning prior to acquisition.
Perch: A small 4” diameter indoor block
perch, works great.
Hood: Obtain a selection of good fitting
hoods. Robert Helsom (www.helsomhoods.
com) is a dedicated merlin falconer and makes
high quality, light and well fitting hoods. A
bulky heavy hood will most likely result in a
grumpy, hard to hood falcon.
Anklets: Use the smallest grommets available. Shoelace grommets work great and the setters are available and most crafts/fabric stores.
Tip: Cut small pieces of plactic bandaid
and wrap it around the tarsus under the anklet.
This will prevent scale damage and reduces the
chances of him biting his toes and damaging
himself.
Jesses: Try to use short and narrow jesses.
Bulky equipment around their legs will make
them uncomfortable and could also lead to them
biting and damaging their toes.
Food:This is probably one the most involved aspects of flying a Merlin. You need to trap or shoot your own food for your
merlin. House sparrows and starlings are readily available.
Elevator or funnel sparrow traps work great and an accurate
scoped pellet gun loaded with NONLEAD shot helps fill the
freezer when the traps are less productive. A diet of Quail is not
enough to sustain a Merlin to the point where you will see her
full potential. These falcons need to be feed a diet of small birds
like they do in the wild. These birds are little athletes and need
Trapping
Merlins do not breed in California and only
occur here during the winter months. They
typically show up towards the end of October
and a large number stay until March, feeding
on the migratory songbirds which also winter
in southern California. As a result, Merlins
can be fairly easy to find here. All that is
involved is driving into an area with a high
density of small birds and looking for these
diminutive falcon sitting atop a dead tree in
the early morning. Merlins can be differentiated from kestrels at a distance by their
shorter tail and broader shoulders. They resemble a stocky football player while a kestrel
will appear more like a q-tip and be bobbing
its tail. Once a bird is spotted the Dho-gazza
(which is already set up on a free standing
base for quick deployment) and bait sparrows
are placed in-front of the bird. In general the
falcon is coming at the first flap of the bait
sparrow and the falconer does not even have
time to get to the car.
Hooded, Socked and taped.
Ready for tranport
There is probably a small window of opportunity to trap
a passage Merlin in Ontario which makes driving around
randomly, staring at tree tops probably not the best use of your
valuable time. As a result, your best bet might be to set up
a more permanent trapping station along a known migration
corridor such as somewhere on the north shore of Lake Erie
and Lake Ontario.
Chassagne’s Quail for sale
We are striving to produce the best Coturnix Quail possible specifically to service the needs of falconers, raptor breeders,
reptile owners, wildlife rehabilitators and zoos in Ontario.
available frozen: bag of 20 LARGE ( 6-7.5 oz ea.)........$30.00
bag of 20 MEDIUM (5-5.9 oz ea.)..... $25.00
● guaranteed drug and hormone free
● available live: any number, same prices as frozen
● raised on custom feed diet
● average weight of 6 - 7.5 oz. per bird, aged 7 weeks
● standing orders welcome and will receive priority
as quantities may be limited
● to be picked up at Chassagne Farm by appointment
●
Order by e-mail: [email protected]
or by phone: 519-651-2160
Contact: Carole Precious
www.chassagne.ca
16 The Imprint 2012
NEW from Chassagne Farm
A complete poswered formula developed to aid in the daily maintenance
of all raptors. It is especially useful
for feeding young birds, raptors in
breeding condition, injured, sick or
stressed birds, parent birds feeding
their young and birds that are excercising. Available in 8oz. ($10.) and
16oz. ($20.) containers.
Falconers are welcome by appointment, and for a fee, to bring their raptors and
dogs to Chassagne for training and hunting sessions. Pheasants and Bobwhite
Quail available for release.
What is it?
Liz Dubas photographed this bird and circulated the photo in the social media.
Her question was “what is it?”
Dubas’s mystery bird has been identified as a Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis. Red-tails can be difficult to ID because
of they have extremely variable plumage and some of this
variation is regional. Most Ontario Red-tailed Hawks are rich
brown above and pale below, with a streaked belly and, on the
wing underside, a dark bar between shoulder and wrist. The
tail is usually pale below and cinnamon-red above, though in
young birds it’s brown and banded. “Dark-phase” birds are all
chocolate-brown with a warm red tail. “Rufous-phase” birds
are reddish-brown on the chest.
A Great Plains race called “Krider’s” hawk is pale, with a
whitish head and washed-out pink in the tail. Light-phase western birds tend to be more streaky on the underparts than eastern
Red-tails; south Texas forms are darker above, without the
dark belly band most other Red-tails have. Dark-phase birds
can occur anywhere but are more common in western North
America - particularly in Alaska and northwest Canada, where
the all-dark “Harlan’s” race is common.
The “Harlan’s Hawk” breeds in Alaska and northwestern
Canada, and winters on the southern Great Plains. This very
dark form of the Red-tailed Hawk has a marbled white, brown,
and gray tail instead of a red one. It’s so distinctive that it was
once considered a separate species, until ornithologists discovered many individuals that were intermediate between Harlan’s
and more typical Red-tailed Hawks.
Jerry Liguori reports in Birding March 2010, in the U.S. and
Canada, there are as many as eight recognized subspecies each
with its own degree of plumage variation. There is also overlap
among the subspecies.
2012 The Imprint 17
RED-TAILED HAWK
Reprint from Comparison of Harlan’s with Western & Eastern Red-tailed Hawks
By Jerry Liguori and Brian Sullivan in Birding March 2010
markwilliamsphotographer.com
Liguori writes; Much is yet to be learned about plumage variation and overlap in Red-tailed Hawk subspecies. As more birds
are studied and photographed, the issue should become better
clarified. However, since Red-tailed Hawks seen during migration and/or winter are difficult to classify to subspecies with certainty, good photographs of breeding birds are critical for making
assumptions about the geographic variation within the species. A
concerted effort to better understand the breeding biology of
Red-tailed Hawks in Alaska and western Canada is needed. We
encourage birders to contribute to an online gallery
<http://tiny.cc/h2c4C> of photos of breeding Red-tailed Hawks.
In Ontario, we do not have to concern ourselves with the
Harlan’s or Krider’s Red-tails but the variations make for good
reading. Listed is the literature cited in Liguori’s article which
is a good starting point for those falconers seeking more Red-tail
info.
Fig. 6a. Adult light-morph Harlan’s Hawk with minimal underwing markings, white streaking on head, and white tail
with dark, smudged tip. Pale mottling on upperside is limited to scapulars. Utah; March. © Jerry Liguori.
Fig. 6b. Adult Krider’s Hawk (breeding female here) can appear similar to Harlan’s, but Krider’s lacks markings to belly and
underwing coverts, and has buffy tones underneath, banding on the remiges, rufous patagials and nape, and pale mottling
on the upperwings. North Dakota; July. © Jerry Liguori.
Clark, W.S. 2009. Extreme variation in the tails of adult Harlan’s Hawks. Birding 41(1):30–36.
Gabrielson, I.N. and F.C. Lincoln. 1959. Birds of Alaska. Stackpole, Harrisburg.
Gibson, D. and B. Kessel. 1997. An inventory of the species and subspecies of Alaska birds. Western Birds 28:45–95.
Kessel, B. and H.K. Springer. 1966. Recent data on the status of some interior Alaska birds. Condor 68:185–195.
Liguori, J. 2001. Pitfalls of classifying light-morph Red-tailed Hawks to subspecies. Birding 33:436–446.
Liguori, J. 2004. Dark Red-tailed Hawks. Birding 36:501–506.
Liguori, J. 2005. Hawks from Every Angle. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Mindell, D.P. 1983. Harlan’s Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis harlani, as valid subspecies. Auk 100:161–167.
Patten, M.A. and P. Unitt. 2002. Diagnosability versus mean differences of Sage Sparrow subspecies. Auk 119:26–35.
Preston, C.R. and R.D. Beane. 2009. Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), in A. Poole, ed. The Birds of North America Online.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca <http://tiny.cc/Dp4AQ>.
Wheeler, B.K. 2003. Raptors of Western North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton
18 The Imprint 2012
A SIMPLE OBSERVATION ABOUT HARRIS’ HAWKS
Author’s photo
By Carole Precious
W
I found that the
technique of being
able to offer deep
red meat as an extra
incentive to come
to the glove was
really helpful.
hile hand feeding some baby Harris’ Hawks I realized something new about them.
Perhaps this is obvious to others, but it was the first time I noticed that a baby Harris’ Hawk, even at a couple of days of age, will always be more interested in reaching for a piece of deep red meat rather than a piece of pale red meat. I realized that these birds
hatch with the innate ability to distinguish between the colours of the prey offered, and they
will always select the darker meat i.e: preferring the deep red organ meat (heart, liver) instead
of the paler muscle meat. When you think about it, the organ meat is full of blood and nutrients,
is softer, and is easily digestible. It is tricky to know whether this ability to distinguish colour
is based on an inherent knowledge or an instinct, but there is no doubt that the Harris’ chick is
equipped with this ability at the time of hatching.
They are able to see very well with those tiny beady black eyes. It suggests that it has the
natural programming to choose deep red. Ophthalmologists have researched the raptor’s eye
and vision and it is known that they see in colour. As the young hawks matured week by week,
I carried this observation into my training by offering deep red meat to entice the birds to fly
toward me or toward a target for food reward. Combined with variable reward, that is, varying
the amount of food and type of food given, thereby peaking the bird’s curiosity and natural drive
to be keen to chase.
Variable reward also helps the bird gain confidence as it repeatedly flies to a target and is
always rewarded. Harris’ Hawks are so agreeable and quick to learn that they soon come to the
target as much out of curiosity as for the food reward. I found that the technique of being able
to offer deep red meat as an extra incentive to come to the glove was really helpful. We take so
many things for granted when working with Harris’ Hawks. Their very nature makes it easy to
train them because they are so responsive. It is no mistake that Harris’ Hawks are by far the bird
2012 The Imprint 19
Yukio Yamada photo
It has long been surmised
that parent birds emit
nutrients through their
saliva as they give mouth to
mouth feedings to
their babies.
HH OBSERVATIONS
of choice used by beginner falconers and bird show handlers
around the world. In the nest while being parent reared, Harris’ learn to behave with a nest etiquette, waiting for the prey
bits to be served to them. When you watch parent birds feeding their young, it is amazing to notice how small the pieces
tend to be that they offer. And as their offspring matures,
they automatically react by giving somewhat larger pieces
and maintaining order in the nest. It has long been surmised
that parent birds emit nutrients through their saliva as they
give mouth to mouth feedings to their babies. Vulture chicks
hatched in captivity are often given enzyme supplements
or are given food already partially digested from within a
vulture’s crop.
I would guess that this is the case with many raptor species, and probably the Harris’ Hawk is no exception. Again
because of their very gregarious nature, it is common to see
Harris’ fly in a cast, often with falconers flying their birds together when the birds haven’t ever been carefully introduced.
In conclusion, at hatching the Harris’ Hawk has some natural
programming built into its hard drive that we can learn to
use to our advantage as we develop a co-hunting regime or a
working relationship with them.
Mourning Doves
on Menu?
Notes from Mourning Dove population dynamics and
societal assessment towards a proposed hunting
season in Ontario.
