Medieval birds of prey: How Did Knights Hunt With Birds of Prey?

[@Crosshill]

you're pretty much getting a bird and saying 'hey, if you stick around you can chill out here and then go hunt sometimes and you will get food regularly and reliably' and the bird goes 'that sounds pretty chill i guess i'll stick around'

[@larryslemp9698]

Stupid comment!!

[@vercingetorixavernian8978]

Kinda like cats haha

[@ScotchIrishHoundsman]

Larry Slemp Stupid comment, yourself!

[@FlameDarkfire]

Basically how we domesticated dogs and cats.

[@bcaye]

@@vercingetorixavernian8978, sort of. Cats do develop affection for you and require affectionate attention from you. Not sure these birds do. They do seem content. I say this because my rescue cat just crawled into my lap. He was born to a feral mother and when he came to stay with me he was ten weeks old and less than two pounds. He liked to curl up under my chin and suckle the tip of my finger when I slept. Now he's 16-17 pounds at 4 years and has to settle for snuggling next to me with my hand on his chest. Purrs like crazy the whole time. Actually, sometimes I struggle to get out of bed for all the cats snuggling up around me.

[@scottscott232]

Your guests are always exceptionally gifted and knowledgeable like your falconer expert Ruth is. You ask really interesting questions. Thoroughly enjoyable as always.

[@toogle1234]

It's like the original history channel. Really missed this- thanks for making it!

[@NinjaRabies]

Remember when History Channel actually had historical content? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

[@unnamedchannel1237]

NinjaRabies a lot of people not old enough to remember

[@maliciousmedia6043]

I couldn't imagine a better compliment for this content

[@Eowyn3Pride]

There's a fabulous memoir I started reading and will eventually finish, of how a man, with one encounter with a Kestrel, changed his life and navigated him to an amazing career in Falconry. The book is called "No way but Gentlenesse" by Hines. Highly recommend for anyone interested in falconry. 😁

[@ModernKnight]

Thanks I'll look it up.

[@OlWolf1011]

If you watch slo-mo of a raptor striking prey, you see that it's not just the speed of impact - but the bird delivers a punch with it's feet at the same moment. Awesome choreography of movement.

[@joelthompson4854]

"Wild peregrins have been found to taken down brown pelicans at 5 times their weight" I have a new respect for this bird. I knew they could catch larger prey than themselves, but not that much larger.

[@blackwater4707]

I had chickens that turned out to be far better at training me than I was them. They cracked their eyelids open 20 minutes before dawn and started screaming for a cooked breakfast shortly after. I dread to think what one of these apex predators would have me trained to do in short order. Birds are highly food motivated creatures and very vocal. Never forget that.

[@scarletpimpernelagain9124]

Never get a Border Collie (dog)

[@nickm9102]

I imagine that the birds have sufficient food for a normal day. It is when they are training and hunting that the extra becomes important.

[@minerwaweasley1008]

@@scarletpimpernelagain9124 Never have a cat. He can be louder than a flock of birds, just as annoying, and he can demand food at five in the morning. And the birds, if you have them in your aviaries, don't jump on you - which cats love to do.

[@erikjarandson5458]

- That guy running around the yard, flapping his arms and yelling "kiiyah"...? - Oh, him... He tried to man a bird by keeping it awake, but the bird had a higher tolerance for sleep deprivation, so he became birded instead...

[@ragnkja]

Good discussion about the difference between tame and domesticated, and how hunting birds are very much _not_ domesticated.

[@u.v.s.5583]

Yep, but even then much more clarification is required. These birds of prey can fly away and return home to their people after months of living wild. And that return is a matter of their choice only. So while 'not domesticated' is true, they do get attached to the place and their humans.

[@captainthorrek262]

I love how this channel not only helps you appreciate the work of the knights themselves, but also their support network of specialists who help keep everything running

[@Firescout98]

Picking the bird for a hunt I feel would be quite like choosing what firearm/ammo to use today

[@geyotepilkington2892]

Thats what I was thinking. Love learning about this stuff and picturing these past adventures !

