This falconry video compares Peregrine falcons and Prairie falcons and discusses attributes of both and which species is a better choice for a first large falcon species.
Hi Ben, good video, i would love to see a continuation of this, maybe small falcons, or micro raptors in general. A comparison like you did betwe prairies and peregrines
I absolutely love prairies, and hope to fly one for someday. But as a first longeing I fly a peregrine/prairie hybrid. When she acts like her father, its fun, enjoyable, and she is textbook. But when she acts like her mother......I seriously question my sanity and think about taking up knitting
We have a local Prairie Falcon (pretty sure) that likes our year-round pond. It's quite common to find dismembered bird wings in the yard and neighboorhod (suburbs). Used to weird us out until we figured out there's a falcon about (when we got the pond). Also the ground squirrels disappeared! ;-)
I’m a competition dog trainer and run Papillons in agility. They are small, smart, fast moving toy spaniels with large mobile ears. For this reason, they attract hawks and owls and I’m very aware of their presence. I was coming out of a trial (show) early April of 2019 with my young dog. Most people had left at that point. I had earlier noticed a swift moving hawk scanning over a large field that surrounds the club building (this is in Iowa). It had been out there a long time. I didn’t see it when I came out of the building, but as I walked my dog to my car, this bird swept up from behind the building and came plunging down toward my dog (about 7 lbs) with its claws out. I pulled my dog closer and it hovered a bit as if trying to decide what to do next. I was half afraid it was going to foot me in the back to get me to drop the dog. Luckily, I was right by my car at that point so I opened the door and tossed the dog in. The bird took off. That was the beginning of my interest in falconry because I had to know what that bird was and why it was so bold. I have red tails etc who will come by for a look fairly often but you can “reason” with them I’ve found. Tell them to go away and they get it. This bird did not. So I tried to identify what it was and the closest I came was a prairie falcon. I did get a close look since it hovered about 15-20 feet above me with its wings spread out so I could see the markings on its head and feathers. So first, I’m wondering, is this typical behavior for a prairie falcon. Are they actually more pushy than say, a red tail? I was actually afraid if I wasn’t by my car this bird was going to fight me. Second, I’ve since been watching your videos and have become interested in falconry. As mentioned, I’m already a very experienced dog trainer with championships and a national title. I’m not interested in larger hawks since I run the kestrels of the the dog agility world already. So, I’m thinking an American Kestrel would suit my life and training history very well. I know it’s not the coolest in the falconry world to have a peak aspiration of flying a kestrel, but I already deal with that in my world where the Border Collies are the Peregrines of the sport. Is it ok to go into the sport with that sort of goal in mind or would being satisfied to fly an AK seem completely not worth it? I should also say since my current dogs are “hawk bait” I feel a kestrel would be a safer match for my dogs as they and the training I’ve invested in them are valuable to me. Thanks for the great information on Prairie Falcons. They are a great species and I love information you share about them and other bird species.
From what I have heard of, American Kestrels aren't good beginner birds. I could be wrong but they are harder to handle. They require lots of weight management and care due to their small size. I can see why you compare dogs to specific birds of prey due to their similar characteristics, but it's important to remember that birds of prey and dogs are totally different animals. A bird of prey will never be fully in your control. They aren't pets so you should not go into falconry thinking you can handle a specific species of bird just because you can handle a dog breed with similar characteristics. I'm guessing you want an American Kestrel due to their small size and agility, but you should really look more into the species requirements.
Have numerous days where the Prairie goes up 1500ft waits on, comes down to the lure. Then every once in a while, shes flying a few feet above the ground picking up and throwing rocks, then a screaming, fearful mess. Next morning shes a sweetheart. The comparison seems spot on in the video.
Would love to see a video on PereXLanner hybrids. Good/Bad points. What will they hunt ect. Alot of UK Falconers say they cant be hunted but make good display birds.
What kind of bird is shown at 0:36 in your video? I photographed one in my neighborhood today and would like to identify it. The one pictured is the closest to a few dozen I've researched online. Thanks!