Long Point Waterfowl Technical Report
No 2007-1
Mourning doves (Zenaida macroura)) are one of the most abundant
birds in North America, and it is suspected that their populations are
increasing in Ontario. Due to the abundance of this species, and the
economic importance of its harvest in the U.S., the Canadian Wildlife
Service, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and Ontario Waterfowl Advisory Committee have discussed the possibility of opening a
season to harvest doves in Ontario.
Based on Christmas Bird Count data, dove populations showed
rapid increases in all jurisdictions studied; Ontario’s winter dove population increased by nearly 13% per year between 1977 and 2001. No
detectable difference in indices of winter population abundances for
all survey years examined. Also noted are similar annual fluctuations
20 The Imprint 2012
in winter indices of dove abundance between all hunting and nonhunting jurisdictions. This suggests that changes in winter populations
within the hunted and non-hunted jurisdictions were driven primarily
by intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors exclusive of hunting.
Northern jurisdictions had the fastest rates of annual increase in
wintering populations (Ohio’s wintering population was seasonally
stable after initiation of a dove season), possibly due to northern
range expansions. With comparable abundances to the hunted and
non-hunting jurisdictions in the U.S. and no evidence suggesting that
hunting negatively impacts wintering populations; it is likely that an
Ontario dove harvest would be biologically sustainable.
The Ice Can Still Be Broken!
By Ulrich Watermann
T
urkey Point Ontario 2010. The phone call came
on a Wednesday morning. “Guten Morgen mein
deutschen Freund, wie geht es?” The raspy voice
revealed Hal Webster, who was calling from Bob
Woodroffe’s residence near Moose Jaw
Saskatchewan.
I answered in German, “Sehr gut Herr Oberst.
Leutnant!” The conversation then fell into English. “We are taking two ducks daily with Oscar
and Coconut. It is going great and the weather is
fantastic. When are you coming?” “As soon as
possible, I just have to arrange a few things and I
will be on my way.” He answered,” Get your butt
in gear and come over here as long as the weather
is good. Bye!”
I called Penny Lalonde from the Saskatchewan
Game Department and informed her of my intent to
visit, faxed the required band numbers of my birds
and had the necessary permit back in about an hour.
I thought that if all the civil servants in Canada
were as friendly and efficient as Penny Lalonde,
this country would be a lot more fun to live in.
I headed west two days later with two Saker-Gyr
hybrids, a male and a female, both flown to the kite
but totally unproven on game. I arrived Sunday
noon. After the usual greeting ceremony which included a “wee dram” of single malt, the birds were
perched in the rolling hills north of Moose Jaw and
each given a crop of fresh gadwall caught by Oscar
the seven-year old jerkin that very morning.
Coconut, Hal Webster’s black first-year male
Gyr-Peregrine, was flown later that evening, showing amazing ability in taking a Gadwall hen from
a height of 600 to 700 feet. Oscar, Bob’s jerkin, in
his seventh season, was flown the next morning
near a slough that held numerous ducks of several
species. Bob’s technique to have a good hunting
flight is to drive up to two kilometers away from
the pond or slough, put the bird on the roof rack
and drive towards the ducks. The falcon will then
leave the vehicle at his leisure and climb, following
the truck to a height of about 1000 feet, arriving at
the water. Bob then jumps out to flush the ducks.
Oscar goes into one of his spectacular stoops to
single out a duck and with 95% accuracy makes a
kill. This flight was successful as well and a Widgeon was taken for the larder.
At around noon my birds were both flown to a
baggie each which they took with ease.
When I came back to Bob’s place, three more
falconers had joined us: Dave Doughty with his
adult female peregrine, Pasquale Hines and Matthias Hoelscher who was visiting from Germany.
Coconut was flown in the evening with everyone
enjoying the successful flight. The hen Gadwall kill
was celebrated in the field with a round of “Buds”
and then later on at a social at Bob’s place with a
hearty meal including some refreshments.
Oscar the jerkin showed his skill the next morning by taking another duck in classic style.
Dave Doughty’s peregrine was also flown and
took a gadwall in spite of being interfered with by
a wild adult Peregrine female. I tried my birds at
wild ducks that afternoon but both birds were harassed by wild falcons – a peregrine and a prairie.
My male’s right foot swelled up from a previous injury. This problem in spite of being treated
rendered him unflyable for the rest of his stay in
Saskatchewan.
Oscar and Coconut were flown the next day. Oscar had success while Coconut made a spectacular
flight but came up empty handed. He did not seem
to be serious since Bob was still experimenting
with his ideal weight. I flew the female again only
to be interfered with by another Prairie Falcon.
The next day, after Oscar and Coconut had flown, I
tried my female falcon again, and sure enough, she
was hassled again by a female Prairie. I stated to
Bob “I know my bird has potential in spite of only
37 ounces flying weight. I would like to try her at
Snow Geese.” “Well”, Bob answered. “Let’s get a
good slip for her.”
It did not take long for us to spot a dark cloud of
mingling Snow Geese in the distance. We rushed
toward it. A waterlogged slough revealed tens of
thousands of geese with just as many mingling
about in the air. We drove back out of sight of the
geese and I put the hooded falcon on my fist. This
was the first time she was flown off the fist out of
a moving vehicle. We passed the slough and saw
thousands or more geese over drier ground a mile
ahead. The geese were on the left side of the truck
some 200 meters into the fields.
2012 The Imprint 21
WATERMANN
I unhooded the falcon, she tensed up immediately, bobbed
her head and off she went underflying the flock of geese.
Once she reached the other side of the flock, she stooped up
and zoomed with rapid wingbeats into the flock of spooked
geese. She singled out three birds and closed in on them.
Bob and I followed on the grid road as fast as we could.
We started to get excited. The falcon, still chasing the three
geese, suddenly stooped downward and we lost sight of her
because a small hill on our left blocked the view. Coming
from behind the hill, we spotted the falcon rolling on the
prairie grass with a white goose. “She got one!” we both
shouted. I almost collided with another truck while stopping
perpendicular on the country road. “Look after the truck!” I
yelled to Bob and then probably broke a speed record for a
guy my age running through the prairie to help my bird.
The goose, a large adult gander, tried to beat the falcon off,
however I grabbed him by one wing and let the falcon nick
him off. Bob came to the scene and congratulated me and I
thanked him for helping me find the slip.
The falcon was allowed half a crop from the head and neck
of the gander. I then hooded her and put her in the box for
our journey home.
Taking a little detour, we stopped at the local liquor store
to buy a bottle of single malt and a bottle of “Mumms” for
“Nairy”, the lady of the house who would have to endure us
reminiscing about the successful flight.
22 The Imprint 2012
Good old Hal Webster’s eyes popped when we entered the
house to weigh the gander. The gander came in at just under
6 pounds with about 2 ounces missing from neck and head.
Hal, who was a bit under the weather, stated that he under no
circumstances would miss the next chance to see my falcon
take a goose.
Bob flew his two male falcons the next morning, supplying
fresh meat for the larder. My falcon was somewhat too heavy
to be flown so we tried her in the late afternoon. We located
a large flock of geese and I flew my bird off the fist. The bird
flew listless and ignored the geese. When we arrived home,
I let the falcon gorge on the goose carcass to re-confirm her.
This was a mistake since the bird simply did not turn the
crop over and only reached flying weight again after three
and a half days.
Bob had an interesting flight the next morning with Oscar.
Oscar took off from the vehicle as usual towards a slough,
gained good height but then showed no interest in the ducks
below him. We drove along the slough when suddenly an
immature Bald Eagle took to the air. Oscar went immediately into an angular stoop and smacked the large predator
so hard that a plume of feathers seemed to explode off the
rump of the eagle. Oscar had done his job and let the eagle
get on his way.
Father John, an avid outdoorsman, had joined us for another try at the large quarry. Bob worked his birds first. Oscar
Opposite page: Clouds of Snow Geese. Below:
Watermann. No further words needed.
singled out a hen Mallard from a large group of ducks and
thumped her into the ground. Coconut, a little too heavy, just
toyed with the ducks and was called back to the lure.
We kept driving through the rolling prairie scape entering
a valley with the opposite side white with geese. I motioned
Bob to stop his truck. We drove out of sight, I put the falcon
on my fist and entered the valley again. Coming within range
of the geese, I unhooded the falcon, who headed straight for
the geese which started to fly by the sight of the attacking
raptor. The falcon headed straight for the closest one, knocked
it down, to follow it up by grabbing it on the ground. When
I arrived the goose was dying. Her left wing was broken and
her neck was ripped wide open. Father John congratulated me
and Hal Webster and Bob Woodroffe were delighted to have
witnessed the “knock-down” from their truck.
The next day saw us concentrating to find a good slip for
Pasquale’s Gyr female “Angel”. A long slough– on one end
waterlogged, offered the opportunity. Tens of thousands of
geese were on the ground and in the water with large groups
still coming in to land. Pasquale put the unhooded falcon on
the truck. The large falcon seemed to ignore the numerous
quarry but took flight anyways with slow wing beats. She
gained a height of about 800 feet and drifted away circling
down the slough. Eventually she circled back slowly all the
while pretending to have no interest whatsoever in the geese
below her. Suddenly her silhouette became sleek, with rapid
wing beats she dove at an angle into the flock where I lost
sight of her. A moment later, she stooped upwards out of the
flock with a speed only a gyrfalcon could achieve and with a
rolling stoop, knocked a young goose straight out of the air.
Pasquale ran to aid his falcon on the ground but not much help
was needed. Angel was the master of the situation. I consider
Angel’s flight the all over best performance by a gyrfalcon
flying at large game that I have ever seen. This sentiment was
shared by Hal Webster.
Now it was my bird’s turn. We located another flock of
geese mingling about and feeding on a harvested pea field.
The falcon showed no interest and drifted out of sight. I used
the receiver and got a signal from far away. Following the
grid roads, we zeroed in on a farm with a large shelterbelt. I
swung the lure but no response. The signal came in at times
quite strong then disappeared. By surrounding the farm
we made sure that it was the source of the signal. Pasquale
and I approached the farm on foot. I ran from one side and
Pasquale from the other. Over and over again, a strong signal
was followed by a weak one. “What was going on?” I asked
myself. The signal got stronger only to disappear yet again.
I zigzagged through the shelterbelt taking readings. There it
was again in the high grass right in front of me. I rushed in and
found my bird duking it out with a horned owl with another
horned owl just two meters away in a tree ready to join in on
2012 The Imprint 23
WATERMANN
the melee. I yelled running towards the blob of feathers. The
birds finally took note of me and they took off in opposite
directions. I cleared the bush, swung the lure and secured my
seemingly uninjured bird. “No reward for you!” I exclaimed
to the bird. Bob and I discussed the naming of my falcon
and we came up with the name “Boudecia” after the English
warrior queen.
After Oscar and Coconut both had taken ducks the next
morning, Pasquale tried Angel again however the bird was
a bit too heavy and ignored the geese. Boudecia was flown
next. She hit a goose but failed to bring it down. She was
frustrated and landed on a hydro pole. I called her down.
In the late afternoon we discovered another goose-filled
slough. Bob stopped his vehicle with Hal on the passenger
seat. “Do you want to fly this?” he asked me. I replied, “Of
course! Get yourself a front row seat!” Bob parked his truck
in a good viewing location and me with Pasquale on board,
drove out of sight. I put Boudecia on the fist and we raced
towards the geese first on the road and then over the fields.
