Hawk in a DARK BOX???

Welcome back to 'Falcon's Rest', subscriber-family!
Today we'll be discussing the process of introducing our Feathered-companions to a dark-box.
Jo, 'Mohave' and 'Halo' will demonstrate the steps involved with developing the sense of comfort and safety which will best serve your need to transport your feathered-one to exercise sessions, hunting excursions, or for visits to your veterinarian.
As always, we welcome your feedback, questions, comments, tips and tricks; have you stumbled across some "bullet-proof" methods for building the trust when introducing your hawk, eagle, owl or falcon to a darkbox? We definitely look forward to hearing from you!
Once the page has been rebuilt, we'd love for you to consider becoming one of our Patreon supporters - we've got a BIG project mapped out for in which we'll be introducing you to some of the most well-respected luminaries of UK Falconry. Funds from the Patreon page will be instrumental in making this exciting mini-series project a reality!
We'll look forward to hearing from you - thanks again for sharing part of your Sunday afternoon with us!
Jo
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Links:
Hawk Conservancy Trust, Jo's "home-away-from-home" where studying the Art is concerned:
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"The Art of Falconry", by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen:
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A glancing overview of Falconry (via PBS):
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Your guide is Journeyman Falconer Joanne Bentley, a practitioner with over 15 years experience in the handling and schooling of birds-of-prey, and her support-team of assistants including Joseph Norris, Andrew & Megan Lemon, Chris Wright, and Bruce Lane.
With light-hearted humour and a gentle, informational approach, Jo will guide you in understanding the techniques of “winning” one’s Feathered-companion - first in earning their willingness to work with us, then - in our case - to work for the eye of the camera.
Jo's desire is to inspire established and new participants, wildlife enthusiasts, birders, and the wider public. This passionate Journeyman Falconer seeks to inform and introduce humanity to the intangible “living human-heritage” (UNESCO 2010) to which every one of us may lay claim through the Art of Falconry.
Thank you for watching!
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[@FamfritFW]

The first few minutes of Jo arguing semantics was lovely, gave me a bit of a laugh.

[@braunmcash3117]

Excellent video. Working in the film industry, it's important to know how raptors are safely transported.

[@jantirpak7902]

Good evening Jo. Very well chosen theme for the next episode. I teach my predators so that I have them on my glove so I put them with my hand in the box. (The door is on the wide side). I made the box myself according to the video on which he had one falconer from Slovenia. They are there for a few seconds and then out and reward. Then more seconds and reward. and then one brief feeding on the glove in the box. The next day, take off the glove in the box and close the door for a few seconds. So I extend the time in the box. For goshawks it is good to use a tail guard. One falconer throws a piece of meat into the box and the golden eagle jumps himself into the box. The door is on the wider side. Another has a door on the narrow side and a golden eagle backs in his back, but with a hood on. I didn't see how he taught him. Crates for golden eagel have no stock. There golden eagle sits on the floor. Every falconer has a method that is correct when the predator is not stressed. J

[@melissaann5102]

Hey Jo! Long time, no talk. I’m getting caught up on your videos. And of course, as always I love, love, love the videos and appreciate all the knowledge sharing! I was wondering have you found a difference in buteos and falcons, when it comes to getting used to a transport box, or dark box? Does one do better than the other or does it depend on the individual bird? Growing up with horses, this process reminds me of trailering a horse. I actually just ordered my first transport box and am getting very excited for trapping season (in the US). Hope everyone is safe and doing well!

[@TheFalconLady]

Good morning Charlee; Lovely to hear from you - thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and questions. My experience, thus far, has been Buteos are 'quicker' to take to accepting the confines of a darkbox, however falcons - given enough time, take to being transported this way quite readily. The latter are, if you like, more "sensitive" - more "Red Setter with wings-ish" than (for example) a Red Tail is, so the time needed to reassure a falcon - particularly if you're transporting them unhooded in the darkbox - is _somewhat_ longer in duration. As in all aspects of working with our Feathered companions, they _are_ all individuals, and must be schooled with this in mind; they have their preferences, moods, and unique sensitivities, and must be given the space to learn and adapt to new circumstances. :0) I'll look forward to seeing some photos of you and your new companion this Fall - we are all safe and well here at 'Falcon's Rest', and hope you and yours are staying safe too. Best, Jo

[@makoskoufas9941]

I trained her to the dark box with food!! in the training part I was leaving little pieces Inside the Box and as soon as I opened the door she jumped right in. Now she's going inside the box without any food inside but as a treat doing something good I'm giving her a little treat after!! By the way I avoid travelling with a full stomach because the road turns may cause the bird to throw up and that would make her hate being inside the box!!

