Falconry is an ancient art: In the past, falconers used their birds to get food. At present, this purpose is not the primary one, since domesticated birds of prey are used to prevent accidents at airports, as they very effectively disperse flocks of birds that fly over runways.
They are also used, although in a different way, by implanting nests of goshawks, falcons and other falcon species, in high-rise and emblematic buildings in the main cities of the world. The Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is an example of a place where the building is protected by falcons that prevent pigeons from nesting and dirtying Gaudí's magnum opus. Read on to find out how to get started in falconry
What you should consider before adopting a bird of prey
If you have ever considered adopting a bird of prey, you should know that two essential requirements and many other very necessary ones are required:
The first requirement is to consider whether you will have the resources of time, space, and enough money to keep a falconer of prey in good condition. conditions for 365 days a year and for a period of more than ten years. The writer Miguel Delibes was once invited to a falconry conference and his host defined Falconry as: "A voluntary form of slavery."
The other essential requirement will be to have all the papers in order inherent to your bird of prey. They are documents managed by each autonomous community (part of them), and others at the state level. If the documentation is not in order, serious sanctions can occur
Necessary requirements to own a bird of prey
Before adopting a bird of prey, it is very advisable to read a lot about the subject. In public libraries you will find plenty of free information.
In this way, the information acquired will serve as a guideline to understand what type of raptor you should adopt. Depending on the places to which you can access, you will assess if a bird is better to hunt other birds on the fly; or a bird of prey that hunts rabbits or hares on land is preferable.
Previous attendance at falconry exhibitions and competitions will allow you to determine if you are interested in falconry, or whether you are passionate about it. If the latter happens, you will have to find a teacher. It will be very convenient for an experienced falconer to teach you the correct handling of the bird of prey. There are falconry associations for it, where they will inform you properly.
Sexual dimorphism of raptors
As happens in many other birds, female raptors are larger than males and therefore have greater strength. The males, however, being lighter, enjoy a more agile flight. A clear example is the goshawk: a male will not be able to with a rabbit or a hare, the female will. Although, however, the male will catch other birds in flight better than the female.
There are different species of raptors of various sizes, weights, characters, with different degrees of complexity and demanding care. It is advisable when starting out in falconry, to adopt raptors that are easy to train and resistant to our inevitable failures due to inexperience.
Harris's Hawk (photo) is highly recommended for beginners, as it is highly intelligent, sociable, easy to train and hardy, thanks to its slow metabolism.
Metabolism of raptors
Rapacists with fast metabolisms are much more delicate than those with slow metabolisms. Daily control of the raptor's weight is essential to control its he alth A small weight loss can greatly reduce the he alth of certain birds with accelerated metabolism, such as: the European Sparrowhawk.
A nutritional peculiarity of birds of prey is that they must eat meat with feathers and bones, or with hair and bones. After hours they regurgitate the Egragopila, which are the undigested remains of bones, feathers or hair. It is imperative that the bird of prey vomits this material before giving it food again, it could get seriously ill
Food, habits and care of falconers of prey
Fowl for human consumption - chicken or quail - are not suitable for feeding raptors. The bird of prey consumes raw food, which is why it is sensitive to the bacteria that these foods carry, which are destroyed when they are cooked for human consumption.
Predators need specific foods that must be purchased frozen, such as: day-old chicks.
The water must be renewed daily to avoid pathogens.
To maintain their he alth, raptors must sunbathe daily, which allows them to absorb vitamin D, necessary for proper bone calcification. They also need to be able to fly every day to properly exercise their muscles.
The environment and all the tools belonging to the falconer and the raptor must be scrupulously disinfected weekly.
Falconies of prey are not pets
Falconies of prey are not pets to use. They hate being touched and it is very convenient that a single person attends to all their needs. Currently all birds of prey intended for falconry are born in captivity, but there are two breeding modalities: parental and imprinted.
The parental birds of prey have been raised in captivity, but together with their parents. Therefore, we must earn their trust, since at first they see us as possible predators
Imprinted Raptors have been raised in direct contact with humans since the beginning, so our presence does not scare them as they also consider themselves to be our own species
The behavior of the parents is similar to that of wild specimens and it is more difficult to train them, but once their trust is achieved, the relationship is more harmonious.
Imprints are easier to train, but they can be more aggressive and try to impose their hierarchy on us by considering us their peers. They can also chirp requesting food from us considering us their perpetual fathers or mothers, something that a parent will never do. Even in mating season imprinted birds of prey can come to insinuate themselves.
