Harris Hawk
I think harris hawk (parabuteo unicinctus) is one of the favorite if talk about bird of prey. Well, in addition to the fact that in my country I can keep it without having to apply for specieal permit, it is also because harris hawk is easier to keep (based on my reading).
Here is some information from internet about harris hawk:
The Harris’ hawk is a medium-sized, tropical or semitropical hawk, widely distributed from the US-Mexico border south to Chile and Argentina.
It is one of the most remarkable birds of prey, because it has a unique behaviour pattern. These birds hunt in family groups, in much the same way as wolves hunt in packs. Each group consists of a pair, with a dominant female, and several helpers. When they sight their prey from the air, they land on the ground and take turns to scare the prey animal until it darts out from its hiding place and is captured by another member of the hunting pack. This seems to be an adaptation to flush out their prey from beneath the thorny habitats of mesquite, saguaro and semi-arid woodland without causing damage to the birds’ plumage.
Mantling behaviour
When the prey has been captured, the bird adopts a posture known as mantling, shielding the prey with the wings in an apparent attempt to hide it from other birds. The main types of prey include rabbits, rodents, snakes, lizards and other birds.
(source: http://helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/desbiome/harris.htm)
Harris’s Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus
Identification Tips:
- Length: 18 inches Wingspan: 43 inches
- Sexes similar
- Large, long-tailed, broad-winged hawk
- Short, dark, hooked beak with yellow cere
- White uppertail coverts
Adult:
- Chocolate-brown head, neck, back, and belly
- Chestnut underwing coverts and leg feathers
- Dark flight feathers above and below
- Chestnut upperwing has dark centers to many of the feathers
- White undertail coverts
- Black tail with white base and terminal band
Immature:
- Chocolate-brown head and neck with sparse pale streaking
- White belly streaked with chocolate-brown
- Leg feathers pale with chestnut barring
- Upperwing and underwing coverts chestnut, with dark centers to many of the feathers
- Pale bases to primaries create pale patch in outer wing
- Dark tail with narrrow white base and terminal band
Similar species:
Dark plumage, chestnut wing coverts, black tail with white base and terminal band eliminate all other hawks.
Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.
(source: http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i3350id.html)
and I think this is my favorite…
Physical Characteristics:
Size: Medium sized hawk. P. u. superior is the largest of the three subspecies.
Build:
Weight: 565-2000 g
Wings and tail: Long wings and long tail.
Wingspan:
Colours: P. u. harrisi and P. u. unicinctus: Sooty brown with chest-nut shoulders, under-wing coverts and thighs. P. u. superior: darker.
Voice: ‘Eechip’ (2 sec.) when begging, ‘eerrp’ (1-3 sec.) when an adult expects prey to be transferred’, ‘eee-eee-eee-eee’ (3 sec.) when disturbed.Easily confused with: Juveniles: Species of the genus Buteogallus.
Range: P. u. harrisi: Southern United States; Louisiana to Kansas Southern Texas, Mexico, Central America to Ecuador and Peru. P. u. unicinctus: and south-eastern California to Chile, Central Argentina, Paraguay, Venezuela and Brazil. P. u. superior: South-eastern California, south-western Arizona, south-western Mexico
Population: Declining in North America.
Migration: Non-migratory.
Habitat: Lowland areas, sparse woodland and semi-desert. Prefers a moderate amount of taller vegetation.
Breeding: Polyandry is common among Harris’ hawks, and mostly so in the western range. The third member of the family acts as a ‘nest-helper’, by feeding the young and supplying prey to the nest. Occasionally the ‘nest-helper’ is a juvenile female from an earlier clutch.
The pairs/families maintain individual breeding territories.
Nests are usually found in low-lying and isolated woodland. They are placed in cactus, spanish bayonet, mesquite, and other trees. Nests are made of sticks, twigs, weeds lined with green mesquite, leaves, bark, grass and moss.
Breeding season is from february to october, with most eggs laid in early march. Mating starst about three weeks before egg-laying. Two to four eggs are laid. The incubation period is 33-36 days. The nestlings fledge at about 40 days of age. Double clutching is occasionally observed.
Food: Small and mediumsized mammals, and mediumsized birds.
Hunting technique: A quick descending glide from a high perch or a soaring position, or flying horizontally from the perch and making a steep downward plunge at the quarry. If successful, the hawk remains on the ground with the quarry, or carries it to a nearby elevated perch to feed. If unsuccessful, the hawk might take perch near the last sighting of the prey, and await its reappearance or till it tires from waiting and flies of to a higher perch. If the quarry is flushed, the hawk chases it with quick wingbeats and might eventually stoop at it before it reaches cover again. If it does, the hawk swoops vertically upwards a couple of meters, sometimes make a tight circle and then it descends on the quarry if it reappears. Hovering above prey or its cover is never observed.
Harris’ hawks often hunt in groups of 3-6 hawks. They fly from one perch to a neighboring perch, which, if not vacant, becomes vacated when an approaching hawk comes near. This move-searching hunting tactic eventually ends up with the intire group pursuing quarry which is engaged in a series of stoops or by a dominant hawk pursuing and capturing quarry and the rest of the group following to assist if necessary.
Use in Falconry: The Harris’ hawk has become the most popular hawk and is the greatest invention in 20th century falconry. It is a most versatile and adaptable hawk. It will perform in all sorts of country-side, in all sorts of weather, fly at all sorts of quarry and do it in all sorts of ways. It is the easiest of all hawks in falconry to train and handle.
Due to it’s social behaviour, the Harris’ hawk tames quickly and develops an affection for it’s handler. They are quick learners, quite intelligent and will improve with age. They are very consistent and will take quite large quarry: rabbits, hares and ducks. The Harris’ hawk is easy to train to fly with other Harris’ hawks in casts or even groups.
Many experienced falconers do not recommend Harris’es to beginners. They are considered too easy to train, and the beginner is not believed to learn enough about training a hawk from training a Harris’ hawk. Never the less falconry owes a large part of its growing popularity in the last 20-30 years, to the Harris hawk, as it has become the most common hawk in western falconry.
(source: http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc12787/raptors/parabuteo.html)
November 21st, 2006 at 6:47 am
Do we need license to keep the harris hawk?
December 15th, 2006 at 5:12 am
It depend on each place/state… some country or state required license and some may not.. you need to check with the your local department.