Interesting commentary and you sure have an amusing (quirky) presentation style. That is OK. Certainly know an amazing lot of stuff. It is a bit disconcerting that so much knowledge about raptors is couched in the narrative of falconry. I am surprised to hear talk about it, as though it is a kind of normal activity. Then again people in America have guns - weird(!) Falconry is not legal in Australia where I am. Although there are several places here that have raptors for rehabilitation or for maintenance if they can't be released. Several principles of care are shared. In that video, you compared Peregrine, Prairie Falcons and others from Asia and Africa. That comparison was interesting. How do people in USA manage to get these foreign species? Whilst listening to your other video it had me wondering how you would characterise the Australian falcon species that part share the range of the Peregrine. They are different again from the ones you talked about. Then there is the strange New Zealand Falcon that shares raptor duties in its native land, only with the Swamp Harrier and no others.
Hey Ben, curious what your opinion is on the arrival of drones on the scene for training falcons (specifically prairies) to pitch. My first bird as an apprentice was a prairie, and I had an abysmal first year not using a drone. Once I got a drone, I started noticing a huge change in prairie behavior. I didn’t have to try to use mind games on her with pigeons anymore. Maybe you’re planning on doing a falconry + drones video anyways, but I just wanted to share that perhaps the way training has evolved over the last decade-ish with drones could positively affect how prairies learn to react in the field.
I have a couple basic videos on my channel about drones. But I’ll get a better video up soon in the next month and a half. My friends and I have some new falcons we are introducing to the drones and it will give me a chance to make a better video about the subject.
Ben, I am an aspiring falconer quite infant in my journey. My ultimate goal is to fly falcons. How would you characterize a peregrine as a first-time apprentice bird?
Really interesting video, thank you! A suggestion: my experience with long wings is limited to an european kestrel. Now I'd like to start training a bigger falcon... So would you recommend a peregrine to begin? Thanks
If you want to do serious hunting, I would go right for a peregrine. If you are wanting a transition between a kestrel and a peregrine to just ease yourself in, I would get a Lanner falcon 👍👍👍
@@benwoodrufffalconry Thank you very much! Just a question: in what way could a lanner ease myself in? Do you mean it is easier to fly/train? Because I heard that lanners are a little inconsistent, just as you described prairies in this video. That would be very interesting to know, many thanks
Do you have any experience with Aplomado falcons? I'm not a falconer yet (I have a few years before I can try my hand at it haha), but I am so interested in Aplomados! I think they are so beautiful and I would love to hear what you think of them as a species/ falconry bird. Thank you
I would also like to hear your experience on this - I am used to hunting with goshawks and coopers and noticed how some people also hunt aplo’s from the fist like my accipiters so curious to your thoughts
What do you think of saker falcons The one I was training for friend...and it was friendly no danger of getting footed...it was a chaser.... not dive from high Flys Have you has any experience this this species
Peregrines prefers the birds prey more than rodents because they fear that their feather get damaged in a ground fight . Since their feathers can be easily broken . Compared to a hiero falcons or prairie falcons their feathers can handle the fights on the ground
Generally speaking, were North American peregrines always relatively comfortable nesting around humans? Do peregrines from other parts of the world exhibit the same behavior? Is it possible that falconer breeding programs to increase the number of North American peregrines contributed to that comfort _(indifference?)_ level?
Not normally. Part of the reason is that we normally hunt prey heavier than the bird we are hunting with. Also, a bird on the ground is easier and safer to retrieve. Training them to fly anywhere once they have caught prey creates the risk that they may fly off to a tree, eat what they have caught, and then be unwilling to return because they are stuffed. There are definite exceptions, most notably merlins. Merlins will often cache their kill in the wild to eat it later. Merlins can be trained to have you be the location that they cache their food, and as such can be trained to return with the kill. I also have a friend in Canada who runs her own wine vineyard and patrols it from her vehicle with her birds, hunting and chasing off birds that fly in to eat her grapes. She trained a Harris hawk to catch small birds and fly back to her truck with them. It is possible that with effort, this could be more possible with many birds, but again it is rarely explored because of prey size and the safety of being able to recover your bird.