[@NinjaRabies]

Awesome a always! Also, Ruth is wearing a Critical Role pin on her hat. That is extra awesome.

[@brain5437]

Good eye!

[@fullup91]

What is Critical Role?

[@asahearts1]

@@fullup91 They do tabletop rpg videos.

[@artygunnar]

@@fullup91 its a bunch of nerdy ass voice actors playing dungeons and dragons, and let me tell you, its amazing

[@fullup91]

@@artygunnar yup I did look it up after I asked. I watched it for a bit but sadly didn't revisit.

[@husarodelrey2159]

A mistake that I keep seeing in films set in the Middle Ages is knights flying Harris's hawks (a couple make a few appearances in this video). Harris' hawks - like the Red-tailed hawk on Ruth's fist - are New World birds, and so would have been unknown in Medieval Europe.

[@MrEvanfriend]

I was going to point out the thing about the redtail. I see them all the time in the Eastern US. They are magnificent birds. And I saw a Harris hawk in that idiotic Last Kingdom show. Yeah, didn't know Southwestern American hawks were running around Anglo-Saxon England. Then again, that show got just about everything else wrong, too...

[@husarodelrey2159]

@@MrEvanfriend, I was thinking of watching The Last Kingdom, as the books were really good. Is it that bad?

[@MrEvanfriend]

@@husarodelrey2159 If you have any interest and/or knowledge of Anglo-Saxon history, yeah, it's that bad. Besides the ridiculous weapons/armor/costumes, they make Alfred the Great into a giant pussy. I only made it through a couple of episodes before quitting in disgust. It's at least as bad as that asinine Vikings show.

[@MrEvanfriend]

@@husarodelrey2159 I didn't realize that there were books it was based on though. Based on what I saw of the show, I wouldn't want to read them. But it could just be a very poor adaptation.

[@husarodelrey2159]

@@MrEvanfriend , the show is based on the books, and the books are really, really good! They were written by Bernard Cornwell, who is no less than a deity in the military history fiction genre. You have to look him up, mate!

[@stephwoodhouse3223]

Such an interesting discussion and beautifully filmed. Love these films, thank you.

[@EmeraldVideosNL]

The low country, the Netherlands? Wow, I didn't know my country had renowned suppliers of these magnificent birds. Had the opportunity to have held the saker falcon and barn owl from an acquaintance who's a falconer. Had a Victorian fotoshoot with them. Being so close and holding them was so wonderful, I was awestruck. Such graceful yet dangerous creatures. It was an amazing experience I'll never forget, but knowing it's also a big part of my country's history makes it even more special somehow. :)

[@scarletpimpernelagain9124]

EmeraldVideosNL The Netherlands also produced Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, culturally, I think you’ve done your bit ✌🏻❤️🌹🇬🇧

[@u.v.s.5583]

@@scarletpimpernelagain9124 And also Cruyff, Bergkamp, van Basten... And Edward Gal.

[@corrinebodrog8779]

This series is a gem!

[@ModernKnight]

thanks

[@corrinebodrog8779]

Thanks for what

[@PeachysKeen]

These videos are so well done. This series keeps me coming back and is a treasure.

[@ryand.3858]

The thing about birds is they watch everything, they have a razor focus. I grew up around cockatoos and macaws and it's fascinating to watch them anaylizing an object. They're always suspicious of new things and will pretend to ignore them all the while closely watching. Then it's turning over, picking up, seeing how things are attached. They like to take things apart, always drawn to the moving parts rather than the larger pieces. Hinges, locks, articulations are all sources of facination for a bird, especially if they create a reaction when manipulated. The bigger a bird is, the smarter and stronger their will. They can be incredibly difficult to train but the payoff is a very intelligent companion. I'm a dog guy but I still find birds to be very interesting.

[@m.maclellan7147]

I have always been interested in raptors, however, was told that they become so imprinted on their owner/handler that you can't leave them for longer then a day or two, as they'll refuse to eat for a stranger. Husband/wife teams vacation separately due to this !