[@TheFalconLady]

Good afternoon Makos; Thank you for sharing your experience and insights - there will be many new people starting their Falconry journeys who will *definitely* benefit from this. You're quite right - its never a good idea to travel our Feathered companions on a full stomach. I usually give "Team Feathers" a _really_ good meal the night before we're going to be on the road to ensure they've had eaten well and had the opportunity to bring up their casting before jumping into their private meditation chambers. :0) Its been my experience falcons - particularly Peregrine falcons - are most susceptible to regurgitating a meal (even if its just a little snack!) if they're fed before transporting them anywhere, so I stopped feeding my charges anything "the morning of" a trip years ago. Thank you again for your insights - I'm grateful to you for taking the time to share them with all of us. Please feel welcome to join us again this coming Sunday - we'll be revisiting the rationale for scrubbing down the talons of our companions, and I'll be walking everyone through the process in considerable detail. :0) Best, Jo

[@makoskoufas9941]

@@TheFalconLady thank you very much I ll be there as usual!!!!!

[@ronposuniak942]

Social distancing? Dark box with a fox.

[@thijsvanleeuwen]

What I was wondering was if there is any type of ventilation holes (that do not allow light to pass) since I can imagine that some travel can be hot at times or in certain places.

[@TheFalconLady]

Good afternoon Thijs; Wonderful to hear from you - thank you for your question. There are a line of ventilation holes along the top of the darkbox (on either side), *and* along the bottom (on either side). These air-circulation holes allow for a steady change-over of air while permitting very little light to enter the interior. There are also 5 drainage holes in the floor of the darkbox...as good as "Team Feathers" is about not soiling their darkboxes while we're on the road, (especially 'Mohave' - he loathes making a mess in his miniature "fortress of solitude"), messes still happen. Thankfully, as the floor of the darkboxes are also double-layer coroplast, they are incredibly easy to keep clean and sanitary. :0) Please let me know if you need me to clarify anything further - see you again soon! Best, Jo

[@gregoryh4601]

Thanks for the learning on the Dark Box. I just love Halo ,a kid that talks back a lot. Mo is so laid back a great Red Tail. Great Teacher, Joanne do you have the Blue print on you Dark Box? We are going to be ask to stay in Home for the next two week. This Virus sucks hope you guys are Ok. Is Leah an Joel ok? Bye. Greg ofOhio

[@TheFalconLady]

Hi there Gregory; Thank you for your lovely comments - I'm so glad this was valuable to you. If you email me directly, I'd be glad to chat with you about our darkbox design in further detail. We're in the process of sending them as a "kit" which you'd finish assembling on your end, (in other words, we've come up with a "flat-pack" version of the darkboxes which would give you a bit of a break on the price). If you're _really_ "handy", I'm pretty sure we could get blueprints to you. I'll look forward to hearing from you - lots of great content coming in the weeks ahead, so please visit us again! Best, Jo

[@gregoryh4601]

@@TheFalconLady I sent you a email from Excite on DarkBox. We are doing ok. Hope things are good at Team Feathers! Is Leah and Joel ok? Take Care

[@invisiblecentreofcontempor72]

Thanks for the video. as we see there aren't any holes on the box sides, I'd like to ask if there would be enough air inside the dark box for the bird?

[@TheFalconLady]

Good morning; There actually _are_ a string of holes (top and bottom, and both sides) on the dark-boxes. There are also five 'drainage' holes in the floor of the dark-boxes. If you full-screen the episode, you'll clearly see the holes at the 00:10 mark. When beginning a conversation with someone, I've found it more useful to begin with a question than an assumption as experience has taught me to expect egg on my face in not doing so. Jo

[@invisiblecentreofcontempor72]

@@TheFalconLady thanks for the response. yes, you're right. sorry for my terrible comment!

