# best bird of prey for a beginer



## gouldy

Hi 
I am currentley looking into getting a bird of prey but was unsure what is the best bird is i would like an owl but thought it would be to hard.

1. I am going to go on a 3 day course and eventually do LANTRA.
2. I have an old bird house 10ftx8ft and a 6ftx6ft flight would this be ok.
3. i am also buying a starter kit from ben long falconry.

Yes i know i will need to do some research but i am not stupid i have loads of time for the bird and will be able to find someone local to help me i have read a few posts on here and one about a buzzard a guy asking for help and instead of help he just got slated and did not get is question answered thats why i am asking the question.
hope someone can help me and not give me any hasstle just advice so i can get it right first time.
cheers 
gouldy
PS dose anyone know where i could do the falconry course in the north west and anyone in the Wigan area keep birds.


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## biomass

My best advice to start with is to get yourself a couple of good books on falconry/ birds of prey. Training birds of prey, jemima parry jones, is a good start, along with Emma Ford's Falconry, sorry cannot remember the title fully, but you will find it on Amazon etc. 
Both will provide details on the various birds available, and basically the buzzard family are the ones to go for as a beginner


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## SarahY

I believe it's often a mistake for people to recommend a "beginners" bird. 

The bird that is best for you is the one that suits your lifestyle and your prey, if hunting with it. You need to decide for what purpose you want the bird? If you want to hunt, what kind of prey do you have access to? If you're dead keen to get and catch as much pheasant/duck/partridge as possible, you'll want something like a peregrine. If you want an all-rounder to catch fur and feather, get a harris. If you want something to fly at the weekend, get a common buzzard. If you want to do primarily lure-work, get a lanner or saker. 

You need to answer this yourself I'm afraid, and do plenty of research on each species of bird. No point getting a bird because that's what people recommend and then finding out that it doesn't suit the purpose for which you want it :2thumb:

ETA: the only thing to beware is with the smaller birds (sparrowhawks, kestrels, red-footed falcons, etc) is that the slightest miscalculations in weight management will kill them, so perhaps stay from them as a first bird.


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## LoveForLizards

SarahY said:


> If you want something to fly at the weekend, get a common buzzard.



Agree with everything but this. Common buzzards deserve much more than being a 'weekend bird', and you cannot do them justice with such little flying. Common buzzards are, imo, one of the most rewarding birds of prey to keep, but you have to put in a lot of work with them.

This kind of belief is probably why buzzards are so awfully underrated.


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## SarahY

Fair enough


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## gouldy

Hi
Thanks for the info someone said that a peregrine is not suitable for a beginer is this true also is the size of my old bird house ok for size for sa a Harris Hawk or a peregrine. and yes i would be going hunting with the bird not bothered what i catch. do you know where i could do a course in the north west.
kind regards 
gouldy


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## waterdragon555

gouldy said:


> Hi
> I am currentley looking into getting a bird of prey but was unsure what is the best bird is i would like an owl but thought it would be to hard.
> 
> 1. I am going to go on a 3 day course and eventually do LANTRA.
> 2. I have an old bird house 10ftx8ft and a 6ftx6ft flight would this be ok.
> 3. i am also buying a starter kit from ben long falconry.
> 
> Yes i know i will need to do some research but i am not stupid i have loads of time for the bird and will be able to find someone local to help me i have read a few posts on here and one about a buzzard a guy asking for help and instead of help he just got slated and did not get is question answered thats why i am asking the question.
> hope someone can help me and not give me any hasstle just advice so i can get it right first time.
> cheers
> gouldy
> PS dose anyone know where i could do the falconry course in the north west and anyone in the Wigan area keep birds.


I don't know much about falconry but the person who I did my course with said barn owls are good birds.I would love to do falconry in the future and also raise a harris hawk from an egg :2thumb: I am so jelious that you are doing a 3 day falconry course


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## waterdragon555

gouldy said:


> Hi
> Thanks for the info someone said that a peregrine is not suitable for a beginer is this true also is the size of my old bird house ok for size for sa a Harris Hawk or a peregrine. and yes i would be going hunting with the bird not bothered what i catch. do you know where i could do a course in the north west.
> kind regards
> gouldy


 I did my course at wild wings
website:The Wild Wings Birds Of Prey Centre, Worsley, Manchester
It's very good prices


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## miss_ferret

waterdragon555 said:


> I don't know much about falconry but the person who I did my course with said barn owls are good birds.I would love to do falconry in the future and also raise a harris hawk from an egg :2thumb: I am so jelious that you are doing a 3 day falconry course


barn owls arnt good first birds without a lot of experience with small species before hand, its not just a case of it not behaving if you get weight management wrong, it will die. my barn owls has a tiny weight difference between flying weight and fat weight, with some of them you can be talking a few grammes difference, thats all. amazing birds, but not for the inexperienced.

raising a harris from an egg also has a lot of potential pitfalls, as if the imprinting is done incorrectly you can end up with an aggressive screaming bird on your hands. crèche or parent reared (parent reared is best from what i remember) is best.

regarding courses, the LANTRA is best. but it works best combined with doing time with a good mentor. join the IFF (Falconry Forum) and see if anybody local would be willing to show you the ropes. 

