How to choose your First Bird of Prey

Deciding what bird of prey to get for your first bird can be difficult. Many people class the Harris Hawk as a beginner bird, but is the Harris hawk a beginner bird? I don't think so, i don't think there is such a thing as a beginner bird in falconry. Choosing a species of bird of prey for falconry depends on a lot of different factors you have to consider. In this video i will discuss some of the things you have to think about when making this decision.

[lizardteep]

Thank you for mentioning the outcome of all the "beginner" Harris hawks! Great birds with such potential but unfortunately it's rarely reached.

[johnpoundford]

Well I've been a falconer for over 40 years and i have to say for a young man i enjoyed your video emencly. Well done you.

[lisakruse]

My first bird was a golden eagle. He is now a gentle and smart bird, not aggressiv and a good hunter. BUT i say all my students that is a very bad idea, because these birds a very sensitive and can be very very dangerous. I am so happy that you say the harris hawk is NOT a beginner bird. I have two harrsi and they are so different, the one is a high aggressiv bird, the other is a softie. Harris hawks are so intelligent, so you can make so many mistakes with these great birds. In germany is the goshawk a traditional beginner bird, or the peregrine falcon. Thanks for these good video!

[chadalbee]

In Oklahoma (central u.s.), we have 2 options for a starter bird. Red tailed hawk and American kestrel. It also depends on your sponsor, some of them only give you one option if you want to do falconry.

[sometimesiwander]

I’m a disabled veteran and have watched hawks, falcons, & owls of all kinds in my back yard in the country for years. I recently moved and luckily have more hawk families here. I went to the VA the other day and they are starting a falconry program for vets locally here in Colorado. I know it takes two years to apprentice, but I’m excited. I got to hold two smaller hawks at the Va, but the larger buteo was still training. They were all gorgeous. I’ve owned birds b4, but never for falconry. Your videos are very helpful. Thx.

[ThisHandleIsntAvalible]

I am so glad that this video exists, it really points me in the right direction and helps me understand the kind of bird of prey to choose, thanks dan!

[NorthernLoki]

as a falconer that has 20+ years experiance im glad ur shining alot of light within our community/lifestyle as iv heard of ALOT of birds have been killed/lost or hurt due to no experiance or knowledge of what they wanna do ... the more people know the better ... alot of people dont notice the amount of patients, time and effort that go in to just keeping these birds healthy

[jonathanshumpert]

I live in the southern U.S and had a pair of red tail hawks nesting in a tree in my back yard. I'm lucky to get to see them and other birds of prey often.

[moritzlaszlo]

The quality of this video is superb! Thank you very much!

[wintermoon]

Delighted to see the new Common Buzzard you got! Could easily become my favourite out of all your birds - I’m so weak for buzzards it’s unreal 😅 I am getting a Buzzard as a first bird very soon. I know they’re not as efficient as some other birds for hunting but after volunteering at falconry places I just love their personalities. A few bunnies a year will be enough to make me happy. Anyway though, I’ve been watching for a fair while though even if I haven’t commented much and I love your stuff, thanks for it and keep it up! You explain complex concepts in a really easy to understand way which I adore.

[ApexPrimals]

My first bird that was given to me is a changeable hawk eagle! Thank you so much for this video!

[ludwigderzanker]

In my youth you had to train and fly kestrel or common buzzard for a year and then was voted, after you had to go with a old timer through the next year. Know mercia only from Uthred, you have a bunch of wonderful birds. All the best from Northern Germany Ludwig.

[cubsotics]

I’m new. To falconry I will most likely get a Harris hawk first I love them such a fab bird

[massmanute]

It sounds like the Harris hawk is probably the most versatile and easiest to train bird. Where does the red tailed hawk fit into the world of first birds for falconers?

[ERMACSKULL]

Thank you very much. Always very clear and instructive. I have learned a lot with your videos.
Congrats for your work and dedication.

[zoeyandjulian]

Appreciation for the video; I’m interested in watching more of your videos as I prepare for my journey. I don’t have a bird yet

[tacitplague]

How would you recommend getting into Falconry? I am currently have no experience with large birds and I am about to go into the army but once I'm out in 10 or so years I would like to get my own bird of prey for hunting. is there anything you could recommend me to do in the meantime to learn what would be required to properly look after a bird of prey?

[trevormaclean]

"These can be incredible birds" - Harris Hawk stomps its talons in agreeance.

[sonebone]

I REALLY APPRECIATE AND LOVE THE WAY YOU DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ABOUT RAPTORS ON YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL!! BEST OF LUCK 😊👍❤LOVE FROM INDIA 🇮🇳!!

[einundsiebenziger]

Interesting, after watching various programs about falconry over the years I thought the Harris hawk is the predominant "beginner bird" in the English-speaking world, even in Britain where it's not native. Thanks for clearing this up.