[@afshinmofid858]

Hello. I have a passage Tiercel Goshawk who doesn’t like being in the box. I have been leaving tid bits for him on the perch inside the box and he doesn’t mind flying in and getting them but he doesn’t like the door shut on him. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for the video.

[@TheFalconLady]

Good morning Afshin; Thank you for the great question - I'll do my best to offer some thoughts on what you might try. Let's first begin with a bit of Falconry terminology, which may not *_seem_* all that important, but goes to how you'll be perceived among your more experienced peers in the field. A "Tiercel" is a male Peregrine falcon; this term has - unfortunately - been appropriated by a swath of practitioners who've decided the term can interchangeably be applied to 'any male Falconry bird'. It can't. "Tiercel" describes a male Peregrine, and _only_ a male Peregrine. A male Goshawk is called a *Tercel* . I'll be doing an episode on Falconry terminology next week, and providing some great links for everyone to bookmark and refer-to going forward, so I hope you'll join me for that. 😊 So, to your question regarding your Tercel's reluctance to accept having the door to his dark-box closed (once he's _in_ there). In the episode where 'Halo' and I are demonstrating the process of introducing one's Feathered-one to the dark-box, recall my mentioning your companion will find this process of being confined in the dark distressing - particularly if the dark-box is a little on the small side. The first thing for you to consider then, is how large _is_ the dark-box you're asking your Tercel to accept, and would he be better served with a larger option...? If (by consensus among your mentors) you've determined the dark-box *_is_* suitably spacious for him (remember - he ideally wants to be able to turn around on the interior perch without his wings or tail making much contact the side-walls), then your Tercel's issue is one of trust. He's not confident in some aspect of what you're asking him to accept about the process, so the best course of action is to start over pretty much from the beginning. Its incredibly important to take your time; the *last* thing a raptor wants to do is enter - or be confined-in - an enclosed space. It goes against every instinct he has for self-preservation. Take your time. I love that you're using tidbits on the perch to entice him into the box - keep doing this. In fact, make a bit of a game of it. This will take a little planning on your part, but my guess is you'll reap dividends if you persist. Cut up _lots_ of your Tercel's favourite meat into small tidbits (say, no larger than your thumbnail). Open up the dark-box, (which you've thoroughly cleaned out from last time), an place a tidbit on the perch as you've previously done, (making sure he doesn't see what you're doing!). Now, show your Feathered-one the tidbit, and let him jump to it. As he jumps onto the perch, quickly place another tidbit on your glove, then show him the waiting glove as soon as he's gobbled the tidbit in the dark-box. Do this 4 or 5 more times with the dark-box door wide open all the time. Once he's figured out this game, he'll be happy to continue; here's the wrinkle you're going to add, now that he's feeling happy about what's going on... As before, place a little tidbit on the dark-box perch, let him see it, and as he dives in to grab his treat, close the dark-box door - but *just* an inch or two. You don't want it to look all that different from what your companion has thus-far seen. Once again, you'll have another treat on your glove waiting for him, which he'll be game to hop out and gobble down. Having repeated this another 4 or 5 times, take a little break, let your Tercel settle down a bit, (maybe go for a 30-second walk together), then repeat the process of having him jump in for a few repetitions before once again closing the dark-box door another inch or two after he jumps in for his prize. On the first couple of days of doing this, you're not going to close the door to the dark-box more than 4 - 6 inches in total - you're just getting to a 'happy-place' with him by demonstrating to his satisfaction there's nothing to be frightened of. Remember, you're speaking to him gently, giving lots of encouragement and reassurance with statements like "Well done - good job", or "You're doing so well - I'm right here, everything's fine". Its not about _what_ you're saying so much as its about *_how_* you're saying it. Let him know with your tone of voice that he's safe. After a couple of days, your next step is to discover where the "edge" of your Feathered-one's tolerance for the slowly narrowing gap is; you _may_ find he'll actually let you get to the point where you've closed the door for a "one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand" count before showing him your waiting glove and tasty-tidbit after he's had a couple of days of playing the "dark-box game" with you. If he successfully does this, give him *LOTS* of praise when he comes back out to your glove, smile at him, and let him know how proud you are of him. Sometimes, giving them the opportunity to mentally 're-set' is all it takes. Alternatively, you may find he'll accept everything right up until the dark-door is _almost_ closed before he starts getting anxious and upset. This is where being an attentive, gentle steward is most important. If your Tercel is getting stressed, let him step up onto your glove, and take him for a short walk. Do a little line-flying on the creance with him, or offer him the chance to take a cool bath in his weathering area. Show him you're paying attention to his emotional state. Leave the dark-box training alone for the rest of that day, and maybe even the following day - do other things together which helps him to build trust in you. After a break of a day or so, prepare more of his favourite tidbits, and start again. There's no need to go right back to the very beginning, in fact, this will undermine all the efforts you've both put in thus far. Start with the dark-box door partly closed (wide enough so he can easily jump in for his treat and back), and in tiny increments of a half-inch at a time, begin closing the door a little more at a time. Remember, our Feathered-companions learn as individually as we; their levels of sensitivity didn't come out of a Cracker-Jack box - they're not "all the same". Take. Your. Time. Get _curious_ about his body language with you, and with the dark-box. Watch his signalling carefully...is there a squeak in one of the hinges as the door gets nearly closed? Is the dark-box on a level surface? What time of day is it? Is there too much sunshine, or not enough? You'll be surprised at what you discover as you - patiently - go through this little journey with him. Please do let me know how things progress - I'm confident your Tercel will happily accept the dark-box within a short span of days to (perhaps) a week or so if you give him the time an encouragement to discover he's safe. Best, Jo