The geese started to fly up as we approached. I unhooded the
falcon who wasted no time to attack. She at first, flew into
the mingling mass of geese, then over climbed them, went
into a shallow stoop and bound to an adult goose close to the
ground. Several other geese tried to help out to get the falcon
separated from their mate. But Pasquale and I arrived and
helped the falcon to secure her quarry. Hal and Bob watched
24 The Imprint 2012
the kill take place right in front of their noses. They congratulated us and Hal stated, “Well, you Ontario boys have
broken the ice wide open and turned over a new page for
modern falconry!” We were proud of that comment. Geese
have been taken by falcons before, mainly as an unintended
target or as professional setups at airports.
We all celebrated the last two weeks achievement that very
night for the last time since it was my last day of our trip.
I packed up in the morning and headed east dreaming of
more “icebreaking” either by flying Golden Eagles at Coyotes or flying female Gyrfalcons at Sandhill Cranes. Both are
inviting possibilities in the wide open spaces of the Canadian
prairie.
Count:
Oscar: 13 ducks
Coconut: 9 ducks
Dave’s peregrine: 1 duck*
Boudecia: 3 geese
Angel: 1 goose and 1 duck*
* Dave only spent one day with us and Pasquale
came for two visits.
Plus:
Oscar: 1 immature bald eagle with a sore butt
Boudecia: 1 Horned Owl with feathers missing
PRODUCT REVIEW
By Mark Williams
A Second look at
433mhz vs 216mhz Telemetry
A couple of years ago,
I wrote about the new
telemetry frequency available to North American
falconers and initial comparisons with the 216 frequency. I have since used
this system for a couple of
seasons and recently spent
a few days in the Utah salt
flats doing some long range
field tests and comparisons
with other manufacturers
transmitters. Here are some
of my findings.
Photos by: markwilliamsphotographer.com
The 433 mhz frequency is not new to falconry and I was aware
of it being widely adopted in Europe for over 20 years. In recent years, it has really caught on in the UK and the Gulf. One
of the obvious attractions is the fact is uses much smaller antennas on both the receiver and more importantly the transmitters.
This is a huge benefit when tracking an errant bird while using
it inside the small confines of your vehicle. The transmitter
antenna is a mere 7 inches which is ideal for any mounting
method and reduces chances of electrocution if it must be worn
on the leg, (something I hate doing myself).
Although admittedly I am biased, the use of a leg mount is
the least effective position for signal transmission. The antenna
is often laying flat on the ground and if the ground is wet in
particular, it dissipates the signal transmission. The use of a
backpack, tail mount or even neck mount produces superior
signal transmission and positions the transmitter antenna in a
vertical position compared to horizontal of the leg mount version. If you ever do a signal test comparison, lay one transmitter on the ground and one hanging vertical from a wire and
you’ll see what I mean. As you walk around the signal of the
one laying flat will vary, particularly when you are facing the
end of the antenna facing directly at you. Depending upon how
2012 The Imprint 25
433 vs 216 transmitter length
PRODUCT REVIEW
the bird is positioned on the ground with a leg mount as you
walk around it, the signal may appear weak. Imagine this in
a none controlled situation and you could miss the signal in
your search if you are at a distance or are in a moving vehicle
and passing by at this angle while tracking.
However I have since learned the real virtues of the higher
frequency system is it’s performance characteristics in areas
of high “noise”, i.e. cities and urban areas. To clarify, much of
the limitations of signal transmission / reception is caused by
“noise”. By this I mean atmospheric noise like TV and radio
signals bouncing around the atmosphere and in particularly
within highly populated urban areas. For some falconers,
these areas are the very arena of their hawking grounds. The
much higher frequencies like 433mhz seem to cut through the
outside noise interference, which makes for much clearer, less
statically sounding signal reception.
Furthermore speaking to Marshall Radio’s Chief Science
Officer Dave Marshall, he too extols the virtues of the 433
frequency from a physic’s / design perspective. Without
getting too technical, he tells me that the properties of the
UHF 433 mhz band will always radiate more effectively in a
falcon transmitter and hence with same power in, will radiate
more power out. Furthermore, in any transmitter the antenna
system is comprised of TWO parts, the active or fed element
(main antenna) and the “counterpoise”. The active element
or antenna, needs a ground plane to push the signal off
when broadcasting, much like the omni antenna does when
using the metal roof of the vehicle. In a falcon transmitter,
the counterpoise is basically everything conductive on the
opposite end of the base of the antenna. This can be the circuitry inside the transmitter, the battery and even the tail or
backpack spring if so equipped. There is even some coupling
to the semi-conductive mass of the falcon itself (backpack,
neck and tail mounts that is). Hard to imagine your falcon is
part of the antenna but it is.
As mentioned, I was recently invited down to their Salt
Lake City, Utah head office to do some field testing, along
with North American Distributors, Dave Frank, Brad Woods
and Mike Syring along with Marshall’s Managing Director for
Europe, Stephen Lea who come over from the UK specifically
for this. What we witnessed really impressed us all.
26 The Imprint 2012
We had three other manufacturers transmitters to compare
alongside with Marshall’s RT, RT plus, Micro and Turbo
transmitters all in 216mhz. In addition to these we had a
Marshall 433mhz receiver with the Micro, Scout and Turbo
transmitter. We placed them all on a string hung between two
wooden posts and at equal distances apart about 4ft high. The
location was up high on the side of a mountain escarpment
overlooking the east side of Salt Lake City. We then drove
west outside of Salt Lake and taking readings all the way. The
competitors version of the Micro lasted about 500 yards ! We
continued through the city past a radio/TV station and still got
a signal with every transmitter but it clearly illustrated the improved signal reception of the 433mhz receiver compared to
readings of the 216mz that buzzed with outside interference.
We continued west and then deliberately turned south and
along the base of a high mountain where we lost the signal of
both 216 and 433 mhz within 20 yards of each other. The purpose was to evaluate the signal propagation from behind high
terrain. We then carried on west and to cut a long story short,
we lost the 433mhz Micro at 52 miles and eventually when
we reached the Nevada border 110 miles from the transmitters and were able to scale 50ft up a hillside and get signals
from 216mhz Turbo transmitter and when we climbed 50feet
higher also with the 433 mhz Turbo. I have never been able
to hear a signal from 110 miles before and it was quite a feat
of transmitter performance. Imagine going up in an airplane
and being able to pick up a signal for a considerably further
distance and not competing with the curvature of the earth
that begins after a mere 4 or 5 miles. The bad news is that the
Turbo is not currently available in either North American or
European markets. However, to get a signal with a 433 mhz
Micro transmitter at 52 miles is pretty amazing and much
further if using a RT transmitter.
We have all heard that 433 MHz (UHF) does not propagate
as well over real terrain as does lower frequencies like 216 or
even 151 MHz, but our field tests showed that the wizards at
Marshall Radio have found a way to engineer around this and
now produce UHF equipment that in most cases, outperforms
all current 216 systems on the market. With this closing of the
gap, there is a greater incentive to switch to a smaller unit that
uses a much small antenna transmitter and has much greater
resistance to noise interference. This being said, adopters of
the 433 system will definitely find a difference and period
of adjustment when tracking (if comparing to the 216mhz),
Wearing two transmitters.
Gyrkin wearing tail and backpack transmitters.
Photos by; markwilliamsphotographer.com
as the directionality of the higher frequency is more acute.
Personally I am seeing more positive reasons to switch to the
433 system.
One of the other factors that might come into play when
considering switching to a 433 mhz system, is the fact falconers may ask themselves “what if I lost my bird and no one else
has 433mhz” ? I thought about this myself, but like many I
have since asked, I cannot think of a time that I lost my bird
and had to call in someone else to help. It happens I know, I
helped someone a couple of years ago with their 216 unit, but
it is indeed rare. I am sure the same concerns faced those original telemetry users who used original 151 mhz frequency with
18” long transmitter antennas and then switched to 216mhz
with 13” long antennas. My thoughts are that as more people
switch to 433mhz this will dissipate in time as it did before.
For those of us hanging out for GPS, all I can say is that
from the information I have gathered, that it is realistically
at least 3 years away and the French company who tried to
launch it last year, found it failed and are now faced with
law suites from it’s early adopters who outlaid a great deal
of money for something that was not really ready for release.
Furthermore when we do get GPS, I don’t think it will be
quite as some might think. My expectation was that it would
be like a domestic version of the very expensive wildlife
research satellite transmitters that are used to track bird migrations and that sends a periodic signal (often once a day to
prolong battery life), to a satellite which relays that information to a computer to tell it where it is. The other is the much
shorter range of the Garmin dog collars that use a much
larger transmitter than a bird could carry but transmits over a
very short, perhaps 1 mile range.
From what I understand that is not how it will look like for
our application. While the falcon knows where it is, the challenge will be getting the information to the falconer in
“real time”, not a day or so later. The way it is likely going
to be applied and used into the market, is that a long range
RF signal will tell you where the bird is within say 50-100
miles and then the GPS signal (which requires a very strong
signal transmission from the transmitter built within the extended signal pulse), will send the signal to the falconer who
will know exactly where …and how far ..or how high and
at what speed his bird is flying. It will also be significantly
more expensive than the telemetry units we use today. However we won’t know the facts for sure for a few years yet, so
don’t hold your breath.
In the meantime, I foresee greater advances with traditional
RF signal units with even greater range than with what I have
seen with the Turbo transmitters. I predict a transmitter with
under a 4” antenna, yet with long-range performance similar to
the RT plus transmitters, particularly from the 433mhz system
that already only requires a 7“ full size antenna as a standard
optimal performance. At this point I anticipate many more
people in North America will follow the European and Gulf
market falconers in recognizing the overall advantages of the
433mhz system compared to 216mhz and will switch over.
Safe and clean lines of backpack and tail mount system.
2012 The Imprint
27
National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Congress
The first ever National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Congress was held May 27th to 31st, 2012 in Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada. This Congress provided a unique opportunity for
the local, state, provincial and federal levels of government,
NGOs, First Nations, Inuit, academia, scientists, fish and wildlife biologists, media and the general public to come together
and discuss the challenges facing the fish and wildlife populations in both Canada and the United States, and to develop recommendations for future action. Although much of the focus
was on Canadian issues, the Congress was both sponsored and
attended by a significant number of key American conservation partners and delegates, who participated in deliberations
within a continental
framework. The conference was attended by Martin Geleynse,
Paddy Thompson from Saskatchewan, Carl Millier from Quebec, and Maya Basdeo, from Ontario/Saskatchewan.
Almost 500 people attended from every province and territory and 20 US states. These people were some of the most
influential and highest caliber people in the conservation
movement including government officials, NGOs, academics
and Stephen Harper.
Detailed information of the conference can be found here
http://www.nfwcc.com.
The booth consisted of a backdrop provided by Falcon
Environmental Services with display boards showing a variety
of hunting and conservation activities. Carl Millier provided a
large screen TV on which showed falconry videos. Handouts
included the OHC falconry brochure, a more technical handout
providing details on falconry, raptor management and conservation in Canada, as well as copies of the 2012 Ontario hunting regulation summary which highlights falconry with a cover
photo of Maya Basdeo with a Harris Hawk. Martin brought his
intermewed peregrine Kira who sat calmly on her high perch
for 4 days without bating once. She was a big hit and even let
people touch her.