OP, not sure how far these are from you, but if you want centres, these are 2 i've been to: Turbary Woods Owl And Bird Sanctuary Preston Lancashire and Visiting the Centre - Hawk Experience - Falconry, Yorkshire

but experience days are usually just that, you need the longer courses and mentorships to really get an idea of day to day falconry.


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## SarahY

gouldy said:


> Hi
> Thanks for the info someone said that a peregrine is not suitable for a beginer is this true also is the size of my old bird house ok for size for sa a Harris Hawk or a peregrine. and yes i would be going hunting with the bird not bothered what i catch. do you know where i could do a course in the north west.
> kind regards
> gouldy


All the bird species are different and have their own challenges. A peregrine flies very high and is easy to lose, goshawks are difficult to man and highly strung, harris hawks are easy to man and train but difficult to man and train *well* and will easily lose respect for you. T'is swings and roundabouts in my opinion!

It makes me very sad to see the numerous adverts which say "four year old harris for sale, I'm 'stepping up' to a goshawk" or something along those lines. That bird has built up a relationship of trust and respect for their handler, and they just get discarded. Sad. If you put in enough time and effort in the learning phase, you can get the bird you actually want and are happy to commit to for the rest of it's life.

Your housing seems plenty big enough for most birds to me


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## LoveForLizards

SarahY said:


> All the bird species are different and have their own challenges. A peregrine flies very high and is easy to lose, goshawks are difficult to man and highly strung, harris hawks are easy to man and train but difficult to man and train *well* and will easily lose respect for you. T'is swings and roundabouts in my opinion!
> 
> It makes me very sad to see the numerous adverts which say "four year old harris for sale, I'm 'stepping up' to a goshawk" or something along those lines. That bird has built up a relationship of trust and respect for their handler, and they just get discarded. Sad. If you put in enough time and effort in the learning phase, you can get the bird you actually want and are happy to commit to for the rest of it's life.
> 
> Your housing seems plenty big enough for most birds to me


This. :2thumb:

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that it's not just about size of the housing, but the design. Hawks, buzzards and falcons shouldn't have access to bare mesh as it will result in foot, feather and potentially wing damage. As well as this, a double entry system is _absolutely necessary_. They need some shelter, and for falcons, it's often preferable to entirely enclosure the roof and use a canopy at the front so as to stop water entering the aviary. You need to ensure there isn't overhanging trees or plants etc, and that it isn't possible for outsider birds to enter.

When deciding on what species you want, the best way is to fly what you're considering. You do need plenty of hands on experience and a mentor close by in case you need physical guidance. Flying a hawk or buzzard will go no way to setting you up for a falcon, and flying a falcon will go no way to setting you up for a hawk or buzzard.

Also keep in mind that falcons generally need much more available land, and they need wide open spaces to fly, not woodlands etc.


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## waterdragon555

miss_ferret said:


> barn owls arnt good first birds without a lot of experience with small species before hand, its not just a case of it not behaving if you get weight management wrong, it will die. my barn owls has a tiny weight difference between flying weight and fat weight, with some of them you can be talking a few grammes difference, thats all. amazing birds, but not for the inexperienced.
> 
> raising a harris from an egg also has a lot of potential pitfalls, as if the imprinting is done incorrectly you can end up with an aggressive screaming bird on your hands. crèche or parent reared (parent reared is best from what i remember) is best.
> 
> regarding courses, the LANTRA is best. but it works best combined with doing time with a good mentor. join the IFF (Falconry Forum) and see if anybody local would be willing to show you the ropes.
> 
> OP, not sure how far these are from you, but if you want centres, these are 2 i've been to:*Turbary Woods Owl And Bird Sanctuary Preston Lancashire** and **Visiting the Centre - Hawk Experience - Falconry, Yorkshire*
> 
> but experience days are usually just that, you need the longer courses and mentorships to really get an idea of day to day falconry.


 Turbary woods is good my and my friend went as a day out :2thumb:


