Eyes Like a Hawk

Hawks, like eagles, falcons and other raptors, have incredible eyesight.  These spectacular birds are able to locate and hunt quarry with precise accuracy from an astonishing distance.  Author Lee William Harris, puts it into human terms “it is believed that a raptor could read the headlines of a newspaper the full length of a football field away”—that’s 360 feet or about the height of a 36-story building!
A recent road trip through the New England States led us to the Green Mountain Falconry School where we were able to experience these birds of prey up close.  I never imagined it was possible for someone with absolutely no knowledge of falconry to actually handle and fly a hawk!  But that’s what we did!
The Green Mountain Falconry School is located near the scenic village of Manchester, Vermont.  We arrived at beautiful, historic Boorn Brook Farm, home of the Falconry School, on a gorgeous autumn morning.

Rob Waite, the owner/operator of the Green Mountain Falconry School, greeted us with a smile and immediately put us at ease.  Rob is a master falconer with over 40 years of experience spanning the United Kingdom and the USA.  In the world of falconry, being a “master falconer” represents the highest level of falconry permit and professional expertise.

The North American Falconers Association (NAFA) defines falconry as “the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor.”  “All diurnal (active in daytime) birds of prey are termed “hawks” in the language of falconry—whether they are falcons, hawks, or eagles—and all hunt naturally in their wild state. The skill of the falconer is to harness this natural hunting ability by training a hawk to hunt in partnership.” elaborates the Encyclopedia Britannica.
The appeal for us was not to hunt, instead it was to learn about this unusual sport and see these magnificent birds.  The learning began the minute we stepped inside the cozy cabin which houses the Falconry School.  We looked around with interest at the various unfamiliar items on display.  A rack of leather hawking gloves dominated the far wall.  As it turns out, we would each select one of these gloves to fit our non-dominant hands.  Falconers hold their birds on their non-dominant, fisted hand so they can use their dominant hands to manipulate the falconry equipment.

Small, beautifully-tooled leather devices, called hoods, were also displayed on the walls.  Although he rarely uses a hood, Rob explained they are designed to fit over the head of the bird to cut off light and avoid problems with fright, much like horses wear blinders to block out distractions.

I admit I’d spent enough time watching falconry videos on YouTube to recognize the importance of the weighing scales…

…and this tracking chart.

The chart lists each bird by name along with its flying weight and current day’s weight.  As explained in the book, The Harris Hawk: Management, Training and Hunting, “The fine balancing act of feeding a hawk the correct volume of food to attain and maintain a stable flying weight is the most important aspect of hawk ownership.  Correct weight control can make the difference between life and death.”
As we headed outdoors to the mews (hawk houses), we discussed various birds of prey, such as falcons, eagles, owls and hawks, and which are used in falconry.  Rob explained he prefers Harris’s Hawks.

The Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) was discovered by John James Audubon, the famous American naturalist and artist.  He named the bird after Colonel Edward Harris, a friend and financial supporter, who was with him when he first saw it.  While the correct name is Harris’s Hawk, I’ve noticed many sources simply call it a Harris Hawk.
Harris Hawks are found in their natural state from the Southwestern United States south to Chile, central Argentina and Brazil.  Rob explained his Harris Hawks are acquired from specialized breeders in Arizona.  Harris Hawks are considered “permanent residents” as they do not migrate.  Given these birds are naturally from hotter climates than that of Vermont, Rob keeps them in a heated barn during the extended cold of the winter.
Harris Hawks are considered a medium-large hawk ranging in length from 46 to 59 cm (18 to 23 in) with a wingspan of about 103 to 120 cm (41 to 47 in).

Falconry is an ancient method of hunting used by early man to secure food.  Some experts refer to falconry as the oldest sport in the world.  It is believed to have originated in China around 2000 BC.  Evidence, in the form of stone carvings and cave drawings, show it flourished in the Middle East from as early as 1700 BC.  The sport was introduced to western Europe and the British Isles, when Europeans visiting the Middle East returned home with falcons and falconers.  It flourished among the privileged classes in the Middle Ages.
Interestingly, the sport has a briefer history and a slightly different focus in North America.  NAFA reports “By the 1930’s we find a growing interest in the sport, especially among young men associated with eastern universities. Significantly … falconry here found an appeal not so much within the North American hunting fraternity as among those with an interest in nature and natural history. It is noteworthy too, that stemming from a natural history rather than hunting background, most North American “falconry” of that era consisted far more of possession than of actual hunting.”
NAFA’s report goes on to explain how North American falconers “played the major role in the most significant endangered species recovery of the 20th Century, the return of the Peregrine falcon in North America.”  North American falconers are also credited with other major advances in falconry including “The development of captive breeding techniques … as a source of birds for use in the sport as well as a technique valuable in raptor conservation efforts” and the “introduction of the Red-tailed Hawk and Harris’ Hawk into international falconry.”
According to Wikipedia, “Since about 1980, Harris’s hawks have been increasingly used in falconry and are now the most popular hawks in the West (outside of Asia) for that purpose, as they are one of the easiest to train and the most social. … The Harris’s hawk is notable for its behavior of hunting cooperatively in packs consisting of tolerant groups, while other raptors often hunt alone. Harris hawks’ social nature has been attributed to their intelligence, which makes them easy to train and have made them a popular bird for use in falconry.”
As Rob explained to us, it’s important to keep in mind these birds are not domesticated pets.  Unlike dogs, they are driven purely by the need for food, not by any desire to perform or please.
In this next photo, Rob is holding Elmer.  Elmer’s bio on the Falconry School’s website reads “Male Harris Hawk (D.O.B. 1996) Independent and reliable (as hawks go).  His ability to focus on the job makes him a staff favorite!”.