What was accomplished
1. Clearly raised awareness and profile of falconry and moved
it into the mainstream of wildlife management.
2. Meeting provincial wildlife directors and policy people.
Meeting people from NGOs from across Canada and the US.
3. Discussing falconry management in NL and NB at length.
4. Cementing relationships and friendships in the broader conservation community. Many contacts made/reinforced in the
OFAH, SWF, Ontario MNR, Quebec.
5. lmportant discussions with MNR on implementation of wild
take.
6. Discussions with SERM on falconry policy in SK.
7. Official and unofficial meeting with key CWS decision
makers on peregrine wild take in SK and US. Received a
commitment from CWS a) not to oppose take in SK and b) to
re-engage with US on peregrine harvest levels and allocation.
8. Provided detailed feedback on issues related to proposal to
downgrade gyrfalcon to CITES Appendix 2. Established the
credibility of the falconry community on this issue and ensure
that we will be consulted as events and plans unfold.
9. Established Canadian Director of NAFA as the key point of
contact on national falconry issues.
Here is a link to a story on the Prime Minister’s speech
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/05/30/harper-hunting-angling-advisory-panel.html
Left to right; Paddy Thompson,
Carl Millier, Maya Basdeo and
Martin Gelynse.
First Aid Tip
Unpasturerized honey is an effective agent for treating wounds. It has an antibacterial and fungal agent that
speeds healing. Honey does have antiseptic properties that kills bacteria which have contaminate the wound,
and further promotes healing by drawing moisture in and around the wound. OHC member and vet, Scott Craig
says that preliminary studies indicate that honey alters the ph of the wound. “Sugar appears to have the same
properties” he said. The bandages should be changed daily to maintain the honeys healing prperties. Problems
are keeping the honey and bandage on the wound. Not an easy thing because the bird will likely try to remove it.
Try hooding the bird to keep it sedate. Using alcohol or hydrogen peroxide is not good as it can exacerbate the
wound and cause further cell damage.
28 The Imprint 2012
Nutrition and Training In Captive Birds of Prey
By Scott Craig, DVM
T
he best diet that any captive raptor can have is one that
is based on what it would eat in the wild. Since this is
rather difficult to achieve in captivity, a balanced and
varied diet mirroring as “close” as possible to what that raptor
would eat in the wild is the best. Not all raptors eat the same
diet. Some eat a specific diet that is very limited in animals;
whereas, others are more opportunistic and eat a wider range
of animals. Yet each can have individual preferences as well.
Nutrition is fundamental to a captive raptor’s health and a
healthy raptor is a longer lived, better feathered and harder
hunting bird.
Although captive raptor’s breeding has made a positive
impact on the reintroduction of certain endangered species,
research of raptor nutrition is still widely concentrated on the
study of the wild population. Much of the scientific research
on avian nutrition has been made with poultry. Poultry nutritional research gives a basis for raptor nutrition; however, with
the different metabolic requirements between birds species,
caution must be exercised (Forbes 2000; Chitty 2008).
The scope of this paper is to review the available scientific
information on raptor nutrition in four specific areas. The
first area is to understand some of the basics of nutrition; the
second area is to understand the importance and nutritional
significance of some of the more available foods; the third
area is the basis of supplementation and finally some novel
ways falconers are training their birds and the importance of
nutrition. For your convenience, there is a table in the second
part of this paper comparing the nutritional content of the different foods that are being fed to captive raptors; you may be
surprised.
Basic Nutrition
Feeding captive raptor can be challenging. It is important to
feed the right quality and quantity of food, yet at the same time
keep in mind affordability. You must be aware of the bird’s
basic requirements in terms of water, carbohydrates, protein
and fat, as well as micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Raptors are whole carcass feeders and a simple provision
of meat is not sufficient (Cooper 2002: Chitty 2008).
The digestive tract (gut) of a raptor is a fairly simple system.
Little grinding of food is necessary in the ventriculus. The
large bowel and cecum do not ferment food and are relatively
undeveloped. The volume of food a raptor can eat at any one
time is dictated by the crop size. There are two groups of
raptors; those with a crop being the diurnal birds of prey (the
Falconiformes) and those without crops being nocturnal birds
of prey (Strigiforme – owls). All birds of prey will produce a
casting; usually within eight to sixteen hours after eating. A
casting is the indigestible part of the carcass such as bones,
feathers and fur.
It is interesting that these castings, if broken apart, represent
a novel way that the raptors eat. Falconiformes normally tear
their food apart then swallow it; whereas, Strigiforme swallow
their food whole. Intact skeletal structures can be recovered
from the casting material of owls.
Energy is the fundamental result of any diet. The essential
nutrients that a bird uses to fulfill its daily requirements can be
divided into fat, carbohydrates, protein and water (Forbes and
Flint 2000; Chitty 2008; Cooper 2003). Carbohydrates are not
as important in a raptor diet. The carbohydrates that are built
up with in the raptor’s body are from the synthesis and conversion of other dietary components. Fat is the major source of
gross energy. It has twice the calories (energy) than protein
and carbohydrates. It is also often the driving force for the
prey choice of wild carnivores. Prey selection in the wild is
often chosen on the largest and often plumpest animal (Taylor
1991). Fat is an extremely efficient source of energy which is
readily absorbed and can be stored in the body’s fat deposits
for future energy demands. Meat high in fat is energetically
more valuable than a diet which is all protein, such as rabbit (Forbes 2000). A diet deficient in fat may be exemplified
as dry scaly skin or brittle feathers. The fat content in a diet,
should be approximately twenty to twenty five percent on a
dry matter basis. (Cooper 2003).
Protein is a major component of a raptor’s diet. It is broken
down by the digestive enzymes in the gut. There are twentytwo amino acids; twenty of these amino acids are deemed essential; the remainder of these amino acids can be produced by
the raptor’s other food components (Chitty 2008). The energy
from protein is used for tissue growth and repair and should
be from fifteen to twenty percent basis of a sound diet (Cooper
2003). The limiting factor of protein is the quality and type
available in the diet.
Deficiencies in protein are rarely seen if the raptor is eating a
good quality whole carcass diet. All the essential amino acids
are often available. Failure to process and absorb the protein
from gut disease, parasites or metabolic issues may result in
temporary “deficiency” which is evident by stress (fret) marks
in growing feathers. A diet based on good quality protein, is
preferred for optional growth and earlier fledging of juvenile
raptors (Forbes 2000).
Water is often an overlooked essential nutrient for life.
Many falconers feel that raptors receive their water from their
prey. Yet all raptors drink water and fresh clean water should
be provided on a daily basis. An open dish of water encourages both drinking and bathing. Water intake can be enhanced
by defrosting frozen food items in a warm water bath prior to
feeding. All water containers should be cleaned to decrease
protozoa or bacteria build-up. Either use hot boiling water or a
disinfectant (Cooper 2002).
2012 The Imprint 29
NUTRITION & TRAINING
Micronutrients are the smaller building blocks of a sound
diet, consisting of vitamins and minerals. Calcium, phosphorous and Vitamin D are readily available from a whole carcass
food source with the bones included. Ideally, the ratio of calcium to phosphorous should be a 1:1 or better still a 2:1 ratio.
To absorb calcium from the gut and to regulate calcium levels
in the blood stream, the raptor needs Vitamin D which is in
its active form as Vitamin D3. The Vitamin D3 is available in
both active and inactive forms frokm their prey species. To
obtain Vitamin D3, the raptor needs at least forty-five minutes
a day of natural sunlight or UV radiation. Inactive Vitamin
D3 is excreted from the preen gland, spread onto the feathers which is than activated by the sunlight and re-digested by
preening (Forbes 2000). Imbalance of calcium and phosphorous can be either attributed to a poor diet in calcium levels or
from lack of sunlight or preening which decreases the amount
of calcium absorption into the tissue. Deficiencies will result
in reproductive failure (soft shelled eggs, egg binding) rickets
in young birds to tremors or weakness usually in breeding
females. Over-dosages of calcium are often unlikely since the
excess calcium will be excreted. However, over-dosages of
active Vitamin D3 from zealous supplementation can cause
excessive calcium absorption and mineralization of soft tissue
(such as the kidneys) (Chitty, 2008).
Fat soluble vitamins are Vitamin A, E, D and K. All others
are water soluble vitamins. Vitamin A is often available in an
uneviscerated carcass or day old chicks with yolks remaining. Up to 90% of Vitamin A is stored in the liver of the prey,
and to a lesser extent in the fat (Cooper2002). The vitamin
is needed for vision, skin integrity, disease resistance and
growth. (Forbes 2000). A diet deficient in Vitamin A can be
seen with weight loss, failure to grow, poor hatch rates and
bumble foot (Hiedenreich 1997; Cooper 2002).
Vitamin E is an important antioxidant which is stored in
the body fat of the prey. Animals cannot synthesize Vitamin
E which can be easily destroyed if the carcass fat turns rancid.
The body organs of the carcass should be left in, especially
blood and liver. There has been much thought that day old
chicks have inadequate levels of Vitamin E. However, if the
yolk is left in, day old chicks and rats can provide a high level
of Vitamin E; even in excess of these provided by vitamin
enhanced quail. (Forbes and Flint 2000). Deficiencies of Vitamin E can result in decreased libido of the male, decreased
fertility and hatch ability of eggs, splayed leg and heart
disease (linked to white muscle disease) (Chitty 2008; Cooper
2002; Forbes 2000).
The primary role of Vitamin K is for clotting of the blood,
and it is synthesized in the body by gut bacteria. Deficiencies are rare but they can rear with long term antibiotics use
or coccidiostats and parasitic control that in turn can kill off
the bacteria in the gut. It has been suggested that probiotics
may have a beneficial role in re-establishing the beneficial gut
bacteria. (Forbes 2000).
The major water soluble vitamins are the B vitamins which
30 The Imprint 2012
are obtained from good quality whole prey. Only a few of the
more important B vitamins (B1, B2, and B6) will be discussed
here. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiencies may occur with fish
eating birds fed thawed frozen fish or from the inability to absorb or process thiamine (Chitty 2008; Forbes 2000). Rapid
thawing of frozen fish and vitamin supplementation may
prevent deficiencies (Cooper 2002). Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
is released from the liver of the prey. Deficiencies of Vitamin
B2 had been reported with very young chicks with curled toes
(Chitty 2008). Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is essential for protein metabolization and the formation of haemoglobin, or the
pigment found in the red blood cells of the blood stream that
carry oxygen around the body (Chitty 2008). Deficiencies
of Vitamin B6 can be connected with anaemia, poor feathering and growth abnormalities. Excessive freezer storage will
deplete the levels of all Vitamin B in food sources. It has also
been reported that over- supplementation of Vitamin B6 given
in multi vitamin can cause sudden death in falcons (Chitty
2008).
