Falconry: Micro hawking. The future of falconry?

[@sprwhwk]

Just getting into micros! I have some Cooper’s hawk experience at the moment but I’m going to go pick up my new musket sparrowhawk within the next few days! Very excited!

[@richardthompson3296]

Good luck with the spar

[@FamfritFW]

I'm only an armchair enthusiast of the sport, but personally I specifically fell in love with the american kestrel, and would be happy if that was the only bird I ever flew.

[@bsdoweidt]

Ben, will you be doing any new podcasts soon? I enjoyed hearing those too.

[@tylerreed610]

Tbh in my area, flying a merlin to work starlings is just useful

[@thomasbergeaux2647]

Here in the South Eastern US we are primarily Squirrel hawkers with most people flying red tails but a good number of Harris’ too. I only know of only a couple people actively flying a kestrel. Its hard to beat a good squirrel hawk

[@gecko2738]

Squirrel hawk?

[@thomasbergeaux2647]

@@gecko2738 squirrel hawking. Hawking squirrels with red tails or harris’

[@thomasbergeaux2647]

@@TheClamy8911 Louisiana in the United States

[@thomasbergeaux2647]

@@TheClamy8911 RT

[@carlobrigante4764]

It is amazing to see any bird of prey up close, on a hunt. Another great informational video. Ben, could you do a video on owls in falconry? I've seen some videos of falconers with great horned owls hunting game in cemeteries. Pretty wild

[@sauronthegreat489]

He has two actually. Even one on micro owls.

[@tonipanadero6655]

Thanks for sharing your opinion. A Spaniard from the emerald island of Ireland

[@julius3991]

Thank you for discussing this. I recently felt a surge of excitement with a swoop by of a Merlin hawk! It is reassuring to learn the amazing skills we can witness from smaller hawks.

[@BeneathTheGold]

I love Bens intros. This one started off at a snowy pine forest and ends in what I assume is an Arazona desert

[@keerthivasannambiraju955]

You should talk about the taita falcon and its potential in falconry and hawking

[@ronaldgressens7736]

Hello I am a falconry from belgium and I have flown difirent big falcons but this year I am Going to train an american kestrel on sparrows and starlings,because of the little amount of Spaces to fly big falcons like Peregrines and sakers,greatings ronald

[@buddyosborne9174]

I would like to learn falconry but I don't know were to find someone teach me

[@TheFlightlessBird13]

I totally agree with you. In germany it was only legal to hunt with goshawk, peregrine or golden eagle (or use "exotic" birds like harris or gyr) and now they managed to legalize sparrow haws as hunting birds. I´ve worked with many different birds now and most of the old falconers are like "goshawk is the only real hunting bird and even harris hawks are just toybirds". As there are many corvids here enjoing the countryside humans created I´d love to fly a pair of aplomados, trying to hunt magpies with them.

[@pasqualeservaas7111]

I love the way you speak of falconry and new developments within it ✨

[@keystonepirate2534]

Red tail and kestrel are the two ❤

[@angelo8516]

Falconry in all its forms, either with the larger, mid-sized or Micro-Falconry Raptors,🦅🦉 is still connecting with the Natural World🏞 and still using, for the most part, techniques that have been passed down for generations. Long live the inspirational✨ and spectacular🎆 Sport/Art/Lifestyle that we know as Falconry!🌌🏞🦅🕊 Peace!✌ Ciao!👍

[@pacodogtule]

Used to catch flies with my Mantis.… 30 minutes after catching the PrayingMantis. They learnt fast!

[@pacodogtule]

I was 5

[@francoisquintal2784]

Québec province (Canada) here! Most of the open country is private and cultivated intensly... there is not mutch prey for longwings except for ducks. Micro hawking is great, mostly since we can catch passage merlins! I fly my redtail on cottontail and have lot of fun. Sadly, squirrel is not a legal prey here :( Most public lands are dense boreal forest, takes a couple hours of driving and offers good quantity of snowshoe hare and ruffed or spruce grouse.

[@Sipuli007]

Thank you for your great videos Ben! Im from Finland and we dont have falconry culture here in my country at all. But i work in zoo and we have one Falco tinnunculus and i would love to start flying it with lure.

[@filipgm6046]

Hello make sure to check with the laws, i believe falconry is actually banned in some northern european countries! If it is not the case in Finland good luck with your kestrel!