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## P17nut

There is a lot of very good advice in the posts above, I'll just add my own personal opinion based upon what I have observed in the past thirty five years of keeping, flying and breeding birds of prey. Firstly, do read some good books on the subject this will give you an insight into what is involved. Most importantly do try and contact a local falconer, this will be invaluable to you. You do have some excellent falconers in the Wigan area, a good friend of mine lives not too far away from you in Skelmersdale. I would not suggest you start with an owl. They are not so food oriented as hawks and falcons and a lot of the ones you see at flying displays have been imprinted as youngsters. Imprinting correctly, i.e. "social imprinting" requires a lot of experience, more often than not you end up with a "screamer" or, worse still, a bird that has no fear or respect for you and may end up being aggressive towards you. As for so called " beginners birds " recommendations have changed over the years. When I started out the kestrel was the bird of choice but they are such small birds (as already mentioned on this thread) that the margin of error when controlling their weight is small and could prove to be fatal. A common buzzard will give you an insight into handling a larger bird but you probably won't be able to do the bird justice. Although often dismissed as being lazy and not suitable for hunting they CAN do very well but it takes an experienced person to bring out the best in them. If you did begin with a buzzard and then move on to something like a redtail you would find the change in temperament somewhat startling, a female redtail in an uncooperative mood is quite a handful !! I wouldn't recommend flying any longwing falcons...as a beginner you would probably lose it, not a reflection on your ability, just the fact that a small error could result in your bird being miles away from you very quickly ( I would strongly recommend that you invest in a telemetry set whatever bird you settle on ). I would have to say that in my opinion a parent reared harris hawk would suit you best. As a novice I would also suggest that you have a male, apart from being that bit smaller I have always found them to be better natured than the females. Don't be tempted into thinking " bigger is better " , a lot of experienced falconers ( or austringers to pedantic !!) who have flown both male and female harris hawks prefer the males, being faster and more agile. Don't even consider a goshawk at this stage, although they are the ultimate hunting hawks in the hands of an experienced falconer they are highly strung and enough to put a novice off hawking for good !! Whatever bird you settle on is obviously your own personal choice, just make an informed decision on all of the advice that people have given you. Too many birds end up being passed from one owner to another because not enough thought had been given in the first place. In closing, I would say that once you have chosen your bird and trained it you will probably be hooked on falconry for life, just enjoy it !! If you would like to pm me your details I will try and find a local falconer for you to get in touch with. Hope this helps, Pete.


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## Scoffa

I started with a male redtail and feel that every budding falconer do the same. The harris' will not be flying during these low temps. Your shed will be big enough if you keep it tethered whilst in there. You could also keep scales, fridge freezer in there. Your flight pen could be used as a weathering.


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## gouldy

waterdragon555 said:


> I did my course at wild wings
> website:The Wild Wings Birds Of Prey Centre, Worsley, Manchester
> It's very good prices


How long was your course and how much did you pay for the course.


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## waterdragon555

gouldy said:


> How long was your course and how much did you pay for the course.


2 hours but they ran over to 3 that was £75 with two spectators.The spectators were £5 each.


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## anthony reilly

waterdragon555 said:


> I did my course at wild wings
> website:The Wild Wings Birds Of Prey Centre, Worsley, Manchester
> It's very good prices


Hi there can i ask what course you did ?


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## waterdragon555

anthony reilly said:


> Hi there can i ask what course you did ?


Just a normal course learning about basic falconry and such


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## anthony reilly

waterdragon555 said:


> Just a normal course learning about basic falconry and such


I think that would of been an experience rather than a course because we don't do courses. Unless they started while i was in South Africa =/ haha. Do you know wild wings are moving ?


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## waterdragon555

yeah to bent garden centure.We are going to vist when it has moved.


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## gouldy

anthony reilly said:


> I think that would of been an experience rather than a course because we don't do courses. Unless they started while i was in South Africa =/ haha. Do you know wild wings are moving ?


 Hi
Do you know when they are moving 
cheers
gouldy


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## waterdragon555

gouldy said:


> Hi
> Do you know when they are moving
> cheers
> gouldy


All it says on the website is in spring and they are moving to bents garden centure. 

I would also like to know as I am going to be doing falconry workshop in april.


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## anthony reilly

waterdragon555 said:


> All it says on the website is in spring and they are moving to bents garden centure.
> 
> I would also like to know as I am going to be doing falconry workshop in april.


Gouldy/waterdragon they are looking at opening in febuary, but you can always phone up end of january just to make sure there on schedule.


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## waterdragon555

anthony reilly said:


> Gouldy/waterdragon they are looking at opening in febuary, but you can always phone up end of january just to make sure there on schedule.


Thank you very much.


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## jonny2xx4

I'd suggest a Harris hawk. My grandad always used to work with them and they were brilliant birds. firewAlls it's best to get a parent reared bird as if you get an imprint your neighbours will be complaining as It will constantly be making a noise


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## Chance

I was in touch with Wild Wings this morning and got an e-mail back from Carole saying they had moved. Thats a bummer cos I was planning to go. 

Oh well it's going to be a heck of a long time before I'd be able to afford to get into something like falconry which is something I've always wanted to do.


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## mcdougle

cheapest one to get would probably be a barn owl, was a breeding pair on here for 250 not long ago


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## anthony reilly

Chance said:


> I was in touch with Wild Wings this morning and got an e-mail back from Carole saying they had moved. Thats a bummer cos I was planning to go.
> 
> Oh well it's going to be a heck of a long time before I'd be able to afford to get into something like falconry which is something I've always wanted to do.


Chance they have only moved to Bents garden centre in Leigh, just go down the east lancs (towards liverpool) and follow brown signs for Bents garden centre, We'll be happy to speak to you mate.

Anthony


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## anthony reilly

mcdougle said:


> cheapest one to get would probably be a barn owl, was a breeding pair on here for 250 not long ago


The bird maybe cheap but the sport isn't.


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## Praying_Mantis24

anthony reilly said:


> The bird maybe cheap but the sport isn't.


you got that right amigo


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