Various Available Food Sources
Wild Caught Prey
One alternative to the use of free hunting prey is to use road
kill or rifle hunted prey. However, these food items can be
contaminated with rodenticides or lead. Even head shots
of quarry, can have lead fragments scattered throughout the
body. Infectious agents such as trichimonas (frounce), salmonella, E-coli, avian influenza, and herpes virus can all be
transmitted to the captive raptor. Road kills (hit by car prey
items) may also have been in a diseased state before they were
killed. Raptors should not be allowed to fully feed up on prey
items which are caught while hunting. A smooth trade-off
should occur once the raptor has removed either the feathers
or the fur; then the carcass can be thoroughly inspected. Any
liver abnormality at all should cause serious concern such that
the carcass should be condemned as a food item.
Day-Old Chicks
Day-old chicks (DOC) are the very staple in many raptor
diets. They have also gotten a lot of bad press in the past.
During a survey conducted at the Ontario Hawking Club
(OHC) meet in London, Ontario, November 2008, DOC was
considered the lowest of importance when compared to other
various food groups (quail, chicken, rat, mice, rabbit and
pigeon). Before the Forbes and Flint study in 2000, DOC
were thought to be too high in fat, low in calcium and capable
of transmitting E-coli and salmonella. Good quality DOC
with the yolk sac feed intact has been found to have good
levels of protein, fat soluble vitamins, calcium and phosphorous. DOC also has less fat than commercially raised rodents
(Forbes and Flint 2000). Dr. David Bird, a professor at the
University of McGill in Montreal Canada, has successfully
bred and maintained a research colony of 100 kestrels for over
thirty years. He has fed the birds exclusively day old chicks
(personal communication). However certain species, i.e. Merlins, if fed exclusively DOC have been reported to develop a
disease condition called fatty liver syndrome (hepatic lipidosis) (Forbes 1993). If calcium levels need to be increased,
DOC can be coated with a calcium supplement with either
bone meal or a veterinary calcium product (Cooper 2002).
The problem with DOC is that they can be messy to feed and
material can accumulate under the talons and develop a red
pea like swelling. If this swelling is left untreated, it can lead
to a nasty bone infection called osteomylitis (Chitty 2008).
Three to Four Week Old Chickens
DOC are often allowed to grow for a few weeks and then
killed or fed live to raptors. The young chickens can be
supplemented with vitamins and are a favourite with breeding falcons. At this age, the yolk sack has been reabsorbed
by the body and the bones have ossified (hardened) with
more calcium (Forbes 2000; Chitty 2008). Most respondents
of the OHC survey classified young chickens as the second
lowest ranked food group that a falconer could fed their captive raptors.
Quail
Quail has always been thought of as the best food source that
a captive raptor could eat. The survey of OHC ranked quail
as the number one food source. If quail is being fed, it should
be killed around the six to eight week mark. At this age,
the bones have been allowed to harden with calcium. Older
quail that has been culled for various reasons may have been
medicated, spent or depleted of vitamins. Caution should be
used if using older quail as a food item (Heidenreich 1997).
Female quail have consistently higher levels of nutrients
and lower fat content when compared to males. At sixteen
weeks, female quail had twice as many nutrients than males
of the same age (Forbes 2000). Quail can have low levels of
Vitamin E and cause deficiencies with breeder falcons. The
Peregrine Fund facility at Boise Idaho had found that by using raptor raised Vitamin E enhanced quail hatchability and
reproductive rates improved. However, DOC according to Dr.
Neil Forbes has a greater Vitamin E level than enhanced quail.
(Forbes 2000).
Rats
Rats are naturally high in Vitamin E and at a young age they
have very high vitamin content. A good arrangement of using
rats, DOC and quail for breeding has been made by Dr. Neil
Forbes (Forbes 2000). Feeding rats to captive raptors does
decrease the transmission of avian disease to the birds. If you
are feeding rats to smaller hawks and falcons, you will need
to skin and decrease the portion size. The fur and skin can be
quite thick and difficult to break into. Larger rats can have
a higher fat content and can be less suitable in nutrition than
small and medium rats with eyass and breeders (Chitty 2008;
Forbes 2000). Eviscerating the thawed frozen rat has been
suggested due to bacterial contamination of the gut, the heart,
liver and kidney (Chitty 2008). The OHC survey ranked rats
as number one and two as a food source for falconry birds.
Those who were short-wing falconers in the OHC survey
ranked rats higher than long-wing falconers.
Mice
Mice are an excellent source of protein and calcium but can
be quite expensive to buy. When compared to rats, many
raptor keepers find mice easier to raise in home-grown colonies than rats. The mice at older ages can also be very high
in fat (Chitty 2008). The OHC survey ranked mice closely
behind rats.
Hamsters and Guinea Pigs
Hamsters have little advantage over mice (Chitty 2008). They
do have thin skin, a little fur and with their smaller size, they
can be fed whole to smaller raptors; but they can be expensive
(Forbes 2000). Guinea pigs can be a good food source and
economical for their size. They, however, have a long digestive tract which raptors are not fond of eating and can lead to
a very dirty aviary when left behind. Evisceration of this long
digestive tract is needed (Forbes 2000). The fur of guinea
pigs can be quite loose and can cause an excessive amount of
casting material and gut impaction. Skinning of the guinea
pig is needed prior to feeding (Chitty 2008).
Rabbits and Hares
Both rabbit and hare are excellent sources of calcium and
protein and are quite low in fat. Hare can be a richer meat to
feed. The gut can be quite long and should be removed prior
to feeding. The bones can be quite long and if left in their
natural state can cause obstructions. For calcium availability
it is best to pulverize the long bones and knuckles (Chitty
2008). Wild caught rabbits and hare can have liver flukes and
tuleremia (a human zoonotic disease). The body cavity, especially the liver, should be carefully scrutinized before feeding.
Whole Beef, Horse and Pork
Beef is excellent in protein but is quite poor in calcium phosphorous. No amount of supplementation will improve this
(Chitty 2008). Large joints can be fed to eagles and vultures
but to improve the calcium phosphorous ratio, the bones
should be pulverized before feeding. Horse and pork have
been suggested to cause gout with birds. All processed meats
(i.e. sausage, bacon) should be avoided. Feeding bacon has
been linked to toxicity (Chitty 2008).
Fish
Fish eating birds, osprey and fish eagles enjoy fish and it
should be part of their diet. However, they can do rather well
on a diet based on mammals. Frozen fish should be defrosted
in boiling water and it has been suggested to add B vitamins
(Cooper 2000, Chitty 2008). Ocean fish contain enzymes that
can inactivate the B vitamin thiaminase which can lead to this
vitamin deficiency (Cooper 2000; Forbes 2000; Heidenreich
1997).
Pigeon
Pigeon is still being used as a staple for captive raptors’ diets.
With the OHC survey, a third of the survey group still feed
pigeon on a regular basis. Most falconers feel that freezing
2012 The Imprint 31
If supplementation is to be used it is advised
not to use supplements on a daily basis nor
as a substitute for a poor diet.
the pigeons and/or feeding only the breast meat prevents the
raptor from getting trichimonas (frounce) (Personal communication at the OHC). Although a good source of nutrition, the
meat can still be contaminated with trichimonas and/or with
avian viruses. The majority of free-ranging pigeons carry
herpes virus which is transmittable to captive raptors. Other
diseases often carried by pigeons include New-Castles disease, Avian Tuberculosis, Salmonella, Chlamydia and Avian
Influenza. All these viruses are not inactivated with any
length of domestic freezing at all. However, the OHC survey
ranked pigeon near the top of the list to feed.
Supplementation
Today most people supplement their diets with vitamins,
minerals or any combination of the two. Although our varied
and nutritious diets are quite capable of sustaining our level
of heath, most feel further supplementation will improve and
enhance health. Some benefits are attained with supplementation use, but most are subjective. So it is quite natural that
a lot of us will feel that supplementation will enhance the
quality of life and performance of our captive raptors. Most
of the OHC survey group have used supplements and are using an array of supplements ranging from Vita-hawk, Nekton
S, Nekton E and bone meal. They feel that supplements do
enhance the health of their captive raptors.
If supplementation is to be used it is advised not to use
supplements on a daily basis nor as a substitute for a poor
diet. Many strongly advise that with a good quality varied
diet, supplements are not needed at all (Forbes 2000; Fox
2000; Cooper 2000; Chitty 2008). It has been suggested that
at certain times of stress, (breeding, moulting and possibly
hunting) supplements may be used and could benefit the raptor (Chitty 2008, Fox 2000).
Giving supplements can lead to two very serious problems.
Firstly, supplements should be formulated professionally and
specifically for raptor use. If a supplement for a non-raptor
is used (i.e. from another species such as parrots), the supplement may be incorrectly balanced which can lead to an excess
of one vitamin (usually the fat soluble vitamins) competing for and excluding other important vitamin absorption.
Secondly, there is a problem of inaccurate portion control.
Human nature sometimes clouds our judgement and a “do
good attitude” may cloud our common sense. If one pinch
is good then two pinches of the supplementation will probably be thought to be better. It is very important to follow the
guide-lines for duration and amount that the vitamin suggests
you use. (Forbes 2000).
The supplements should be directed towards specific
requirements at specific times (i.e. growth/rearing, breeding,
moulting). The best supplements are ones which have been
formulated specifically for raptors and have had some form of
scientific research. Vita-hawk, for example, has been trialed
on a control population for safety. It was backed by serial
blood sampling that followed the effect the vitamin had at the
normal and at exceedingly high levels of supplement given
to a population of Red-tail Hawks (personnel communication
with Dr. Bill Ferrier). Of course, during periods of stress, the
basic feeding should be increased paying particular attention
to protein quality and quantity (Chitty 2008).
Many see improvement in breeding, moulting, growth and
performance; however, could we be seeing improvements
if we improved on a poor quality diet. Growth and rearing
could obtain a benefit from additional calcium vitamin D3
and a fat soluble vitamin mix. Supplementation of calcium,
vitamin D3 and vitamin E at least one month before breeding
can both benefit male and female raptors. During moulting,
a vitamin mix consisting of the essential amino acids and
fat soluble vitamins (especially vitamin A) may decrease the
duration of the moult and increase feather quality.
Probiotics may be used to decrease the harmful bacteria in
the gut which may become more plentiful at times of stress
such as manning or transport. Since the raptors gut is unfermenting it is unclear what role probiotic use may indeed do
for the body. Although, they indeed seem to cause no harm
and the electrolyte solution that is carried with the probiotic
powder may help as well.
The use of rangle, the deliberate feeding of stones, is
thought to cleanse the digestive tract of fat leaving the bird
hungrier and keener to hunt (Fox 1995 and 2000). This practise may be more problematic than beneficial (Chitty 2008).
Practising the use of rangle may cause serious gut damage or
obstruction and should be avoided. It is debatable whether it
indeed helps the bird’s digestive tract (Chitty 2008; Cooper
2002). In the Middle East, a dangerous practise of giving
falconry birds ammonium chloride to cleanse the digestive
system has resulted in a number of toxic deaths of raptors and
should be avoided (Chitty 2008).