[@ChrisBrown-gf2xg]

Jason where do you get the shirts from? They look super comfortable.

[@scarletpimpernelagain9124]

Probably linen, hand stitched in candle light by Maidens wearing Wimples.

[@michaelpage4199]

Thank you for your doing these videos

[@ModernKnight]

Glad you like them!

[@angelo8516]

Excellent video🎥 on some of the History of Falconry in Europe. Thanks for posting. Cheers.👍

[@obibear123]

Very interesting and my cat enjoyed watching this too.

[@ModernKnight]

excellent taste in video content from your cat.

[@obibear123]

Modern History TV she does watch the horses too but this one really caught her eye 🤩

[@Ibosz]

I discovered your channel relatively recently, I love birds of prey and history, so this video was pure joy for me. Thank you!

[@ModernKnight]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ren-uz2mz]

Oh my! To visit a Master Falconer and the wonderful birds...

[@Templar7832]

This video needed to be three times as long, wonderful!!

[@deborahpetith8710]

Absolutely fascinating, I have always loved falconry, just never the opportunity. Well done.

[@n3v3rg01ngback]

They were also great at carrying hobbits out of intractable situations.

[@logansfury]

Fascinating video and some truly magnificent and beautiful raptors.

[@BobbyLCollins]

When I was in college our marching band performances often featured a trained bald eagle that would fly across the stadium. During rehearsals we would get a kick out of watching the trainer swing a rat by the tail over his head in order to signal the bird to take off. The trainer actually instructed everyone in the band not to look the eagle in the eyes.

[@ksbm78]

Wonderful Host/show, so positive, interesting and educational. 🙏🏻 for making these videos. All the best to you and the crew🤙🏻

[@G1NZOU]

The speed and force that a falcon can take out another bird feels almost like an airborne version of a cavalry charge with a lance. Speed, and a precise hard hitting attack. I suppose regarding the social ranking it would just depend on how expensive and large some birds are, and how much staff you have to maintain them and feed them. A minor noble or yeoman maybe having a couple of more common birds and an Earl perhaps having a whole collection, with some very impressive variety.

[@danit5146]

Thank you for producing so many wonderfully interesting programs.

[@ModernKnight]

Our pleasure. thanks for watching.

[@yes0r787]

Outstanding video, thanks to everyone involved. I love this series.

[@ModernKnight]

Our pleasure!

[@brendahole9575]

And then you get horseback falconry which is even more awesome!

[@Tringolew]

Fascinating, love your videos thank you!

[@ilKhan-Ghost-of-Clan-Mongoose]

great vid you guys.... absolutely fantastic

[@connordickerson6815]

I feel birds dont get enough love.

[@qus.9617]

Being fed regularly as a hunting aerial bird makes sense to me. It's win-win for both. Bird gets more food than they might get in the wild, and human gets a hunting bird for fun, for status etc. imo Cormorants relationship is not as symbiotic. They tie a string that make it so the bird cannot swallow larger fish. If the bird wants to eat it either comes back to the shore (japan) or boat (china) on command to cough up the catch or is allowed to eat if the fisherman decides to loosen the string. It doesn't seem like the bird benefits from giving up it's catch to the fisherman, even accounting for daily feeding if it can catch well into surplus.

[@blaisevillaume2225]

Yeah, that sounds like the Cormorant is basically getting mugged.

[@diegotovar5448]

For those who are curious, the hawk that the lady is holding is a red tailed hawk.

[@Eowyn3Pride]

Oh thank you! Last fall, just outside my place of work, a bird of prey took down a pigeon that was a little bigger than itself. It was a beautiful bird. I thought at first that it was an American Kestrel, or Sparrow hawk, but it could have been a young Merlin. It was speckled brown/white with "leg warmers " and a distinctive horizontal brown and white stripes on his/her tail feathers which gathered together longish and kinda rectangular/square. Beautiful little thing,but very deadly!☠😁

[@fortytwocrayons3485]

Fascinating! Thank you

[@Bornie205]

Wow that was fascinating. Thank you for sharing

[@NiminaeOld]

If you lived in the same country you could totally do collaborations with Ben Woodruff. He did a show at our renaissance faire specifically going into falconry in medieval history and I bet you would get along really well.

