I recently lost my red-tailed hawk at the very end of the cottontail season. It was an absolutely gut-wrenching feeling. My bird was being attacked and driven off by a mated pair of red-tailed hawks nesting in the area. I lost complete sight of my bird. I was very lucky to have radio telemetry and find him the next morning I lost him. Here is my Facebook post I wrote about losing my bird: Today was the day I recovered my lost bird! This was a scary one! Tinker Bell was chased off by a pair of haggard red tails (adult birds) who had a nest nearby. I was not aware the haggard birds were nesting in the field I was hunting in, until I heard their calls. I watched Tink get dive bombed, grabbed and then Tink flew off. I pulled out my radio telemetry this morning and was able to locate Tink sitting up in a tree. Tink would not come down when I recalled him and would not come down to the lure. (the lure is one of our “oh shit” policies in falconry) that’s why falconers train their birds early on to recall to the lure. Tink thankfully flew to a nearby field that had ground squirrels in it. I was able to recover him after he had killed a ground squirrel. So, I recovered my bird, but the bottom of my car got messed up when I was holding my telemetry in one hand and trying to drive. Anyways my car can be fixed, but I’m glad I have my bird back. Huge thanks to my wife, sponsor, and another falconer friend who guided and helped me through this. I stand by the California Hawking Clubs Code of Ethics, and in this case: I do everything in my power to recover a lost bird, and to bring a sick raptor back to health.
I was very lucky in that situation to have radio telemetry to find the location my bird was in. Radio telemetry is made of 3 parts: Radio transmitter, radio antenna, and radio receiver. Radio telemetry produces invisible electromagnetic waves that allow a professional to find an animal's location. Zoologists, biologists, falconers, and zoological facilities have been utilizing radio telemetry for decades. Radio telemetry can be utilized on all kinds of species such as: elephants, big cats, birds, and reptiles. This can even be a beneficial aid in valuable research being conducted on endangered species. Falconers, zoological facilities, and nature centers that free fly birds can utilize radio telemetry to help recover lost birds in the event of an emergency.
The very first thing I do before I am about to work with, free fly, and hunt with my hawk is make sure my bird is healthy, Bright, Alert, Responsive and ready to fly. I then ask my bird to step up onto my gauntlet and I check all of my bird's equipment (anklets, jesses, leash and swivel.) Another very important aspect of free flying birds is proper weight management. I weigh my bird twice daily. Tink is voluntarily trained to step off of my gauntlet and onto his T-Perch scale. If my bird is too high in weight it will affect his flight speed maneuverability and agility. If my bird's weight is too low, it can affect its energy level and stamina especially while hunting. Improper weight management can also have an effect on your bird's motivation and the bird flying away from you. You can see Tink's equipment attached to him in the photo depicted below. Tinker Bell is trained to allow me to touch his feet and all of his equipment attached to him, I have a relationship where he trusts me to touch his feet talons and his equipment without him being fearful of me. (I am also very cautious as raptors feet and talons can be dangerous) This is important because if my falconry equipment is not in working condition Tink could escape from me. In the photo's bellow you will be able to see my equipment check routine, weight check, and how I equip radio telemetry on him.
As animal care professionals it is our responsibility avoiding situations where our free flying birds could be in danger. Of course, there are always risks associated with free flying birds and there is no telltale sign of what can go wrong in a blink of an eye. However, we can always evaluate and avoid risks associated with loosing birds. Going back to above always checking equipment to avoid situations where a bird could break free. Example if I have my bird tethered on a bow perch in my back yard, I am going to do a thorough check of my equipment (anklets, jesses, swivel, and leash) to avoid my bird getting loose. Proper weight management is key not only to make sure our bird is healthy but is going to be paying attention to you as the animal care professional. If I am going to be free flying and hunting my bird, I need to make sure he is at a solid flying weight, so he does not fly away from me. Checking my soundings before free flying birds is very crucial. Are there native raptors nesting in the location you are going to be free flying? Are there any loud noises that are going to scare the bird? Are there any high valued food sources in the area that could be a distraction for the bird? Are there any other animals such as dogs that can chase and make a bird fly off? These are just a few things I am thinking of when free flying my bird. Recall is also a key part when I free fly my bird. If I am free flying a bird and you see other raptors in the area, I want my birds recall to be so solid that I could get him back to my glove or to a garnished lure as soon as I observed a bad situation like a native raptor entering the area. Again, not all situations are the same when free flying birds. Even a bird with a strong recall may not choose to come down to you in an emergency situation.
You can see the Radio transmitter, radio antenna, and radio receiver.
Tinker Bell Flying with Anklets, Flying Jesses, Radio Transmitter and Radio Receiver
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