@@benwoodrufffalconry.. Thank you for some detailed answers. I asked that because if you do this in the philippines and your bird landed on someone elses backyard or rooftop because that is where the chase ended there is a very very slim chance that you will get back your bird. They will catch it and make it their pet.
I would like to add the exception of Kestrels. I have trained many kestrels that will kill grasshoppers, mice, lizards, birds, etc.. that will naturally and regularly return to the fist or perch to eat. It does require a lot of trust which is enforced by good early training experiences.
My game is harmony and repect winning every one moves forward and people that have practicle goals compitor or not move forward abd when moveing forward accurse I hope and pray your happy with what you move forward into and hope the bulk of people ambition was healthy .
In order to sell a captive bred falcon overseas, an American breeder must have a “CITIES” permit issued from the government in addition to regular breeding permits. There are breeders in America who do breed and ship oversees because they have such a permit. But unfortunately I don’t know specifically which breeders do or do not have a CITIES permit. But that is the thing to ask for when talking to a breeder- ask them if the have a CITIES permit and if they can ship overseas.
Love your videos light hearted but serious enough to get the message through.
Hi Ben, good video, i would love to see a continuation of this, maybe small falcons, or micro raptors in general. A comparison like you did betwe prairies and peregrines
Thank you Mr Ben for sharing good knowledge!! Regards from India.
I want to hear about laggar falcon....I love your videos..!
Im very interested too!
Im going to get into falconry within the next year, thank you for breaking things down into easily understandable topics!
can you do a video on how to identify peregrines from when they are flying
Ben, very good video, as always.
I absolutely love prairies, and hope to fly one for someday. But as a first longeing I fly a peregrine/prairie hybrid. When she acts like her father, its fun, enjoyable, and she is textbook. But when she acts like her mother......I seriously question my sanity and think about taking up knitting
Hi Chris, I am also thinking of flying a pere x prairie this coming season if I can find one. How you getting on with yours
We have a local Prairie Falcon (pretty sure) that likes our year-round pond.
It's quite common to find dismembered bird wings in the yard and neighboorhod (suburbs). Used to weird us out until we figured out there's a falcon about (when we got the pond).
Also the ground squirrels disappeared! ;-)
Great talk good information thanks
Would love to see a video talking about the falcon highbreds, history different combinations, advantages/disadvantages etc...
Some of the Prairie / Peregrine hibreds in the UK were very successful
I’m a competition dog trainer and run Papillons in agility. They are small, smart, fast moving toy spaniels with large mobile ears. For this reason, they attract hawks and owls and I’m very aware of their presence. I was coming out of a trial (show) early April of 2019 with my young dog. Most people had left at that point. I had earlier noticed a swift moving hawk scanning over a large field that surrounds the club building (this is in Iowa).
It had been out there a long time. I didn’t see it when I came out of the building, but as I walked my dog to my car, this bird swept up from behind the building and came plunging down toward my dog (about 7 lbs) with its claws out. I pulled my dog closer and it hovered a bit as if trying to decide what to do next. I was half afraid it was going to foot me in the back to get me to drop the dog.
Luckily, I was right by my car at that point so I opened the door and tossed the dog in. The bird took off. That was the beginning of my interest in falconry because I had to know what that bird was and why it was so bold. I have red tails etc who will come by for a look fairly often but you can “reason” with them I’ve found. Tell them to go away and they get it. This bird did not.
So I tried to identify what it was and the closest I came was a prairie falcon. I did get a close look since it hovered about 15-20 feet above me with its wings spread out so I could see the markings on its head and feathers. So first, I’m wondering, is this typical behavior for a prairie falcon. Are they actually more pushy than say, a red tail? I was actually afraid if I wasn’t by my car this bird was going to fight me.
Second, I’ve since been watching your videos and have become interested in falconry. As mentioned, I’m already a very experienced dog trainer with championships and a national title. I’m not interested in larger hawks since I run the kestrels of the the dog agility world already. So, I’m thinking an American Kestrel would suit my life and training history very well.
I know it’s not the coolest in the falconry world to have a peak aspiration of flying a kestrel, but I already deal with that in my world where the Border Collies are the Peregrines of the sport. Is it ok to go into the sport with that sort of goal in mind or would being satisfied to fly an AK seem completely not worth it?