[@GURWINDER_RAI]

Shikra and Trumti (Falco chicquera) are two local micro hawks which hunt for collecting food for larger hawks. Merlin and sparrowhawk are two migrant micro hawks which hunt for rather sport cuz they are the most athletic of their kind . Shikra is the most versatile hawk in my opinion ; when it can hunt larger prey such as young peafowl. That's why Indian subcontinental falconers keep a shikra before owning a larger hawk.

[@BrettFox]

I hear you say this a lot, but here in NC, you would be hard pressed to find a sponsor that would let you start on anything other than a red-tailed hawk.

[@a_g8s7007]

I've seen the same thing in FL and TX. I was told by people who apprenticed with micros that they don't recommend it and had multiple people say a micro's weight management is too hard for all apprentices. I do think that not all apprentices should start with micros and not all sponsors may be equipped to teach someone about flying micros; it should be a long discussion regarding available land, quarry type, apprentice schedule, hawking style, and risks to the micro. With housing prices being so high and also having the weathering yard requirement, I realize that if I want to fly a falconry bird while renting I'd most likely have to fly a kestrel because I doubt most people are going to let me house a RT, especially since most landlords are so strict with pet policies (dogs/cats only, weight limits, exotic restrictions, aggressive breeds, pet rent, ect). Yes, I could try to sneak a RT in, but that would give the landlord a very easy reason to evict me, which goes on my record and could prevent me from renting in the future. I also know there is the remote facility option, but almost everyone I know keeps their mews/ birds on their property. I don't know people since I moved and I can't really go ask neighbors since most people have no solicitation signs posted and likely don't want the liability or deal with possible build permits associated with a mews.

[@georgeblanco436]

For good or bad it has to do with the changing landscape. I believe prey populations are declining and suitable areas to practice Falconry with big hawks is becoming much more difficult to find. There’s towns in Florida were there is no additional areas for a new falconer to find rabbits or squirrels that are not already spoken for.

[@scoopsbird7430]

What about tiny hairy owls like scops owls and boreal owls? Would they make great furry little hunting companions?

[@kurtniznik8116]

Are Bat Falcons used in falconry? I would think they would be great birds to hunt with. In the wild they seem like a faster, more powerful version of a merlin.

[@Sunsaintsandwaves]

Thanks for sharing, Ben! If someone wants to do both micro hawking and fly something like a Goshawk, is there a better one to start with?

[@richardthompson3296]

I have only flown micro Hawks. I love that I can hunt on the way to work or after. Small bird's are amazing to fly. I am raising a imprint female sharpie right now and can't wait to hit the Field's. Great video as always. 👍

[@sauronthegreat489]

Do they do okay waiting while you work??

[@richardthompson3296]

@@sauronthegreat489 My small falcons have all done great at work. I bring a small enclosure that they can see out of but are protected. If we hunted in the morning they are fat and happy all day. If hunting after work they get a little restless as hunting time rolls around. Generally I hood them up for the last two hours till hunting time.

[@richardthompson3296]

@@sauronthegreat489 last year with my Merlin I would lure fly in the morning and she would eat a sparrow . Then after work we would hit the field hunting and she would get another sparrow to finish out the day. Funnest falconry I have done to this point.

[@TheUltraBeast1]

All I wanna do is have a large falcon, gyrs and sakers are just my favorite raptors. I see Steve Chindgren's gyr peregrine mixes hunt sage grouse and it blows me away. I almost got a sponsor that flew longwings like a year ago but he was still too worried about covid unfortunately. maybe this season!

[@chuckr1951]

Micro hawking with Merlins and Kestrels has to be stressful with the proliferation of Cooper's Hawks.

[@jackkrell4238]

Their would certainly be an increase in the predation rate which might perturb micro-hawkers who fly their birds in regions that overlap with cooper's hawk territories. Unfortunately, with the constant gentrification of natural environments and society's gradual shift to a more metropolitan lifestyle, some people might not have the pleasure of experiencing long winging with large falcons.

[@emay1328]

Here in North Texas, I was able to pick my slips in wide open spaces and kept them reasonably short. I stayed away from any tree lines or housing. I only had one close call when a Coopers did a fly-by after I had picked my Kestrel and her catch up.