[@amyrat151]

There's a falconer that comes to the Bristol Renaissance Fair in Wisconsin.

[@aeliasventura]

This is brilliant! I really enjoy all of these videos but this one was especially interesting. Thank you!

[@lesamos8900]

I once got up close to a wedge tail eagle it had a rabbit trap on its talon it allowed me to kneel next to it and take the trap off it, it never flinched tottaly amazeing have loved these birds ever sinse, to work with them as this young lady does is fantastic so lucky.

[@j-dubb614]

That is one fascinating bird. The falcons are nice too.

[@bellicose4653]

Aye!

[@Crystal-dz8np]

Me: (hears music in between sections) My brain: (thinks of an action filled fight scene with heroes and villains)

[@MagisterialVoyager]

'Love this episode. It's so interesting because I do wonder, from time to time, how exactly one trains a hunting bird.

[@u.v.s.5583]

If you have never seen Germans training sea eagles to catch fish, you have seen nothing.

[@TheMrcassina]

Emperor Friedreich II the "stupor mundi" the guy who, instead of waging a crusade struck a peace deal with the fatimid, wrote a book about the falcon hunting

[@thessie]

Aaah! So good to see the Wheatley guys! They're brilliant. I hope they've been alright through Lockdown.

[@ModernKnight]

Me too, I'd not thought about that. I'll drop them a note.

[@thessie]

@@ModernKnight I last saw them in mid-March and they looked well (Thunder now has pet wild ravens of his own!). Looks like they haven't been able to re-open as of mid June.

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.

[@Andrew-315zz]

Brilliant programs!

[@skyking6989]

Currently working on my falconry permit😁

[@bushibayushi]

200 mph diving? Amazing.

[@markwelch1836]

I feel like this could have two or three parts. How do you hunt with them? How do you travel with them? Can they hunt enough to feed several people and themselves?

[@Magmafrost13]

I didn't realise they were closely related enough to be hybridised

[@Jasongy827]

I love falcon and eagle.

[@Matze96DAK]

Amazing footage of a fleet rookie training camp of the klingon empire. VAY' DANEHBOGH YlCHARGH!!!

[@lightdragonlunadragnar9868]

What were the owls used in the medieval period and what were the messaging birds at that time?

[@SilverfuK]

Cute bird(s).

[@michaelwhite8031]

T H White wrote a good book called the Goshawk. He stayed awake training it for 3 days but it still flew away.

[@cindchan]

So beautiful!

[@dougalemacalestyr8365]

Perfect clarifier. "Apex Predator" Humans need to remember these things.

[@bcaye]

I have cats. I never forget that they can hurt me far more than I can hurt them (without a weapon). In fact, in medieval times, one method of execution was to tie the criminal into a stout bag with several cats and throw the whole thing into a lake or river. Sometimes the cats would survive.

[@Nazdreg1]

@@bcaye Well, to be fair, killing a (house-) cat without any weapons wouldn't be too difficult. It wouldn't work without pain though and with bad luck, some infections. As soon as we move into the area of larger cats, things get much more serious pretty quickly. Though still, I also used to have a cat and never ceased to respect it's nature as a predator.

[@Pottan23]

@@bcaye partly true, you are talking about a german revival of a roman punishment for parricide, however the germans had the animals (a snake or a drawing of a snake) and a cat or dog in a linen sack with the person and sometimes in a seperate partition. The animals didn't kill the prisoner, they drowned, as they still had their hands and feet bound.

[@queenSummerKeli]

Thanks so much.

[@daviddenaldi816]

Beautiful animals

[@kaetattersall3148]

wow well done Ruth, I would have liked to see you dressed in costume though

[@Thegangsterzboyy98]

I feel like warlord and chaos would be fast friends.