I should also say since my current dogs are “hawk bait” I feel a kestrel would be a safer match for my dogs as they and the training I’ve invested in them are valuable to me.
Thanks for the great information on Prairie Falcons. They are a great species and I love information you share about them and other bird species.
From what I have heard of, American Kestrels aren't good beginner birds. I could be wrong but they are harder to handle. They require lots of weight management and care due to their small size. I can see why you compare dogs to specific birds of prey due to their similar characteristics, but it's important to remember that birds of prey and dogs are totally different animals. A bird of prey will never be fully in your control. They aren't pets so you should not go into falconry thinking you can handle a specific species of bird just because you can handle a dog breed with similar characteristics. I'm guessing you want an American Kestrel due to their small size and agility, but you should really look more into the species requirements.
@@verenicepaulino9247 kestrels can be great starting birds if you have a good sponsor
Have numerous days where the Prairie goes up 1500ft waits on, comes down to the lure. Then every once in a while, shes flying a few feet above the ground picking up and throwing rocks, then a screaming, fearful mess. Next morning shes a sweetheart. The comparison seems spot on in the video.
Would love to see a video on PereXLanner hybrids. Good/Bad points. What will they hunt ect. Alot of UK Falconers say they cant be hunted but make good display birds.
What kind of bird is shown at 0:36 in your video? I photographed one in my neighborhood today and would like to identify it. The one pictured is the closest to a few dozen I've researched online. Thanks!
Interesting commentary and you sure have an amusing (quirky) presentation style. That is OK. Certainly know an amazing lot of stuff. It is a bit disconcerting that so much knowledge about raptors is couched in the narrative of falconry. I am surprised to hear talk about it, as though it is a kind of normal activity. Then again people in America have guns - weird(!) Falconry is not legal in Australia where I am. Although there are several places here that have raptors for rehabilitation or for maintenance if they can't be released. Several principles of care are shared. In that video, you compared Peregrine, Prairie Falcons and others from Asia and Africa. That comparison was interesting. How do people in USA manage to get these foreign species? Whilst listening to your other video it had me wondering how you would characterise the Australian falcon species that part share the range of the Peregrine. They are different again from the ones you talked about. Then there is the strange New Zealand Falcon that shares raptor duties in its native land, only with the Swamp Harrier and no others.
Hello Ben, did you train Saker falcons too?
Hey Ben, curious what your opinion is on the arrival of drones on the scene for training falcons (specifically prairies) to pitch. My first bird as an apprentice was a prairie, and I had an abysmal first year not using a drone. Once I got a drone, I started noticing a huge change in prairie behavior. I didn’t have to try to use mind games on her with pigeons anymore. Maybe you’re planning on doing a falconry + drones video anyways, but I just wanted to share that perhaps the way training has evolved over the last decade-ish with drones could positively affect how prairies learn to react in the field.
I have a couple basic videos on my channel about drones. But I’ll get a better video up soon in the next month and a half. My friends and I have some new falcons we are introducing to the drones and it will give me a chance to make a better video about the subject.
Dear Ben woodruff, please can you post a video on introduction to golden eagles
I am getting a new eagle soon. I will have many eagle videos coming up soon.
Ben, I am an aspiring falconer quite infant in my journey. My ultimate goal is to fly falcons. How would you characterize a peregrine as a first-time apprentice bird?
Really interesting video, thank you! A suggestion: my experience with long wings is limited to an european kestrel. Now I'd like to start training a bigger falcon... So would you recommend a peregrine to begin? Thanks
If you want to do serious hunting, I would go right for a peregrine. If you are wanting a transition between a kestrel and a peregrine to just ease yourself in, I would get a Lanner falcon 👍👍👍
@@benwoodrufffalconry Thank you very much! Just a question: in what way could a lanner ease myself in? Do you mean it is easier to fly/train? Because I heard that lanners are a little inconsistent, just as you described prairies in this video. That would be very interesting to know, many thanks
I love prairie falcons
Whichever is best suited for your quarry, geography and terrain. Simple...