[@BeneathTheGold]

You mentioned watching your merlin chasing a starling and the exhilaration of watching it and it made me think of the quote you said a few months ago…. “In the end your life won’t be measured by how many breaths you’v taken but by the moments that took your breath away.” All the moments that have taken my breath away in life have been linked with nature…. Finding a freshly fledged nest of peregrine falcons (4 young and 2 adults) in the early 80’s when they where considered on the very verge of extinction in my whole country. That may not be a memorable moment to some but to an 8 year old kid obsessed with birds when you could only see drawings of them in books. Not even pictures! Drawings! The particular moment that made me link your merlin, starling moment with your quote was one summer we where standing round our back garden chatting and just casually watching the little blue tits that had just fledged from of our next box’s fluttering atop the hedge when they all flew for the cover of a single big ole Scotts pine in our neighbours garden. All but one. My father and i watched in awe as we saw a single male sparrow hawk skim along the top of the hedge row that linked many gardens and just popped the little blue tit off the top of the hedge with a single leg barely missing a beat and we watched it fly off into the woods at the edge of that row.the little blue tit hadn’t even seen it coming. I dont do falconry (still love your videos though) so that little snippet of life and death going on in my own garden certainly took my breath away.

[@kevinp5179]

Hello Ben am am a new falconer just got my license this year I was wondering what is the best Chanel or book for medical care for falconry I am trying to get the best knowledge I can before I get my first bird?

[@jameswych8030]

How old does a kestrel have to be before you can drop there weight for training

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

Not sure the age bu the numbers. But usually I don’t do any serious weight management until all the feathers have completely grown in, and the shafts have hard penned and the blood has retreated out of the shafts and back into the body.

[@keto-adhd3061]

I'm in the UK, rabbit population is very low, I fly 2 Harris hawks, I want to fly a sparrowhawk for partridge and magpies. The UK is a small place and Getting land to hunt on is difficult for larger BOP to find kills for them.

[@liviut.7919]

Here is Romania, a country with hunders of year of falconry as a leagacy, falconry is forbiden. Even so I would like pretty much a Kestrel to be able to take care of it and fly.

[@alkonost8459]

Here in central Europe are mostly used kestrels and sparrowhawks. In fact many falconers are sceptic about hobbies(mosty because in older books about its described as really runaway bird, and you dont find it in new ones.... Neither its inpossible to find breeder of those) You got any experience with "eurasian hobby"?

[@alkonost8459]

Oh, and cause more and more rare small game people here seems to mostly switching to goldens, to hunt roe deers.

[@Africa1000]

In England during the Middle Ages hobbies were used to "dare" larks. It involved simply flying hobbies over an area and literally "daring" the larks to fly. Often the larks would prefer to stay on the ground rather than face a hobby. The falconers would simply cast a net over the ground to trap the larks. Why larks you may wonder? Well, larks tongues were a delicacy in those days. In modern days hobbies are considered too small and would often be easily distracted by dragonflies rather than concentrate on the lure or serious falconry.

[@AriesLT]

Not a falconer myself, but it seems like the Ohio falconry club mainly flies redtails Harris hawks and the occasional goshawk, but many of the falconers are in more rural areas. With the emphasis on picking your game before your bird I am surprised there aren't more people into microhawking, but it seems there are not too many falconers in the northeastern (more urban) part of the state. I think one big downside is the risk of other birds. There are a lot of stories on the internet of people with their precious sharp shinned hawks or aplomados that end up being killed by red tails or Cooper's hawks. I give the people all the props for being honest, but it sure is a bucket of cold water on the thought of having your own small bird.

[@chriskitchen4772]

I have to agree with you that micro hawking is most likely the future of falconry. Where I live there has been enormous urban growth and there are fewer places to fly a large hawk. I would like to mention to the people who are considering falconry that it is a LIFESTYLE. It is NOT a hobby. One who has a bird is caring for it MOST OF THE TIME. The bird is a preditor and should be used for hunting ( not a "pet" ). Also, the small hawks and falcons are NOT for beginner falconers as weight management could mean life or death for these birds. Just my 2 cents as an ex falconer who practiced it many years ago.

[@davemyers7507]

Cool 😎 information I hunt a African Merlin female on starlings hear in California

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

ThT must be epic to see!!!

