The most agreeable and the best way, where practicable, of keeping
hawks is to have them on blocks on the lawn. Each hawk’s block should
stand in a circular bed of sand—about 8 ft. in diameter; this will be
found very convenient for keeping them clean. Goshawks are generally
placed on bow perches, which ought not to be more than 8 or 9 in. high
at the highest part of the arc. It will be several months before passage
or wild caught falcons can be kept out of doors; they must be fastened to
a perch in a darkened room, hooded, but by degrees as they get
thoroughly tame may be brought to sit on the lawn. In England
(especially in the south) peregrines, the northern falcons and goshawks
may be kept out of doors all day and night in a sheltered situation. In
very wild boisterous weather, or in snow or sharp frost, it will be
advisable to move them to the shelter of a shed, the floor of which
should be laid with sand to a depth of 3 or 4 inches.
Merlins and hobbies
are too tender to be kept much out of doors. An eastern aspect is to be
preferred, all birds enjoy the morning sun, and it is very beneficial to
them. The more hawks confined to blocks out of doors see of persons,
dogs, horses, etc., moving about the better, but of course only when
there is no danger of their being frightened or molested, or of food
being given to them by strangers.
Contrary to the prevailing notion, hawks show a good deal of attachment when
they have been properly handled. It is true that by hunger they are in a
great measure tamed and controlled, and the same may be said of all
undomesticated and many domesticated animals. And instinct prompts all
wild creatures when away from man’s control to return to their former
shyness, but hawks certainly retain their tameness for a long time, and
their memory is remarkably retentive. Wild-caught hawks have been
retaken, either by their coming to the lure or upon quarry, from 2 to 7
days after they had been lost, and eyases after 3 weeks. As one instance
of retentiveness of memory displayed by hawks we may mention the case of
a wild-caught falcon which was recaptured after being at liberty more
than 3 years, still bearing the jesses which were cut short close to the
leg at the time she was released; in five days she was flying at the
lure again at liberty, and was found to retain the peculiar ways and
habits she was observed to have in her former existence as a trained
hawk. It is useless to bring a hawk into the field unless she has a keen
appetite; if she has not, she will neither hunt effectually nor follow
her master.
Even wild-caught falcons, however, may sometimes be seen so
attached to their owner that, when sitting on. their blocks on a lawn
with food in their crops, they will on his coming out of the house bate
hard to get to him, till he either go up to them and allow them to jump
up to his hand or withdraw from their sight. Goshawks are also known to
evince attachment to their owner. Another prevailing error regarding
hawks is that they are supposed to be lazy birds, requiring the stimulus
of hunger to stir them to action. The reverse is the truth; they are
birds of very active habits, and exceedingly restless, and the notion of
their being lazy has been propagated by those who have seen little or
nothing of hawks in their wild state. The wild falcon requires an
immense deal of exercise, and to be in wind, in order to exert the speed
and power of flight necessary to capture her prey when hungry; and to
this end instinct prompts her to spend hours daily on the wing, soaring
and playing about in the air in all weathers, often chasing birds merely
for play or exercise. Sometimes she takes a siesta when much gorged, but
unless she fills her crop late in the evening she is soon moving
again, before half her crop is put over.
Goshawks and sparrow-hawks, too,
habitually soar in the air at about 9 or 10 A.M., and remain aloft a
considerable time, but these birds are not of such active habits as the
falcons. The frequent bating of thoroughly tame hawks from their blocks,
even when not hungry or frightened, proves their restlessness and
impatience of repose. So does the wretched condition of the caged falcon
(before alluded to), while the really lazy buzzards and kites, which do
not in a wild state depend on activity or power of wing for their
sustenance, maintain themselves for years, even during confinement if
properly fed, in good case and plumage. Such being the habits of the
falcon in a state of nature, the falconer should endeavor to give the
hawks under his care as much flying as possible, and he should avoid the
very common mistake of keeping too many hawks. In this case a favored few are sure to get all the work, and ‘the others,
possibly equally good
if they had fair play, are spoiled for want of exercise.
The larger hawks may be kept in health anti working order for several
years, 15 or 20 barring accidents. The writer has known peregrines and goshawks to reach ages between 15 and 20 years. Goshawks,
however, never fly well after 4 or 5 seasons, when they will no longer take difficult quarry; they may
be used at rabbits as long as they live. The shaheen is a
falcon of the peregrine type, which does not travel, like the peregrine,
all over the world. It appears that the jerfalcons also may be worked to
a good age. Old Simon Latharn tells us of these birds—” I myself have
known one of them an excellent Hearnor (killer of herons), and to
continue her goodnesse very near twentie yeeres, or full out that time.”
