Falconry: Molting and reverse molting

Every year falconry birds molt in a new set of feathers. This video explains how and why this occurs, and how to best feed and care for a bird while it molts. This video also explains the process of reverse molting.

[@robertcorradi8573]

Great video again Ben . Thank you

[@invisiblecentreofcontempor72]

Thank you so much Ben! your video is answering many questions I've had on this topic.

[@HyeonSeon-Su]

Thank you for your videos Ben I am interested in becoming a falconer and I have asked for a US falconry exam study guide for Christmas and really all I want for Christmas is stuff for study for the falconry exam, but your videos are also really great for learning about falconry, so again thank you for your great videos. Edit: Sorry for the run-on sentence Edit2: I am planning on joining the USAF though, so I will have to wait until my active duty in the air force is done

[@buttholio88]

Hi Ben, watching your videos from Germany. Thanks for the great content. I like your scientific approach. You have a great way of explaining things and you are just someone that it is pleasant to listen to. I would love to see more stuff on Goshawks and how to manage them.

[@KikiYushima]

Super useful video, thank you!

[@andrelynch118]

i’m sitting for my New York falconry exam soon. Been studying like crazy, and watching your videos too. I’d like to see one go in depth on Red Tails. Everything from anatomy and physiology, to disposition, training, and hunting.

[@jantirpak7902]

Hello. I at the goshawks in April will falter with their weights. Drop for a few days and then back up. Usually it encourages goshawks to better gain molts. In our country hunting season for wild ducks starts from 15th August. If I don't, they don't have the last feathers on their wings. But you need the goshawks already have the hunting weight and start flying with them. To be ready to hunt. I tried to give the thyroid gland. The results were very good, but I'm not doing it, it's a big hormonal intervention in the body. The extension of the light day is of light length in hours (over 12 hours) and of lux per m2 (20 to 30 lux / m2). It must take two to three weeks.

[@FalconsLedge]

Even before I fancied myself an Austrringer, I wanted to reverse moult a Sharpie.

[@stewgordon9291]

Ben can you do a video on common buzzards in terms of their psychology and what makes them tick

[@fightgearrated]

Hi Ben I have just got myself a 7 month old male goshawk he’s a great little bird but I have noticed he has 2 primary flight feathers missing on one wing with no sign of regrowing them. I’m wandering will they regrow during his next moult?

[@simple_ytc-ops8667]

I really want to learn more about broad wing hawks.

[@theartoflife.]

Thank you so much for your videos. I have been watching them for a while and have greatly enjoyed learning about the fascinating world of falconry. I’m in the Bay Area of California. We have a number of horse facilities here with covered arenas and a sizable pigeon problem. Most ranchers will shoot the pigeons, spooking the horses in the process. Wouldn’t it be better to discourage these pigeons with a bird of prey? What kind of falcon/ hawk would you recommend?

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

Eleni Hill there are a number of falconers who run companies that do “depredation” where they will contract with fruit orchards and grape vineyards to scare the birds away. So it is definitely doable. Many of them use aplomado falcons. This is a species that works well to keep chasing and scaring and flying around the area. I have hunter with aplomados but I have not done depredation work with them. But they are definitely a great choice for the job!

[@theartoflife.]

Thank you so much for answering my question, Ben! Following your suggestion, I have looked into Aplomado falcons. Very interesting!

[@ethansmith2942]

Could you do a ferruginous hawk topic video, I can't find any detailed videos about them on KZbin

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

Ethan Smith yes I will be doing a ferruginous video in the next few weeks

[@ethansmith2942]

@@benwoodrufffalconry thank you

[@aidensamuel1147]

I guess Im quite randomly asking but do anybody know a good place to watch newly released movies online ?

[@alexzandermaximo6178]

@Aiden Samuel I would suggest FlixZone. You can find it by googling =)

[@keanudawson8657]

@Aiden Samuel Try Flixzone. You can find it by googling =)

[@TheSaulono]

Hello Ben, saulo from México again, i have a problem with my owl, she dont want to eat, she ate last April 16th, 2 quail heads only and she had has been making the owl sound (ulula) all the da y since last week. Its normal or what can i do

[@Aaron65444]

Found your molting video :) is there a feather video?

[@danhughes3626]

Hey my tail feather got pulled because of transmitter on the shaft...it was few months Nothing coming down...will it still come down???

[@lohikarhu734]

So, a pretty basic question... when the bird molts, does it lose pairs of feathers, but maintain its ability fly and hunt? Not losing so many feathers at once that it can't fly, because it, or its young, still need to eat!

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

Lohi Karhu they loose pairs of feathers, but in the wild the process is slower. For example maybe a wild peregrine might loose a primary feather on each side, and might have the news ones growing in with 4 days worth of growth before the next two molt out. Where a captive peregrine might loose 8 primaries in one day. The wild birds are definitely hampered by the lack of feathers, but food is easier to catch in the summer, so it is not a great loss. Other birds experience it differently. For example, most penguins will molt and regrow every feather in about two weeks! During this time they don’t go looking for food. They just fast and live off of fat reserves and stay in one place.

[@mdmasudrana61]

Hi I have a falcon Give me a idea How I tried my falcon

[@danhughes3626]

My other hawk started tp pluck her thighs Why did this start can it it be stopped Great channel keep it up

[@TheSaulono]

Do you have another form to contact you?

[@AliAliyev-zz5gi]

Turkce alt yaza olursa çok iyi olur

[@nicknuydens1960]

Hi Ben this reaction is maybe gonna be a bit contraversial. Moulting is indeed a much needed part of the year. many falconers will not fly their birds during this period. I try to follow as much falconers around the world to see what their opinion is. Almost every falconers says that during moult you may not fly your bird. the reason is to have to lowest change to break new grown feathers. But then i was thinking. Your bird have to sit there. Doing nothing or doing whatever it want to do. You give them food no matter what way you use like you explained many of them in the video above. The bird energy is only used for moulting. Then i started to think and the idea i got i still didnt hear from any falconer around the world. You came close in your video buy explaining why the moult in summer time. But here is what my idea is. Why not keep flying your bird? not hunting Just from a flying pole to your hand. Much more like you are doing an eductianal demonstration. Why do i think this is also a good thing to do. First in the wild a bird of prey have to keep hunting even if he gets easyer prey he still have to hunt. When there is lesser nutritions left for moulting the feathers wil grow slower. Slower growth rate will translate in stronger feathers cause they have the time to built stronger. Change the dieet you gave in bit more nutritional food when you keep flying them wil also pop the feathers. I am using this method for 2 years now and i have to admit that i have a great increase of strong feathers. The birds keeps more social to you. Backdraw at this method is their flying weight will differ from summer vs winter vs fall and spring. So the method i try to use is a method that gets much closer of what in nature happens. Then my theory on long term efforts. When a bird of prey lost some feathers or even break down a few it still has to hunt. If you train them to learn to hunt with those issues you got a much more experienced bird. imagine then when your bird is at feather perfect condition. The result you can get is that it is faster or more agile. For the last 2 years i got great results the feathers are good the birds still look great the fly properly. I even got my Steppe Eagle flying trough trees not that i was aiming for that she is convidend to fly through it. Still its a great video to watch and deffinitly good advice and nice good explinations. Would be great to get a response of you. Greetings

[@ornithologydude8649]

Dear pepole who aren't falconer's: If you want to become one you have to know the universal falconer's emoji : 👍🏻 Whenever you speak to someone you will need to put this in Example : We will go to hunt pheasant mate 👍🏻

[@outdoordoug8588]

Hi

[@outdoordoug8588]

First