[@afshinmofid858]

The Falcon Lady Thank you for taking the time to explain the process, very helpful. And thanks for pointing out the difference between the Ti and Te ! I had no idea. I will get started on the process. I look forward to you future videos. Have a great day and thanks so much. Afshin.

[@ornithologydude8649]

Is it just me or are a lot of the faces of the people on this channel blurred

[@becksetz]

I think it’s one particular woman but I do not know why

[@Daro-Wolfe]

That link to your instagram account isn’t working, and I can’t find it by searching

[@TheFalconLady]

Hi there Gillian; Yes - my new social-media maven, a dear friend of many years, is just catching up with everything. Unfortunately we're going to have to rebuild our 'The Falconlady & Team Feathers' Instagram page as my former assistant appropriated and re-named the original one. I've got dozens of magnificent photos of Feathered-companions our official photographer has captured over the years - I've just got to get the new content to the new gal, and there'll soon be great material to enjoy - stay tuned! :0) Best, Jo

[@YARAKX]

Great video, keep it up! Can you have a "hawk box" that's made out of something other than wood?

[@TheFalconLady]

Good afternoon Taylor; Thank you for the great question. The darkboxes we build (I've got two which are available for sale right now, and we're developing a "flat pack" version with assembly instructions for the coming months) are built with a pine frame (lightweight and strong), with a double layer of coroplast (white over black). They're incredibly lightweight overall, and surprisingly strong - 'Mohave's' box is 10 years old! The key things to keep in mind are reflective colour (white, for example) to the outside, dark colour on the inside, lots of air-circulation and sufficient drainage holes, strong, long-leaf astroturf-covered perching surface, and secure "locking" latch-system. Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like some more information, Taylor - I'd be happy to chat with you in greater detail. :0) Best, Jo

[@YARAKX]

@@TheFalconLady awesome, not quite sure how to contact you directly. I'm not the best with technology.

[@lexiequirie7915]

What kind of bad behavior does hooding a RTH cause and why? thanks :)

[@TheFalconLady]

