To Catch A Hawk

[zelph]

This past fall I had the opportunity to learn how they capture and band a red tailed hawk at the Colored Sands Bird Banding Station in Northern Illinois.

No pidgeons were harmed in the making of these videos. The leather harness protects the pidgeon from the claws of the hawk for the most part. In one of the videos you can see the harness being attached. They may get a scratch or two but survive. As soon as the hawk grabs hold of the pidgeon, the guy up in the tower pulls on a cord attached to the pidgeon. The hawk holds onto the pidgeon as it is being pulled into the near by spring loaded net trap. The guy in the tower pulls the trap release and the hawk is captured. The hawk releases the pidgeon and trys to escape. The capturing takes place very quickly.

I was surprised that the hawk does not try to attack our face while perched in our fist. I had the opportunity to hold the raptor in the last video. They later released it at the end of the day. I had to leave early so they let me get a video of me holding it. I was a little leary of having my eyeballs savagely pecked out and eaten for a snack. Everything worked out ok:dblthumb:


The last video shows the procedure of banding a small birds.

To Catch a Hawk - YouTube

Hawk sighted, working the decoy - YouTube

Raptor Captured - YouTube

Banded and looking good - YouTube

Colored Sands Bird Banding Station - YouTube

 

[Bucketosudz]

Amazing! Thanks for taking the time to document the process and share it with us here.

 

[Peacelovingirl]

How long was she left in the coffee can?

 

[Friartuck]

They are such beautiful and majestic animals!!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Pabloturtle]

Great stuff. THANKS!

 

[zelph]

How long was she left in the coffee can?

Not long. They observe the birds behavior once it calms down. It's released within an hour. They look for symptoms of exposure to herbicides etc.

Thank you for your concern.

 

[Peacelovingirl]

that's good to hear.... beautiful hawk.... I am glad there are people out there watching after them.......once I was hiking and saw a cotton tail bunny... I had a big smile on my face as I walked away.... they are sooo cute! the next think I know I hear something like a baby screaming at the top of its lungs I turned around in time to see a hawk flying away with my bunny... I was in awe... and a little sad...that's circle of life

 

[OLD DOG]

Great video. I'm a hawk fancier, but also a pigeon fancier and keep a flock of birds. I hate it when I occasionally lose a pigeon to a hawk.

 

[CoryD]

Found a red tail on the side of the road once. just standing there. big bird. thought it was strange it didnt fly off when I approached. walked up to it and it just stood there. thought ok, hes gotta be sick. took my shirt off and threw it over it and called a raptor rehab and took it in. called a week later to see how it was doing. It turned out it was blind in one eye, so they put it down!! I suppose, its better that than some yahoo molest or kill it. still, makes me sad when such a critter doesnt make it.

 

[zelph]

Great video. I'm a hawk fancier, but also a pigeon fancier and keep a flock of birds. I hate it when I occasionally lose a pigeon to a hawk.

The local Homing pidgeon clubs donate birds to the banding station.

 

[StoneHopper]

Birds And Blooms had a letter recently from a man who had to rescue a juvenile red tal from his screened in patio. The man's son had called him out there telling him a bird was in the room and when he got there it was a hawk. The bird allowed him to pick him up around his wings to carry him out. The guy didn't even think about his camera until the hawk was gone. Glad it was not injured on it's way into the room.