[@allisonshaw9341]

I do know that the females were the ones used for hunting as female raptors are larger, stronger, and better hunters than the males. That there was a hierarchy as to what status one got for owning a particular variety of raptor is a new one for me.

[@omarpungo5247]

great questions

[@yorkshire_tea_innit8097]

Kestrels are so cute. But if a goshawk can catch a hare, what king of game can a Kestrel get? Mouse? Squirrel? Baby rabbit?

[@tommothedog]

Very interesting to know about the poetry.

[@u.v.s.5583]

Shakespeare has tons of bird of prey references.

[@jackmutrie7995]

Context: I love this channel, i find it super informative and incredibly interesting. Observation: If the birds were super content and happy to just stay there, why require the leash? I'm sure they're well fed and enjoy their time being there, but also as they said, they're wild animals; it's a little uncomfortable that this still exists.

[@ModernKnight]

Because they are impulsive apparently and might suddenly do something silly and get into trouble.

[@-smp-scientificmethodpersp838]

They did this back then? Woe

[@vanivanov9571]

Does this mean they don't cuddle the falcons?

[@Eowyn3Pride]

No. The art and craft of falconry is comparable to a gunsmith and poisonous snake handler. You have a deep appreciation for the thing in your hand and know it's unique and how effective it is, while being equally aware of how deadly this wild thing could potentially be.

[@archam777]

And lest we forget the last and final line of that sentence........"A pigeon for a peasant" ~Dad Joke. Sorry I couldn't help myself. 🤣

[@kittyprydekissme]

You can also fish with cormorants.

[@ethanhigley2845]

My favourite animal is the peregrine Falcon

[@Dragoth1337]

I know I'm late here. My surname is Fowler. From what i can tell in this time the fowler (several spellings) was the person charge of the nobles birds. A lot of the surname descriptions say it was kings and royalty birds but im pretty sure it was all birds if they could be paid lol.

[@BUSHCRAPPING]

thats falconer, a fowler is duck hunter

[@invinoveritas6859]

Udet ( Hiter's Pilot ),he's a Human Peregrine Falcon....;))))

[@drax1s729]

Guy: "You have a bigger bird, does that mean you are of higher status than me? ". Woman: " No! I uh, ah... Well yes, yes it does."

[@MrBurtbackerack]

Medieval James May

[@cinthiagoch]

Would a knight take his bird or birds along on a long trip? Would he use it to hunt regularly or would it be ill advised to let the bird loose in an unknown enviroment and risk losing the bird? I'm writing a story set in a sort of medieval period, and I wanted to include falconry because it's so interesting and I rarely see it getting the love it deserves in medieval stories. Sadly, I can't find that level of detail anywhere, and in my native language there's even less information on the subject. So, if anyone knows this, I'd be forever grateful!

[@ModernKnight]

It seems to depend on the type of trip and, I assume, the obsession of the individual about hunting with birds.flying birds in unfamiliar territory is fine though.

[@cinthiagoch]

@@ModernKnight It's a months long trip through all sorts of terrain, that's why I thought a bird would come in handy when they had to find food in the wild. And the knight is very proud of his abilities of hunting with birds, it's a family thing. I think he would take at least one bird. Thank you for your answer, it'll be easier to write these scenes knowing they aren't too farfetched.

[@orphydianhistory7822]

Red tails and Harris hawks? Maybe American medieval age😏

[@rogerhwerner6997]

How does a Perrigrin achieve the unofficial speed of 247 mph when the speed of an object in freefall is 120 mph? When they dive do they flap wings to increase speed?

[@ModernKnight]

freefall speed varies with cross section shape due to wind resistance. a more aerodynamic shape freefalls faster.

[@roberthudson1959]

@@ModernKnight Birds don't dive in freefall any more than planes. They are flapping their wings to maintain level flight, then flap a couple more times at the beginning of the dive.

[@stephanmenzel9457]

Falconry is accepted in the UNESCO world heritage site !

[@pianystrom8137]

it is interesting that humans don't have to torture animals. in order to use them. Very fine video!