[@littlewigglemonster7691]

Some very weird gatekeeper type behavior in falconry. I just recently contacted with someone to apprentice ( didn't go through with it ). Asked about kestrels ( one of the legal birds to apprentice with ) he said the obvious about weight. But then he went on a rather long rant how i needed to start with a proper bird aka red tail and catch some REAL game with it etc. Ive been struggling to bother continuing down this path so many people are so discouraging and very rude. If you dare to just ask them a question or question what they are saying out of curiosity you always get the "because I said so" answers. Don't you dare ask them the wrong question or all hell breaks lose.

[@StoneE4]

Ben, off topic question here (and I don't know if a response would warrant time in a video) but I'm interested nonetheless... Have you ever tried putting up bird houses or nesting platforms with the intention of attracting birds of prey to an area? If so, what did you use and how did it go?

[@banshee880]

I do it all the time in my neighborhood of Pleasanton California. I have tons of finches and doves year round, along with downy woodpeckers and sparrows during their respective shifts in resident territory throughout the year. With the influx of these birds durning feeding season so too come the hawks. The Cooper’s hawk loves to strife the backyard scattering the birds to the heavens and into the glass windows of my home. Knocked out, the hawk lands near by and walks over to pick up its dumb struck dinner. This year a red shouldered and red tailed hawk each took two squirrels from my backyard. The Cooper’s hawk also will land on my fence to scope out my little back yard in suburban Bay Area.

[@robertfaucher3750]

I've wanted to get into falconry to fly a Stellars Sea Eagle. But to be honest we in the northeast need urban falconers to put a dent in the invasive bird populations

[@scoopsbird7430]

What about me?

[@nathanaeltummers1906]

Well, I would love to fly small male Cooper's hawk, Sparrowhawk and pygmy owl, but when you talk about that in Europe, they're usually saying "you should take a female" or "you should take a bigger bird" ... because you would catch better prey But in my opinion, I'm not hunting with birds to feed myself, in our time food is not an issue, I'm hunting so the bird fulfill his natural behavior and eat the prey he's usualy hunting in the wild

[@ricardovanleeuwen7675]

In my country we are unfortunatly only alowed to hunt with goshawks and peregrines

[@junchan_3200]

I am currently back at mainland China where falconry has a lot of rich history but the training and husbandry was very outdated and also because it is totally illegal most people don’t get to know what falconry is, they only think that it is cool and abuse animal(In some folklore you have to force the bird to not sleep and eat for days before it gets acclimated to you, And the only way people get to know falconry is through these folklore, so even falconers abuse animals as they think it is necessary ). Here We also have the aspect of small birds are toys, cuz people only want to fly sakers goshawks and golden eagle, That makes the illegal pouching of small Raptors turns into massacres. Recent years antifalconry is growing in high speed, and old time abusive falconers are still present. Modern falconry have a long way to go here, maybe hundreds of years before it could get to the stage here at the US.

[@tyresesp9696]

Ben great video! But how about nano falconry with shrikes? Hopefully a video on your thoughts on this topic. Unconventional like hunting with an owl but still hunting!

[@jonahmcbride934]

As s kid, I use to trap and train shrikes. I had blast catching grasshoppers with them. I dought if it is legal these days? It was really fun, and I think they are such beautiful birds.

[@tyresesp9696]

@@jonahmcbride934 they are extremely fun. I had a shrike as well that was tenacious enough to take birds, but we mostly hunted mice and lizards. I dont know what the legality is there where you live, but where I'm from theyre often trapped in songbird traps that poachers use to make a living. Or children take their nests and play with the chicks. Often ending up in my care. Ive trained 3 imprints, and released 5. They do quite well in the wild as their instincts kick in pretty quick.

[@brushwolf]

Warning to all falconers; I have been a falconer for nearing 30 years. I have mostly hunted with Harris' and Red-tails and have almost exclusively hunted Jackrabbits. The Rio Grande Valley in Texas at one time was a mecca for Jack's and many out-of-the-area hunters agreed, comparing it to Southern California. About 5 years ago I started to get word that coursing hound hunters were coming from other parts of the state to have tournaments here, invited by the few hound hunters that were here. I have learned over the years that most do not have permission to hunt where they conduct these competitions and the few that I have talked to have no sense of conservation. These people were killing sometimes 10+ Jack's in a day. They have absolutely DECIMATED the jack population here. At one time in the late nineties and early 2000s it was common to have ten or more slips on Jack's in an evening. In 2021 between January and April I had ONE! I used to be into coursing hounds myself but always kept hunts to two races twice a week a always had Jack's for future hunts. This occurred on fellow farmers' land where I had permission. This video is becoming more and more relevant as time passes. Don't let this happen to you. Report these people if you see or know of their activities. I have considered giving up falconry on several occasions but this could be an option if I am to continue.

