Harris Hawks

[mrs fish]

They are a polular bird with falconers and I would like to know are they a danger to native bop's or anything else when they escape ?

There have been sightings of one at Landguard Common Felixstowe where there are peregrines

[aeshna5]

You're right they are popular bird with falconers + are regularly used in pest control. If one escapes then it will catch birds/smallish mammals (certainly up to Rabbit size) to survive. One escaped bird is unlikely to impact on native species unless it's somewhere like a breeding tern colony.

Larger raptors do sometimes take smaller ones, eg Goshawks are one of the main predators of Sparrowhawk where the 2 species occur together.

[mrs fish]

Thanks aeshna, sadly terns do breed at Landguard

Are escaped falcons allowed to be shot if they are not native ?

[LoveT]

Perhaps Willing to Learn may be able to answer your questions?

I'd be interested to know.

Thea

[willing to learn]

Originally Posted by LoveT

Perhaps Willing to Learn may be able to answer your questions?

I'd be interested to know.

Thea

Harris Hawks
Are cheap to buy, I would say 75% of them end up in the wrong hands.
They are very clever and very easily trained, though it takes a dedicated falconer to show them at their best. They hunt ground quarry best. Anything from a mouse to a hare some odd females have even taken fox. They can and do take feathered quarry usually from a high vantage point in a tree, dropping down, and taking the birds by suprise on the ground, or as the bird risers if flushed. Rarely can they take feathered quarry in a pursuit flight. They do not have the turn of speed as our native Goshawk. So the adult terns should be safe, but the young would be a easy target. I noticed a thread with another apparent lost Harris screaming in a tree. I did not comment but I guess the screaming (noise) had become a problem, and had been released iresponsible. It might be worth trying to find a local falconer to try and catch it up. Harris hawks find the cold wet winters hard in the wild. And suffer from wing tip ademia (a form of frostbite) so getting a breeding foot hold would not be easy, also If you have Peregrines near by they will drive it out or even kill it out right.
Regards
Colin

Captive bred peregrine


Ps if the Harris hawk does become a problem to the native wild life, a license will be issued and it will be culled.

[LoveT]

The number of irresponsible people around really makes me mad .

I've had the pleasure of one of these flying to my fist (strictly controlled circumstances at a falconry centre of course!): they are gorgeous birds, and the bit that really makes my blood boil is the fact that these poor creatures are left to their fate and probably end up paying the ultimate price for other peoples' stupidity !

'Nuff said I think - don't want to get frozen!

Thanks for answering that one Willing to Learn.

Thea

[mrs fish]

Thanks for your info Willing-to-learn

Have sent you pm

[bounce]

We have a local Harris Hawk still with his jessie on must have been around for 3/4 years at least
Moore Nature Reserve

[mrs fish]

There was a falconry display at the football ground a few years back and a H hawk shot off over the river, they must go missing all the time.

The one I was worried about because of the terns hasn't been sighted anymore, not that I know of anyway

Bounce, 3/4 years sounds like he has made the reserve his home

[GerryNick2]

Very nice birds.

Gerry