32
The Imprint 2012
Chicken Egg
FOOD TYPE
CATEGORY
AGE
SEX
SAMPLE SIZE
PREPARATION METHOD No Shell
DOC
Strain 1
1 day
Male
DOC
Strain 2
1 day
Male
DOC
1 day
Male
DOC
1 day
Male
Whole
DOC
1 day
Male
200
Skinned
DOC
1 day
Male
200
De-yolked
Quail
(Male)
6 weeks
Male
3
Plucked
Quail
(female)
6 weeks
Female
3
Plucked
6 weeks
Mixed
18
Quail
65.1
65.6
67
Moisture (%)Gross
75.3
72.4
73.6
75
76.1
77.8
78.5
Energy (kcal/kg DM)
14700
6020
6000
6100
6162
6000
6042
0.8
62.2
24.2
7.4
1.36
1.0
1.1
62.5
23.4
7.1
1.24
0.94
60
28.1
7.1
1.2
0.9
59.2
26.9
8.1
1.4
0.9
2.8
69.3
20
8.8
Crude Fibre (%DM)
Protein (%DM)
Lipid (%DM)
Ash (%DM)
Calcium (%DM)
Phosphorus (%DM)
Trace
0.9
0.4
72.4
22.6
7.5
Quail
Vit E+
7 weeks
Mixed
100
Plucked
66.6
5565
64.9
33.2
9.6
71.6
28.3
12
47.4
25.8
10.3
3.8
3.3
58.7
27.8
13.5
19.6
Protein (g/100g)
Nitrogen (g/100g)
Lipid (g/100g)
Ash (g/100g)
12.5
17.3
14.9
10.02
5.4
1.8
4.3
1.9
Vitamin A-Retinol
(IU/100g)
Vitamin B1-Thiamine
(mg/100g)
Vitamin E-Alphatocopherol (IU/100g)
634
496.7
363.3
0.06
0.06
0.07
14
1.6
1.06
40.7
21.4
Ca:P ratio
0.28:1
1.36:1
1.32:1
Calcium (mg/100g)
Phosphorus (mg/100g)
Copper (mg/100g)
Iron (mg/100g)
Magnesium (mg/100g)
Manganese (mg/100g)
Zinc (mg/100g)
Sodium (mg/100g)
50
178
0.014
1.44
10
0.024
1.1
126
FOOD TYPE
CATEGORY
AGE
SEX
SAMPLE SIZE
PREPARATION METHOD
Rat
Weaner
5 weeks
Mixed
200
Moisture (%)
72.5
Gross Energy
(kcal/kg DM)
5756
Crude Fibre (%DM)
Protein (%DM)
Lipid (%DM)
Ash (%DM)
Calcium (%DM)
Phosphorus (%DM)
2.9
59.6
25.5
10.5
0.34
3.19
0.34
3.19
0.06
3.63
0.06
3.63
Rat
Rat
63.4
34.9
7.5
1.49:1
1.5:1
775
521
0.264
5.23
36
<0.1
2.96
370
Rat
Mouse
11 weeks
Mixed
75
Eviscerated
12 weeks
Male
3
65.6
68.3
66.9
5780
6305
2.4
62.8
22.1
10
2.06
1.48
1.3
62.1
31.5
6.6
11 weeks
Male
64.3
1.3:1
Mouse
64.4
23.7
9.2
6 weeks
Male
3
Plucked
44.8
41
10.3
2.3
1.5
2
56.7
26.9
9.5
1.94
1.4
Ca:P ratio
1.21:1
Calcium (mg/100g)
Copper (mg/100g)
Iron (mg/100g)
Magnesium (mg/100g)
Manganese (mg/100g)
Zinc (mg/100g)
Sodium (mg/100g)
1010
838
0.847
6.74
59.5
0.92
3.73
254
Chicken
42.7
46.5
7.8
1.7
1.2
0.02
0.25
4.33
Chicken
1.5
58.9
29.9
9.7
7.44
0.45
5.89
Mouse
1.7
56.1
24.9
10.4
2.38
1.72
0.21
0.13
4.3
24.7
0.29
3.5
Mouse
5.7
0.29
7.14
66
5930
13533
5930
4470
0.18
4.79
30.2
<0.1
2.14
114
0.302
11.24
75.3
0.85
5.43
6900
65734
2286
0.266
8.5
57.9
0.66
5.5
2140
1390
0.48
11.1
74.8
0.417
3.88
204
6500
4000
1.33:1
4361
5923
816.7
1.39:1
3286
5840
Vitamin A-Retinol
(IU/100g)
Vitamin B1-Thiamine
(mg/100g)
Vitamin E-Alphatocopherol (IU/100g)
10.1
1.54:1
66.5
9.9
3.2
15.6
4.5
67.7
11.3
2.1
1.33
7.93
64.4
7
2.9
21.05
4.16
66.9
19.5
3633.3
0.18
64.9
19.7
9.6
9010
Skinned
16.4
6824
6644
12 weeks
Mixed
200
Protein (g/100g)
Nitrogen (g/100g)
Lipid (g/100g)
Ash (g/100g)
0.31
3299
1.17:1
680
581
0.268
5.57
33.1
<0.01
2.89
371
Mouse
9.3
4.5
67.7
64
47.2
10.4
0.85
5.9
1.38:1
3208
0.38
7.64
43.2
0.53
4.4
0.8
8.46
0.41
4.77
1.51:1
2110
1400
0.549
13.3
72.2
0.709
4.87
273
1.2:1
1.5:1
1.39:1
2455
0.45
4.91
0.3
5.28
0.27
9.76
53.6
1.1
7.41
2012 The Imprint
33
Guinea Pig
FOOD TYPE
CATEGORY
10 weeks
AGE
Male
SEX
3
SAMPLE SIZE
PREPARATION METHOD decapitated
Sparrow
Pigeon
Pheasant
Crow
Rabbit
Hare
11
Plucked
Lean
Lean
Lean
Lean
Lean
68.38
72.2
72.4
69.6
74.2
74.8
Gross Energy
(kcal/kg DM)
5393
6100
5520
5780
5890
Crude Fibre (%DM)
Protein (%DM)
Lipid (%DM)
Ash (%DM)
Calcium (%DM)
Phosphorus (%DM
0.43
64.58
15.93
10.62
2.94
2.35
20.7
0
8.6
5
13
14.8
11.3
14.4
Moisture (%)
69.3
58.9
45.4
8.9
Washed
819
20.7
14.4
5.7
4.2
1.25:1
0.05:1
0.08:1
1.26
59.2
30
1.14
30
660
40
490
1999
2.98
Ca:P ratio
Calcium (mg/100g)
Copper (mg/100g)
Iron (mg/100g)
Magnesium (mg/100g)
Manganese (mg/100g)
Zinc (mg/100g)
Sodium (mg/100g)
Beef
1149
Protein (g/100g)
Nitrogen (g/100g)
Lipid (g/100g)
Ash (g/100g)
Vitamin A-Retinol
(IU/100g)
Vitamin B1-Thiamine
(mg/100g)
Vitamine E-Alphatocopherol (IU/100g)
Beef
2946
0.6
5.19
63.7
0.66
6.44
(Tables taken from BSAV Manual of Raptors, Pigeons and Passerine Birds, 2008, Permission by Dr. J Chitty)
Fitness and nutrition
Being fit suggests being ready to perform a specific job. By
training for a specific job, the hawk will have physical pressure
brought upon them. Fat stores will be gradually decreased and
muscle will gradually increase. A sound high-quality diet will
be limited in amount and time frame when it is available. Falcons that are required to chase their prey great distances must
be in shape for the strenuous activity and have the endurance
of a marathon runner. Game falcons that ring up and perform a
deadly stoop must be built more like a body builder with plenty
of weight to perform a savage blow to its prey. Accipiter’s and
Harris’ Hawks are sprinters which need both endurance and
power to pursue their prey in long deadly sprints (Fox 2000).
To understand fitness we must also understand what is occurring in the body and how it functions under physical stress.
To function at peak performance, a body needs a good blood
supply to flow to the muscles bringing oxygen and nutrients for
energy and taking away the waste by-products (i.e. lactic acid,
heat, carbon dioxide and water); thus the muscles may perform their task and not seize up. The seizing up of the muscles
results in muscle fatigue. The muscles can also fatigue when
34
The Imprint 2012
the body depletes its reserves of glycogen from the liver. When
all glycogen stores have been utilized leading to fatigue and
exhaustion, the body will require a longer time to recuperate,
often lasting several days before demands can be placed on it
for training or hunting.
The body has two main types of skeletal muscle fibre, red
muscle and white muscle. Red muscle is for endurance and
has fast and slow twitch fibres. Red muscle has a higher need
for oxygen and a lower need for glycogen. (Fox 1995). It is
used for power and is found more commonly in long flight
birds (i.e. racing pigeons and migrating birds). White muscle
is used for sprinting and is required for short bursts of speed
and power. Birds such as chicken have white breast muscle
for short fast bursts of flight and red muscle in the legs for long
walking physical activity on the ground. Rabbits, on the other
hand, have mostly white muscle in their major skeleton muscle
groups and are sprinters, whereas, hares are built with red
muscle for long endurance runs.
Aerobic training is often done while oxygen rich blood is
capable of delivering its fuel to the muscle such that oxygen
suffers no debt. If the muscle is working too hard such that
the demand for oxygen cannot be adequately supplied to the
muscles, the muscles are now working in an oxygen deprived
environment called anaerobic training. This anaerobic stress
near the “fit not fat” weight (Fox 2000). If the hawk is flown
fewer than 24 hours, it may stoop to the lure or do jump ups
but may not be keen enough to hunt. Larger hawks are flown
in combination with an appetite and weight system. The larger
hawks also need more attention to their weight and may hunt
well with one weight but refuse with another. Small hawks
are more appetite responsive and because of their very high
metabolic rate the weight must remain more constant and not
be allowed to have rapid weight reductions.
All birds will have a level of background fitness before
starting any fitness training. If the hawk is kept free lofted in
the mews, just the simple flight between perches will elevate
the fitness level before training is started. Once the hawk is
tethered, it should only be for a short time frame and a daily exercise routine could be woven into the hawk’s physical activity
for the day. Line tethering on a cable or a free lofting can help
the bird achieve its’ background level of fitness. Any tethering of the bird should be kept at a minimum and be used for
specific purposes.
A raptor is certainly motivated by its’ stomach but learns
through a series of repetitions and positive associations (Mc
Elroy 1999; Fox 2000). There is quite an array of different
training methods used and developed for falcons and hawks.
Some of the more common and traditional methods include
jump ups, the swing lure, kits and balloons. All of these
Illustration by Tom Goldsmith
can only be maintained for a short duration before lactic acid
builds up and fatigue quickly sets in. Fitness training is mostly
done in an aerobic environment where the blood flow to the
muscles is improved and the onset of fatigue and the time for
recovery is reduced. High levels of exercise, such as sprints,
push the body into the anaerobic level and are only used in confined exercises.
Once the moult has finished, the hawk will need to have the
right amount of muscling, little or no fat and a good appetite.
This condition will ensure that the hawk will fly strongly and
predictably. There are three ways of assessing the overall
condition of a bird: 1) the weight of the bird, 2) the feel of
the pectoral muscles and 3) its behaviour out of the mews. It
goes without saying that a good quality gram scale is what
is needed for weight monitoring and charting. As the bird’s
condition improves, the muscling along the keel will thicken
up. It is probably important to check the deep pectoral muscles
in the armpit area under the wing as well. If the hawk is either
too thin or too fat, the behaviour can be very similar. A hawk
which is unresponsive and unmotivated towards training and
prey may be out of condition.
To decrease the fat, you need to decrease the input energy
(food) below the amount of output energy (exercise). Once fat
is being lost, the weight will start to decrease. As the muscling
is being built up the weight will start to rise. The loss and gain
should occur at the same time so that the fitness is optimized.