Do you have any experience with Aplomado falcons? I'm not a falconer yet (I have a few years before I can try my hand at it haha), but I am so interested in Aplomados! I think they are so beautiful and I would love to hear what you think of them as a species/ falconry bird. Thank you
I would also like to hear your experience on this - I am used to hunting with goshawks and coopers and noticed how some people also hunt aplo’s from the fist like my accipiters so curious to your thoughts
I have flown aplomados. I am going to be getting a video up about them in the next few weeks. Thanks for the reminder!
What do you think of saker falcons
The one I was training for friend...and it was friendly no danger of getting footed...it was a chaser.... not dive from high Flys
Have you has any experience this this species
Peregrines prefers the birds prey more than rodents because they fear that their feather get damaged in a ground fight . Since their feathers can be easily broken . Compared to a hiero falcons or prairie falcons their feathers can handle the fights on the ground
I live in Long Beach Ca. Peregrines here are hitting rats and shore birds. I've seen grebe feet almost exclusively at the City hall nest site.
Generally speaking, were North American peregrines always relatively comfortable nesting around humans? Do peregrines from other parts of the world exhibit the same behavior? Is it possible that falconer breeding programs to increase the number of North American peregrines contributed to that comfort _(indifference?)_ level?
I wouldn't say peregrins falkons are comfortable, but it's kind of living close to humans.
Few pairs nesting on buildings in London in the UK. Most large towns in the UK will have a pair.
No peregrine falcons in New Zealand!
Excellent point! Don’t know how I messed that one up. But you are completely right.
If I wanna buy peregrine and I wanna get them to iraq how could I , do I make a passport for them or!
Hi.. Is there a way or technique on teaching the bird to deliver the prey to its master after catching it?
Not normally. Part of the reason is that we normally hunt prey heavier than the bird we are hunting with. Also, a bird on the ground is easier and safer to retrieve. Training them to fly anywhere once they have caught prey creates the risk that they may fly off to a tree, eat what they have caught, and then be unwilling to return because they are stuffed.
There are definite exceptions, most notably merlins. Merlins will often cache their kill in the wild to eat it later. Merlins can be trained to have you be the location that they cache their food, and as such can be trained to return with the kill. I also have a friend in Canada who runs her own wine vineyard and patrols it from her vehicle with her birds, hunting and chasing off birds that fly in to eat her grapes. She trained a Harris hawk to catch small birds and fly back to her truck with them.
It is possible that with effort, this could be more possible with many birds, but again it is rarely explored because of prey size and the safety of being able to recover your bird.
@@benwoodrufffalconry.. Thank you for some detailed answers. I asked that because if you do this in the philippines and your bird landed on someone elses backyard or rooftop because that is where the chase ended there is a very very slim chance that you will get back your bird. They will catch it and make it their pet.
I would like to add the exception of Kestrels. I have trained many kestrels that will kill grasshoppers, mice, lizards, birds, etc.. that will naturally and regularly return to the fist or perch to eat. It does require a lot of trust which is enforced by good early training experiences.
@@elricjohnlimuaco4502 Good Lure training is always helpful in retrieving a bird.
@@jonahmcbride934 that’s really awesome!!!!!
My game is harmony and repect winning every one moves forward and people that have practicle goals compitor or not move forward abd when moveing forward accurse I hope and pray your happy with what you move forward into and hope the bulk of people ambition was healthy .
I wanna buy peregrine do anyone sells them?
In order to sell a captive bred falcon overseas, an American breeder must have a “CITIES” permit issued from the government in addition to regular breeding permits. There are breeders in America who do breed and ship oversees because they have such a permit. But unfortunately I don’t know specifically which breeders do or do not have a CITIES permit.
But that is the thing to ask for when talking to a breeder- ask them if the have a CITIES permit and if they can ship overseas.
Sir kindly till me which eagle 🦅 hunt black kite plz plz plz
Saker falcon is best for the job
Prairie falcon should renamed the American Saker.
Or the Saker should be renamed the Eastern Prairie - LOL
Its prairvee falcon is how won over prarie falcon years ago pernoude prairvee or prariebee.