We signed up for the introductory lesson followed by a hawk walk.  During the introductory lesson, Rob taught us how to handle and fly a trained hawk.  It quickly became apparent why falconers wear leather gloves—those talons are frightening!
Shown below is my husband David holding Elmer.  Most of the equipment used in falconry, called “furniture”, is visible in these photos.  In the bottom right photo, leather strips, called “jesses” are visible between the fingers of his glove.  A jesse is attached to each of the hawk’s legs and held securely in the falconer’s gloved hand.  Once released, a trained hawk flies free.  The hawk returns for the food, small pieces of meat, offered by the falconer.
Small bells are attached to the hawk’s legs to help the falconer track the bird’s location.  A tiny radio transmitter, trailing a short antenna, is attached in case the hawk wanders away.  Trained hawks do occasionally wander away and, as Rob explained, they can be extremely difficult to retrieve.
Mike Syring, of Mike’s Falconry Supplies, challenges would-be falconers with this question “After investing all this time and effort, do you really understand that, at any moment of free flight, your bird can choose to simply fly away and never return?” in his article Do You Really Want to Become a Falconer?

Holding a Harris Hawk on your outstretched hand allows you to admire these magnificent birds up close.  As explained by the Harris Hawk book, their beak has a “powerful hooked upper mandible. … This pointed hook is designed to pierce the flesh of captured quarry, which it does as easily as a hot knife through butter.”

Their eyes are intense and, as mentioned at the top of this blog post, provide the hawk with incredibly accurate eyesight.

“The legs or tarsus are extremely powerful and covered with varying scaled patterns which act as protection … The birds have large, powerful feet, with four toes on each.  The middle and back toes are the most powerful, designed for seizing and holding down captured prey.”

This is a close look at the Harris Hawk’s beautiful tail feathers.  “The vital flight feathers, the primaries, secondaries and tail feathers, … allow the hawk to perform with skill and agility.”  Raptors moult annually meaning they drop old feathers to make way for new ones.  Falconers collect dropped feathers, especially primary and tail feathers, in case a broken or damaged feather needs to be repaired.  This ancient art of mending feathers by grafting a new feather onto an existing feather is called “imping”.

With Rob’s gentle coaching we soon felt comfortable holding a hawk and letting it land on our gloved fist.  Things got a little trickier when we had to “cast off” the hawk.  The idea is to simultaneously let go of the jesses and release the hawk into the wind with a forward sweep of the arm.  Here’s Rob demonstrating the technique.

We spent some time practicing in the yard, releasing the hawks and watching them fly to a perch.  Then letting them land on our outstretched fists when they returned.

After about an hour, we were ready for the hawk walk part of the program.  Rob returned Elmer to his cage and prepared Bailey, a 6-year-old female, and (if I remember correctly) Mycroft, a 25-year-old male, to walk with us.  We followed a lovely wooded trail past sun-lit fields…

… and a charming pond.

As we strolled along, the hawks flew from tree to tree keeping just below the canopy of the hardwoods.  They perched in the overhead branches alert for any sign of food.

Occasionally, Rob would whistle for the hawks to catch up or we would raise our arms to have them land on our gloved fists for a meaty tidbit.

After we returned to the main yard, Rob demonstrated the use of a lure.  He chuckled at the hawks’ antics as they vied for the best position.  The hawks, it turns out, are familiar enough with the routine to know how to get the most food.  Here’s Bailey at full attention.  Rather intimidating, isn’t she?

Rob threw out the lure and, in a flash, the hawk had attacked and caught her prey…

…huddling over it to deter any interference.

While researching this blog post, I learned a fascinating fact—trained Harris Hawks are also used to control problems with pigeons, gulls, starlings and other problem species at airports, resorts, landfill sites and industrial sites.  In London, England, they are used to remove unwanted pigeons from Trafalgar Square and, most famously, the tennis courts at Wimbledon.  In fact, a well-known Harris Hawk named Rufus, was dubbed the “official bird scarer of the Wimbledon championships”.  A fantastic YouTube video titled Rufus – The Real Hawk-Eye showcases this Harris Hawk.  As described “Presented by Stella Artois and the Perfectionists at Wimbledon, Rufus the Hawk takes us through a day in the life of the fiercest member of the tennis tournament’s security team”.  Rufus even has his own Wikipedia entry and Twitter account. (see More Info below).
These striking birds really are astonishing!

More Info

The Green Mountain Falconry School is located in Manchester, Vermont.  Owned and operated by master falconer Rob Waite, this small, intimate school specializes in one-on-one, introductory encounters with their amazing hawks.  Rob’s knowledge and expertise, as well as his patient and charming manner, made this an extraordinary experience.  Thank you, Rob, for a unique and memorable day!
For more information about falconry and Harris Hawks, check out the following resources referenced in the writing of this blog post:
.The book, The Harris Hawk: Management, Training and Hunting, by Lee William Harris was published in 2001.  It is available here on Archives.org.
. The North American Falconers Association (NAFA) protects and serves falconry in North America.  The NAFA website offers a wealth of information.
. The falconry entries in the Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia reference sites.
. Mike’s Falconry Supplies website provides valuable insight into the process, challenges and rewards of becoming a falconer.
This is the link to the YouTube video about Rufus – The Real Hawk-Eye as well as his Wikipedia entry and Twitter account.

Today’s Takeaways

1. In the ancient sport of falconry, a falconer harnesses a falcon’s natural hunting ability by training it to hunt in partnership.
2. Every physical characteristic of the magnificent Harris’s Hawk is fine-tuned for locating and hunting quarry.
3. Consider visiting a falconry school to learn about this unusual sport and see these astonishing birds.