It is believed that once the hawk has reduced its weight by ten
percent of its body weight, it can then be tamed and trained
(McElroy 1996). The theory McElroy states “works nicely
with peregrines but is too little weight reduction for accipiter’s,
Harris’ and Prairie falcons”, and may require 12 to 14 % reduction for training. To accomplish this, the falconer needs to have
some idea of what energy is being lost and what gain in energy
is obtained.
Different foods as we have seen have different energy gains.
Fresh warm food is higher in energy than cold thawed food.
Any fat in the prey can cause training setbacks; however, total
fat restriction should not be practised but periodic feeds of
controlled fat should be practised. As well, different animal
parts of the prey can have different energy gains. Red meat is a
good energy source; whereas white meat from rabbit can have
the same nutritional benefit as washed meat. The hawk species
(and size) will also dictate the amount of food and frequency
the bird is fed. Small hawks like sharp-shins, kestrels, and
merlins need to consume up to twenty-five percent of their own
body weight in food a day. Medium sized hawks (i.e. Harris,
Red-tail) need eight to fifteen percent and eagles need five to
six percent. The smaller the bird, the more it needs to eat and
more frequently. Eagles may eat only one to two days if given
a large quantity and may not eat for several days after this large
meal (Arent 2008; Fox 1995).
If the fitness training drastically reduces the hawk’s food
intake and does not increase the output energy, the bird will
lose weight but will lose fat and not build the muscling it needs
to hunt. A better way is to slowly decrease food intake and at
the same time increase the exercise so that calories are burnt
off. By monitoring the crop size, you can have an indication of
when it is the best time to fly. For the bird to work it must be
“So , I am out by the curb and this red Toyota pick up pulls up
and a fricken Harris’ shoots out the passenger window.”
2012 The Imprint 35
Many falconers understand that a varied whole
carcass diet suited for a wild falcon or hawk is still
the mainstay when feeding falconry birds.
methods can be adjusted to suit both hawk and falconer. As
the hawk progresses and becomes stronger, a slight variation
of the exercise can further enhance the strength of the hawk’s
fitness. Steve Layman has used a variety of strength training
with his birds and if time is short for a proper training session
or the days hunt did not meet the physical expenditure for the
raptor, the conditioning exercise can be used to round out the
days training (personal communication). The birds can become so conditioned to the training sessions that they will look
forward to these varied training methods. Layman has said that
birds doing 120 jump ups, then 120 jumps in a 20 minute time
limit, flew longer and stronger such that the falconer and bird
will have a deeper relationship which will improve the confidence that the bird will have in the hunt. Such novel training
methods as restrained pursuits, yoyos, high-jumps, get the bird
working and breathing harder, thus enhancing endurance and
decreasing recovery time.
Greg Thomas, the inventor of the “leash launcher” has taken
the use of chains and long lead ropes and made them into a
controlled strength training tool. By taking a long rubber
tube leash and filling it with lead shot, Thomas has made a
series of weighted leashes so that the falconer is able to adjust
the weight that the bird needs to pull up on their jump ups.
Thomas even has found that his Red-tails have better gripping
power as they are forced to pull themselves and the weight of
the lead up and onto the glove (personal communication). As
the bird’s condition improves, different weighted lines can be
added to increase the bird’s strength for short repetition just
as a body builder would use a series of weighted exercises to
enhance his/her muscular power. Both Layman and Thomas
feel that by conditioning the bird in a more controlled manner,
the bird can be kept at a higher body weight for hunting. They
agree that the reserve the birds have will put them in a more
determined and confident state in the hunt.
To fully examine all of the different training methods is
unfortunately beyond the scope of this paper. The reader is
encouraged to explore new and more novel approaches to
reaching the high level of fitness that one wants and desires to
achieve before reaching the hunting field.
In conclusion, raptor nutrition certainly needs to be studied
in a more scientific manner. Unfortunately what we know has
been studied in the field by biologists and little money is available for captive raptor nutritional studies. Many falconers understand that a varied whole carcass diet suited for a wild falcon or hawk is still the mainstay when feeding falconry birds.
Day-old chicks, the staple of many diets, are very nutritious,
good in energy and protein and have less fat than commercial
grade rodents. A raptor formulated supplement although safe
to use, should be used more during the stressful times in the
hawk’s life (i.e. moult, hunting and breeding). Adding varied
supplements should never be used to boost an inadequate diet.
Fitness training, using traditional and non-traditional methods
can produce a stronger and more powerful hunter. By becoming better fit, the raptor is maintained at a healthier and higher
hunting weight which will bring longer partnerships and success both in and out of the field with our hunting companions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ash, L. (2004), Nutrition and Training. In: The Modern Apprentice, web page.
Arent, R (2007), In Raptors in Captivity. Hancock House Publishing pp 61-72.
Chitty, J (2008), Raptor: Nutrition. In: BSAU Manual of Raptor, Pigeons and Passerine Birds, ed Chitty Jand Lierz M.
Pp 190-201. British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Gloucester.
Chitty, J, Ford S and Jones M (2008), Raptor Medicine Master Class In the Proceedings of the Association of Avian
Veterinarians, Savannah, Georgia, Aug 11-14 pp. 178-185.
Cooper JE (2002) Birds of Prey: Health and Disease. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Forbes NA and Cooper JE (1993) Fatty liver-Kidney Syndrome of Merlins. In: Raptor Biomedicine, ed. Pt Redig etal
pp 45-48, Chrion Publication, Keighley
Forbes NA and Flint CG (2000) Raptor Nutrition. Honeybrook Farm Animal Feeds, Evesham.
Fox N (1995) Understanding the Bird of Prey. Hancock House Publishers Ltd. Surrey B.C.
Fox N (2003) Fitness Training. In: Birds of Prey Management Series, Module Nine. Faraway Film Productions.
Heidenreich M (1997) Birds of Prey Medicine and Management. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
McElroy H (1996) Weight Control and Diet In: Desert Hawking: With a Little Help from my Friends. pp 157 to 180
Taylor R, Temple S and Bird DM (1991) Nutritional and energetic implications for raptors consuming starving prey.
Auk 108:pp718-718.
36
The Imprint 2012
PHOTO GALLERY
Liz Dubas photos
Golden X Harris’.
Ulrich Watermann left and Steve Shute compare the Golden with the Golden X Harris’.
2012 The Imprint 37
markwilliamsphotographer.com
PHOTO GALLERY
Hero pic of Mark William’s Peregrine and Hybrid.
Louise Engel photo
The snowgoose was no match for Gary Salinger’s gos.
MARTIN: Do you know who took the photo?
The Starling was not fast enough for Louise Engel’s kestrel.
38
The Imprint 2012
Inaugural Apprentice Workshop Day a Huge Success
By Tom Goldsmith
It seemed only fitting that in a year of firsts for the province
of Ontario’s falconry community, the Ontario Hawking
Club held its first apprentice workshop at the Mountsberg
Conservation Area in Campbellville, Ontario on August
11th. The rain that continued throughout the day kept
the 33 attendees inside the heritage school house, but the
weather did little to dampen the enthusiasm and interest of
the apprentices and would-be apprentices.
Topics covered during the day were specifically designed to introduce aspiring new apprentices to a thorough
introduction to the sport of falconry. Martin Gelenyse
opened the day’s workshop with an overall intro into the
art of flying raptors on wild game, general maintenance,
and a discussion of the sponsorship program. Louise Engel
followed the morning break with a summary of falconry
birds and health concerns and how to avoid them. After
a delicious spread of Burgers and salads put together by
Bronco Bob and Colleen Simmons, Doug Wilson and Dion
Thomson took over with discussions on hawking equipment that included everything from jesses and hoods to
perches and telemetry .
My own hen Red-tail, Roz was perched in the middle of
the school room throughout the days discussions and drew
particular interest in light of the recent wild take policy
changes that will see many apprentices trapping a passage
red-tail as their first birds. Attendees were additionally
treated to an informative hands on session when Doug and
Dion cast, hooded and jessed up two tiercel Harris Hawks
for Carole Precious.
As the participants readied to leave, I spoke with OHC
member David Brand. David has a good grasp on the commitment involved and his attendance at the workshop was
a testament to his commitment to learning. David added “ I
know that falconry is a constant learning curve. Anything I
can do to give myself a solid foundation for learning before
I get a bird is time well spent.”
The day proved to be a great success. As we cleaned up,
Martin seemed happy that the event was as well received as
it was. “Up until now those interested in falconry eventually came to a point in their reading and research that left
them no choice but to jump into the deep end of the pool
and see if falconry was for them. This event provides a
shallow end of that pool where prospective falconers can
test the waters to see if the falconry lifestyle is appropriate
for them” commented Gelenyse.
Louise Engle, who took on the task of organizing the
first ever event of its kind in Ontario, wishes to thank the
volunteers Dion, Doug, Tom, Martin and the ever helpful
Colleen and Bob for their hard work and enthusiasm. Louise is looking towards the spring of 2013 as a possible time
to make the next workshop available to interested parties
and is looking for help in making that a reality.
Top: Louise Engle discusses various raptor species for hunting. Middle: Doug
Wilson demonstrates how to hold a raptor jessing. Above: Wilson holds a male
HH as Dion Thomson fits it with jesses.
2012 The Imprint 39
Eye to the Sky in Kitchener-Waterloo
By Dave Doughty
A
s two falconers who live and/or
spend a great deal of time in the
K-W area, Martin Geleynse and I
often wondered why we had never seen a
pair of breeding Peregrine Falcons in this
area. Given the mass explosion of breeding birds in every major city in Ontario,
why not here? Everything seemed to be
in place: lots of pigeons and starlings and
doves, with the city surrounded by farm
fields, and high rise buildings to nest on.
I have worked in and around this area
for the last twelve years and have always
kept an eye to the skies when driving
through the city. I often find myself in
elevator machine rooms – a great vantage
point on the rooftops of the tall buildings
where peregrines might be nesting. Over
the last few years, I have seen the odd
peregrine flying around the downtown
Kitchener area but have never spotted a
pair of birds sitting together.
This spring we took over the contract
at 55 King Street, so one morning in May
I was driving into Kitchener to meet the
tech who would be maintaining the building’s elevators and the superintendent of
maintenance of the building. Still a couple
blocks away, I noticed a peregrine sitting
on the building. Then as I got closer, I
noticed there was another falcon on one
of the ledges way up high near the top.
Could this be a pair of Peregrines finally
nesting in Kitchener?
How cool was it, going to be to have
access to the roof to keep an eye on these
birds! Since I was early for the meeting,
I jumped into the elevators and took a
quick ride up to the 12th and uppermost
floor. Once up there, I wasted no time
checking out all the sides, nooks and crannies for signs that the birds had chosen
a ledge. Most of the falcons in Southern
Ontario had laid eggs by now so I was
hoping to see the female nesting.
Upon examination, there were lots of
feathers and a flicker cached in the corner.
But no female sitting tight on her eggs.
