Falconry

Morpheus

Captive bred male Harris’ hawk hatched April 23, 2013 and welcomed home in late July of 2013. Morpheus’ flies between 640 – 680 grams and caught his first cottontail in September of 2013.

Scottsdale, AZ

Morgana & Morpheus

Morgana and Morpheus flew together for the first time in January 2015.

Nietzsche on Cottontail

Nietzsche was acquired on September 15, 1995 and he was my apprentice bird. We hunted together for seven short years until he died from West Nile Virus.

Ziggy

Imprinted female American kestrel, the smallest of the indigenous birds of prey in the U.S. Ziggy is an accomplished grasshopper hunter. Her moult was started early after an “incident” with a cactus. Watch out sparrow during her 2nd season, this girl is fearless.

The Lady Morgana Pendragon

Captive bred female Harris’ hawk. Morgana arrived home in mid November of 2014 a bit underweight. While increasing her weight, conditioning and falconry training began. She is expected to be an amazing Jack rabbit hawk.

After the Hunt

Riding in the car is 2nd nature to Morpheus.

Checking Out the Land

Morpheus on the hunt.

Eurasian Kestrel

The Eurasian Kestrel is larger than our American Kestrel and more of an aerial flyer.

What is Falconry?

Falconry is the ancient hunting sport where a bird of prey is trained to hunt in cooperation with a person. The falconer must earn the bird’s trust and from there, the adventures begin.

What is involved?

There is no typical day in the life of a falconer. The first priority for falconer is the health & well-being of their birds. That means good nutrition, clean housing safe from predators and inclement weather, time for training/handling, and accessible land with small game for hunting.

How can you become a falconer?

Falconry is one of the most heavily regulated sports in the world. In order to become a falconer you must first contact your local Game & Fish authority and get the regulations for your state. Though the requirements vary by state most require passing a written examination on birds of prey, falconry, and regulations; an inspection of your falconry equipment and mews (housing for your raptor); and serving as an apprentice for two years.

A Few Minutes in the Life of a Falconer