[@Crosshill]

how is that interesting, the birds fly flee and could fly away if they wanted, same with shepherding dogs and cats, and horses can smash yer skull with a hoof and were mad expensive back then. torture would obviously never get you anywhere with a free-range animal

[@pianystrom8137]

@@Crosshill Animals can use humans. They have figured out ways, so we can be happy together!

[@Crosshill]

@@pianystrom8137 cats sure noticed that, and then found out they didnt even need to hunt stuff lol

[@BjornFriborg]

How did they catch the birds in the first place?

[@cassidys-g332]

Some people today go out and capture young birds and raise them. I assume that's how it's been done.

[@BjornFriborg]

@@cassidys-g332 but how do you catch such a bird?

[@_KayWoah]

@@BjornFriborg A net, probably

[@Lolibeth]

@@BjornFriborg You watch a nest, wait for the parents to be away, and take a hatchling. And hope the grown birds don't catch you.

[@BjornFriborg]

@@Lolibeth Ah yes of course! Thanks!

[@annataliesin397]

All around Europe is still Falconry and i am so glad about it. There are no birds around the world, which are more beautyful and sensitive... Even if they are birds of prey...But all carnivorous animals are a bit more sensitive then their vegan friends ;) (no i am not vegan)

[@leonbrown4344]

You should of asked Billy Casper.

[@sobrev1viente]

Flying cats, got it

[@orlandofurioso9439]

gnoccolona. uccelloni. chiedo scusa. cuoricino. ♥

[@PrestigeLoft]

peregrines are not the fastest fliers on the planet, they just drop the fastest, the fastest flier is the racing pigeon, period, a rock can drop at 200 miles an hour too

[@ModernKnight]

I'm sure Ruth didn't mean to insult the racing pigeon, she was simply speaking about the dive. Thanks!

[@PrestigeLoft]

@@ModernKnight she did not insult me, and i am sorry if i seemed to aggressive, my point is that the world has accepted the peregrine as the fastest, when in fact the racing pigeon is the fastest. in a straight line the racing pigeon will out fly and outmaneuver anything, even zig zag, doesn't matter. you should do a documentary on racing pigeons, they were used to deliver messages in the medieval times, and long after

[@ModernKnight]

@@PrestigeLoft No worries and that's an interesting idea!

[@Crosshill]

@@PrestigeLoft dude i wanna see that, pigeons used to be status symbols, too, bred for a variety of qualities, before they took to town centers to become so diseased and ugly they stopped calling them doves

[@PrestigeLoft]

@@Crosshill I have seen that many times, I have seen racing pigeons outfly peregrines all the time

[@aitoriri1]

Does She have a Critical Role patch on the hat? Edit: 1:28

[@G1NZOU]

Yeah I noticed that too. Critter spotted.

[@Leto85]

I wonder if these birds of prey were also use in combat. Unless the knights considered that to be too expansive, or they became attached to these birds in order to use them that way; the training time required quite some time together after all.

[@u.v.s.5583]

Somewhere around Mongolia there are legends of birds of prey trained to attack the eyes and stuff like that.

[@thatundeadlegacy2985]

i want to know about sending messages

[@BUSHCRAPPING]

thats a pigeon

[@bellicose4653]

Well first of all, it's not about the money

[@alangknowles]

no hoods over their heads?

[@rayewhitfield9656]

I would Not like to twist arms with her!

[@jcarlovitch]

247 Miles per hour? Even falcons are classy enough not to use the metric system.

[@allim.5941]

Good job on having a female. It’s nice being represented. It’s easier to be involved when you have women on your show as well.

[@caterpillakilla]

poor eagle :(

[@ModernKnight]

why? it seemed healthy and happy.

[@caterpillakilla]

the chains seemed particularly heavy. i know they are bred for it but it lives to fly. still love learning the information and love your channel

[@alexjones420]

@@caterpillakilla I'm not an expert or even a novice but I imagine birds of prey in the wild remain perched or not in flight like 90% of the time to conserve energy, like most predators.