This was obviously a hangout for the
40
The Imprint 2012
male to do a little showing off to his lady
friend and bring her food. So where were
they nesting? I wondered whether the
male had chased away an earlier suitor to
the female or were these birds too young
and would fail to nest this year. Although
I looked for signs of them whenever I was
around the area, I never spotted them on
any of the nearby buildings. Then, about
a week later, I spotted the two of them
on the tallest building in the K-W area. I
called Martin right away to let him know
I had spotted these birds on the SunLife
building so he could keep an eye on
things as well.
Fortunately, my company also does
maintenance on the elevators in this building. So up again I went to the top floor
to check things out. As luck would have
it, the 19th floor was under renovations
so I was able to check out all the ledges
by walking the perimeter of the floor and
looking through the large windows. I
could see it was just like the other building; lots of feathers and small bird parts
littered the ledges outside the windows.
The problem for me at this building was
that I didn’t have access to the roof. After
a conversation with security, I did manage
to get the keys, but they turned out to be
the wrong keys. Oh well, I would just
have to try again in a week or so as not
to be too pushy about it, after all they are
our clients.
Before long, the building elevator tech
knew all about the falcons because that
was all I talked about while I was there.
About a week later, I received a call from
him. He and another employee had been
working late with a crew installing new
smoke alarms in the elevator machine
room. There was a sliding door leading
out to a balcony, and when one of smokealarm guys stepped out for a cigarette,
the pair of falcons went off on this guy,
screaming and stooping him. That was
all I needed to hear to be certain that they
had picked this rooftop as their nest site.
I called Martin to share the news. He
notified the MNR out of Guelph, and they
wasted no time in contacting the Bentall
property management group and Sunlife
personnel to set up a meeting to get access to the rooftop.
A few days later I was a part of the
crew that made its way on to the roof to
find the nest site. I checked the most likely spots but couldn’t believe where this
young adult falcon had laid her eggs. The
spot was so bad that one of the eggs had
rolled across the roof only to be broken.
We found one 18-day-old male sitting on
the actual roof under a 10 inch wide by18
inches high I-beam. This I-beam was the
only cover against the heat and rain. He
was banded after a few days and a group
of people came together to form a watch
group, falcon-sitters if you will. I am still
amazed this bird was alive. I was sure he
would not survive to fly the skies above
that tall building one day but he proved
me wrong.
Now the guesswork started as to when
the young tiercel would make his first
flight. The falcon watchers set up camp
in the parking lot but were a week early
before he finally launched. The probable reason this little guy took longer to
get going was that he had no siblings to
awaken his competitive spirit. He was
an only child and sort of a stay-at-home
spoiled child, since he was getting all
the food and all the attention. Why leave
and spoil a good thing? But nature and
maturity finally got those wings moving.
He did a lap around the roof to get some
food, but even then did not do much else
but work on his tan. The poor falconsitters would have been bored out of their
minds, but at least the parents put in some
decent airtime. The youngster finally left
the nest site when his parents forced the
issue, so hopefully the first wild peregrine
raised in K-W will be spotted again next
spring and in the years to come with a
mate of his own.
A Treatise of Modern Falconry
By James Campbell
134 pp
Edited by Walter Huston
Published in 1773, Edinburgh Scotland
Reprinted in 2003, Ranchester Wyoming USA
Review by Yukio Yamada
The preface page is a kiss-ass letter to the Earl of Eqlintoune
by Campbell. This first page gives the reader a glimpse into
the author’s character. The book has 40 chapters. Chapters
vary from a half-a-page to four pages. Before publication,
Campbell submitted the manuscript to a Reverend A. Gilles
for his opinion. According to Joseph Haslewood, the editor of
the 1810 reprint of The Book of St. Albans, Gilles added a lot
of non-practical text to the Introduction that Huston gratefully
omitted. Huston wrote in the Postscript that perhaps it wasn’t
just Campbell and/or Gilles but also the wine talking. However, there were moments in the introduction where it comes
alive. Take this passage:
But firearms were at length invented; and this invention
introduced as remarkable an alteration into sporting as it
did into the art of war. The sportsman had hitherto drawn
his pleasure from observing the various surprising turns of
the chase or flight, and, when he obtained it, he was little
mortified that the hare or woodcock made its escape at last
from his hounds or hawk. This is the true idea which the
sports of the field are qualified to afford; but the idea was
gradually lost after guns were made of easy carriage and
pointers trained to find out game. Sport came now to be
confined entirely to the act of putting the game to death;
and a man measured the liveliness of his diversion according to the animals he had slain. But, still, no birds were yet
killed which kept in cover, and, therefore the game continued to be plentiful enough for every kind of sporting. This
new idea, however, of sport made hawking decline; because
a good marksman could procure more of this bloody sort of
amusement from his gun than a hawk.
Huston had the unenviable job of adapting an old text into
modern English. He had to weigh through much scholarly text
for the aficionados of 18th century English literature – probably most of it from Gilles.
The book gives the reader a look into practical falconry
of that time. Much has not changed and much has changed.
One of the things that hopefully is no longer in practice is
what the author calls “enseaming.” This barbaric practice
involves forcing five or six pebbles down the throat of the
raptor and then giving the bird castings (feathers and bones of
small birds, or a wing of a larger bird or hare’s foot washed
in water). The bird casts this out the next morning and this is
suppose to cool the bird. OHC member and vet, Scott Craig
said, “The thought was for the stones to move around and remove the mucous from the wall of the stomach (proventriclus
and ventriculus), resulting in better absorption of food and to
enhance hunting performance.
It was believed that when the bird started to loose their
field performance enseaming (by introducing rangle/
stones,pebbles) would clean/purge the bird out of this mucous
build up. Mucous during the 1700’s was thought to come from
a build up of heat, similar to what is understood in Traditional Chinese Medicine today. The mucous/heat needed to
be cleansed periodically to ensure better performance.” Craig
wonders how many birds lost their lives because of an intestinal blockage. He would not advise this and knows of no one
practicing enseaming today. Speaking of “blockage” Craig
also added “I would also be careful when giving large pieces
of food to our bird as well. I have talked to other veterinarians
who have had to remove bunny spines and large bone fragments from over zealous and hungry hawks”.
Chapter 40 is “Of Diseases of Hawks and their Cure.” In
9773, medicines were made from herbs and other naturally
occurring substances. Generally, the secrets of their applications were guarded as they were passed down for generations.
It is not recommended that the reader use these remedies, it
is clear that they were based on a long-standing knowledge
of natural healing. It is interesting reading about the various healing properties of the ingredients cited. Interestingly
Campbell does not mention using honey.
Thanks to Huston, this book is a good read. This book is
available at: westernsporting.com
2012 The Imprint 41
By Louise Engel
Shameless-Lazy Falconry
W
ith all of his usual concentration, Amadeus went powering
out of the truck window and
grabbed the starling just as it was lifting off the ground. Glancing around, he
sized up the landscape before lifting off to
carry his quarry to a safe place to eat. He
always carries.
Carhawking always strikes me as more
of an ambush than a hunt, but I have
done it for years with my tiercel Harris’,
Amadeus. I bought him in 2003 and have
flown him on a variety of quarry, settling
eventually on starlings that are taken ‘out
the window’.
This style of hawking hasn’t always
felt like a good fit. My hawk has always
carried- carried regularly and carried
far. Perhaps it’s his own predisposition
because he was the smallest one in the
clutch, or possibly it was due to my own
inexperience in his early training, but
from the very beginning, I have struggled
with this habit. A strong affinity to the
lure has helped with retrieval a few times
but was of little use when he carried his
avian quarry into a large patch of poison
ivy, or onto a small island in the middle
of a marsh, or up into a drainage culvert,
or under someone’s car (yes, they were
in the car), or into a garage/barn/shed/
chicken coop, under a front porch or into
a cedar hedge (“Excuse me ma’am, but
just what are you doin’ in there?’). Well,
you get the idea. I live in the country and
don’t fly in urban environments if it can
be avoided. But HH’s are known as the
canine equivalent of the golden retriever
and so far, inshallah, he has always come
back safely.
In fact, in an interesting combination
of behaviours he has begun to carry and
to come back, and now he flies right into
the truck with his quarry. The 2012 season
marks the third year that he has regularly
carried his avian prey back into the truck,
landing on my glove, and proceeding to
pluck and eat on my fist.
To say that this is convenient only
begins to cover it. Not only have I given
up crawling around in ditches and hedges
42 The Imprint 2012
trying to retrieve or even
locate the bird, but for the
first time we can regularly
take multiple head of game.
Furthermore, I have learned
how to trade him off of his
quarry in the truck and usually I’m able to stuff the starling, which is
still alive-and-kicking, into a sparrow trap
that I keep on the passenger side of the
vehicle. The sparrow trap is covered with
a blanket and these days, with any luck,
each outing results in 3-4 live quarry for
later consumption. I realize that I have
reached a new low in lazy falconry- I
don’t even get out of the truck on most
days- but I’m willing to live with the
shame.
If I could tell you how to train a bird
to do this, I would. But there has been no
formal training and only a bit of luck and
coincidence have resulted in this behaviour. The first time that Amadeus carried
back to me was a couple of years ago. He
had grabbed a starling on the open front
lawn of a large country property and as
I slowed the vehicle to a stop in front of
the house, a dog in a kennel behind the
garage began to bark. Amadeus hates
dogs and he knows that when we are in
the truck he is safe from them and that
we move away from them quickly. So he
looked around for a safe place to carry his
lunch, because he always carries, and he
saw the truck and came back to it. I happened to be inside and provided a convenient perch from which to eat. Needless to
say, I was pretty pleased with this turn of
events and I let him crop up completely. I
really thought that we were on to something and I was very hopeful that this
would be repeated the next time we were
out. It turned out that I had to wait several
weeks, although when it happened again
the circumstances were very similar.
Amadeus had once again taken a starling
in a relatively open area when a red-tailed
hawk suddenly screamed at him. I never
did see the red-tail, but Amadeus came
right back to the safest place he could
find– the inside of the truck. Other than
those couple of times, he continued to
carry into cover and then jealously guard
his prey from me as I approached. Tidbitting, bribery and sweet-talking were all
meaningless to him. Once I could get
close enough, I would toss down a lure
and he would grab it, even if it meant letting go of his prey. I would then pick him
up and walk back to the truck where he
would finish eating.
In 2010, the first starling of the season
was taken on the lawn in an industrial
area where there was no cover at all
nearby. I leaned across the cab and out the
passenger side of the vehicle, blew my
whistle and waved my glove. He looked
around, didn’t see any better offers, and
flew directly to me. This time the behaviour stuck, and he returned with almost
every starling that he took that season,
enjoying his freshly caught meal while
perched on the glove inside the truck. It
makes for a lot of feathers in the cab.
We only took singles last year, with a
few doubles near the end of the season.
I was adamant that he shouldn’t feel
robbed, and was just happy not to have
the drama of chasing around for him after
each flight. Near the end of the season it
occurred to me to try and trade him off
and keep the starlings alive.
These days we usually stop at four head
when we go out. I end it there because
I tidbit generously when he brings his
quarry back to me, and after three large
snacks I am concerned that his attention
is fading. I don’t want to get too greedy
about headcount and revert to smaller
tidbits with the risk of having him feel
robbed. I wouldn’t enjoy going back to
looking in the cedar hedges for him- that
might mean that I would have to get some
exercise. With any luck Amadeus will
continue to be my golden retriever for
many years to come.

view full PDF. - Harris Media Group

Transcription

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