Peregrine catches a duck in good style

Some of you really liked the falconry videos, so I tried to take a better quality one today. We flew five falcons. Every falcon caught a duck but one who chose not to hunt and just enjoy a nice morning ride around the sky. We very easily could have gone five for five if that bird had been motivated.

This was by far the most stylish flight of the day. The bird went high, commanded the sky and the quarry below her, and caught a drake gadwall by binding to it. She is a two year old peregrine who was captured out of the wild. I am in some ways narrating the video as to what's happening but also talking to another falconer and my five year old son so that he knows what to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtjVu7yfILA&feature=youtu.be

These videos are awesome. Keep them coming.

What makes a bird not want to hunt? How often does that happen?

They just aren't hungry enough to be motivated. Some birds refuse specific quarry for weird reasons. The weight management is always a fine line, but a special fine line to walk with falcons. They have to be muscled up and strong enough to make powerful flights but lean enough to be motivated. Makes it challenging.

That's awesome

That was so awesome. The falcon looked like a laser beam.

Pure enjoyment. I love these videos.

Great Videos, Some incredible work. Thanks for sharing!

So...does the falcon roost outdoors? As a kid I would care for a neighbors pigeons and falcon when he left. He kept it in a big roost, except to give it exercise and put it onto the pigeons.

I had the pleasure to see a wild peregrine take a dove a close quarters on a family walk once. Big groups of Dove and quail jumped from my dog, not even 20 yards away, then that thing tore through the sound barrier and BLAMMO! snatched a dove clean out of the sky, not 10 feet off the ground. Feathers everywhere. Awesome. Sounded like a 107mm rocket burning in danger close it was tearing through the air so fast. Awesome. Definitely a once in a lifetime event.

Yes, they live in a mew, which is basically a giant chicken coop specially designed for a raptor. Depending on weather conditions they may spend a night inside here or there.

Cool stuff. Truly an awesome sport and impressive display of a hunting relationship.