Hi again Lexie; Thank you for your additional question - I appreciate having the opportunity to expand on my thoughts where this topic is concerned. Red Tail buzzards are powerful, self-assured beings; for all their lack of size compared to say, a Golden eagle, RTs have a confidence and an in-wired level of aggression that is - in no small part, a source of their success as a species. You'll not find a niche in North America (save the Arctic Circle) where you won't find Red Tails. They are strong, patient, resilient beings. ...And not suited for hooding, in my experience. I know its relatively common for Falconers to hood their buzzards, but I wonder how many of them would be honest enough to admit to you they've had more incidents of footing than they care to remember from choosing this...? The reality is, it makes them mistrustful of you. Unlike a high-strung falcon who _needs_ the mental time out a hood provides, a Red Tail's typically more 'sedate' disposition doesn't call for the use of a hood in the same way. Just consider: how many Goshawks have you seen hooded...? Falconers who hunt with a Gos _want_ their companion to be "eyes on" when they're out in the field - this is what makes them such a fantastic hunting companion! Likewise, robbing an RT of interaction with the world around them - to say nothing of their interaction with you, tends to bring out the worst of their aggression. That is, they're far more inclined to _direct_ their aggression - at you, from hooding. I've not personally spoken with anyone who could admit to their RT "benefiting" from being hooded...it was usually about what was more *_convenient_* for the human side of the equation. The challenge to welcome, then, is to choose not to hood your RT once you've trapped and brought her into your life. The _challenge_ is to become so aware of the nuances of her body-language, you can negotiate with her - fairly. Doing this will make you a better Falconer. A more sensitive, thoughtful human-companion. This is always the place to work from with any Feathered-companion, and _definitely_ required when working with an RT. The reality, Lexie, is I've never been a fan of new practitioners taking on an RT, because its just a fact Red Tails are *not* a beginner's bird. Its my belief the "accepted habit" of hooding a Red Tail finds its origins in the wild-trapping of them by mentored novices; RTs are bloody intimidating to nearly everyone who's worked with one - handing a novice a hood and saying "This'll calm him down" or any variant thereof, is just...well...lazy. A Red Tail makes you "earn it". A Red Tail allows you into the shared-space by degrees, and each "degree" must be handled respectfully. You must learn to balance your initial fear with a kind of wonder which doesn't expose you to needless injury. Using a hood on a Red Tail, in my opinion, will makes one less attentive. Less nuanced. Less respectful. An RT - particularly one which knows how to hunt for herself, and wants no part of you, must be shown you are "with" her, not "above" her. She must be _won_ . Not controlled. I hope I've offered some new thoughts to you on this concept - do let me know if you'd like me to expand further on this. :0) Best, Jo

[@lexiequirie7915]

The Falcon Lady awesome. Thank you. I’ve taken my time choosing a sponsor for some of the reasons mentioned above. I’m afraid of them getting me starting out with bad habits or wrong thinking. I’m becoming a falconer to be apart of an amazing partnership and to learn the accident art of teamwork with a bird of prey. Here in New Mexico, USA we are limited to what birds to start with. I’ve been out hunting several times with other falconers and their Harris’ Hawks and it’s my happy place but I’ve learned that everyone has different advice and thoughts. Some feel right and others I question so I’m very thankful for your opinion and wisdom.

[@richardjones4080]

this may be an obvious question but what about breathing holes ie ventilation

[@c0dy85]

their really small and may be covered with a breathable fabric to keep the light out.

[@TheFalconLady]

Good afternoon Richard; Lovely to hear from you - thank you for the question. The darkboxes we build here (and incidentally - I've got two available for purchase should anyone be interested), have both "breathing holes", and drainage holes. Air circulation, and protection from heat must be critical elements in any darkbox design. It frankly baffles my mind when I've seen darkboxes constructed from black or other dark-hued materials when its so easy to - _deliberately_ - build them from white-to-the-exterior materials. Its all very well and good to have fancy fans or mini AC devices as elements to a darkbox design, however if they're made of something as reflective as white coroplast to begin with, then so long as the darkbox is kept out of direct sunlight, (and you're CHECKING on your Feathered-companion at regular intervals to ensure they're comfortable and cool on a long trip), these expensive add-ons are rarely justified, (the only legitimate exception I can think of would be individuals living in semi-desert or desert environs, in which case you definitely need every advantage to keep your companion cool that you can access). Thanks again for the question, Richard - stay tuned for more great content coming up! Best, Jo

[@richardjones4080]

@@TheFalconLady your welcome my dear friend I always look forward to my sunday evenings uk time but at the moment they mean even more to me with everything that's happened my side of the pond

[@jantirpak7902]

Hi Richard Jones. With these boxes, the air exchange holes are often on the back. Possibly a fan connected to a thermostat. As the temperature rises, the fan turns on, just as the computer's CPU is cooling. Some types have air vents on the sides and are covered with a white plate to prevent light from entering the interior. And the door is never airtight. Therefore, a bird of prey has enough fresh air, even though birds have a greater need for air than mammals. Have a nice day.