[@frigginchi]

Because a "little" falconry is better than no falconry at all.

[@davidirving2006]

Population crashes of rabbits across much of the UK, and the total lack of public land has made falconry in the UK start to think about different options. The smaller exotic Accipiters are becoming more popular as they offer the chance of many more slips per day than the traditional Goshawk would. Redtails gaining popularity as they tend to make better squirrel hawks than Harris hawks. But in many ways falconry in the UK is mired in tradition (large longwing game hawking is still concidered to be the peak of falconry). Sadly also suffering from lazy falconry. People's lives are ever busier, and they want to cut corners. Imprinting (done with little regard for the bird) because manning "takes too long". Honestly I am envious of the system you have in the USA.

[@Primalxbeast]

Taking out invasive squirrels seems like it would be a good use of falconry skills.

[@mbjdno779]

Hello I just found this guy's channel called Mark's Falconry. He's flying a Red-tailed x Goshawk. Have you ever heard of that mix? Check it out great video

[@shereesmazik5030]

I love to give a copy of “My Side of the Mountain” to kids. Parents don’t read it -but maybe that’s good- the boy did WHAT on his own ?

[@Luxfer999]

Once you´re into micros and the abundant prey/slips out in any field (not car-hawking!), it´s hard to come back to any other form of the sport.

[@coffeet.858]

Sadly in Romania hunting with a bir of prey is completly ilegal even if our ancestors practiced this sport

[@etoiledufaucon5904]

It can be viable in alerica maybe because you have lots of small birds to hunt that are common and hunt-authorised or invasive species. But in europe almost all small birds are protected and those who are not are endangered and it s disgusting that they still authorise hunting of those species just because it s traditional. So its not viable there.

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

That’s a very interesting point. In America we have a few small non native species we can hunt as well as doves and quail. So we have some options other areas might not have.

[@lembahsetyowati3413]

Dinegara saya Indonesia memelihara burung kestrel dilarang karena dilindungi.

[@purebloodstevetungate5418]

They're also a loophole in pesky drones.

[@missingbone1]

American kestrels are king of the micro world OK and takeing over the micro world ive learned like eagles size dosnt class the micro world harpy eagles are in the micro world look the harpy face beak and eyes the largest raptor is micro and the micro world is mine.

[@davidronson8712]

I am in Canada, i shoot every hawk, falcon or any bird of prey I encounter, I pretend going in the woods with my camera kits, but I have a shot gun hidden, They are a nuisance, they kill song birds yet they are supposed to eat rats and mice.

[@chey7691]

You ever heard of the term "keystone species"? Predators are important in the natural environment, to keep both prey populations and the environment healthy. Look up the reintroduction of wolves to yellow stone park, and why they had to do it. And maybe you can develop a real hunters point of view on the real balance of nature and why all animals are important to the balance. They kill to eat, not to feed their ego. Learn empathy and respect for the world before you learn the hard way, and you may see the beauty of all life eventually.

[@jacygreen9520]

The biggest a micro bird can get is crow sized muduim sized birds are still micro.

[@jacygreen9520]

When your not certain after bonding and few seasons of working with American kestrels if the kestel likes you or not from cafefule handling it's time move on before it's to late if they like you for certain than congraulatons it's fun obtainable bird.

[@chima3162]

no need for overcompensating 8===========)

[@jacygreen9520]

Ok American kestels are cool dude and you fell in love with you them and crazy cus you think they hit harder than pergrine or prarie gyr you belong in mental insatute never mind the sooty falcon you walked past ok I'm sooty in Nashville sooty means black in slang in British ok and when this is over I want Jess up my sooty falcon watch it go faster and hit harder they don't stoop often they dart good and stuff and they also don't show Game hawks on the web and there faster and I'm not crazy 50 shades of grey can I make my sooty pergrine hybrid.

[@jacygreen9520]

Magic Mercols fanacy the pre teen bed room.