Sure, go ahead.
Word is that it’s Geranoaetus melanoleucus, AKA great-chested buzzard-eagle, Chilean blue buzzard-eagle, Grey Eagle-Buzzard, and about six other common names.
Only if they are provably captive-bred birds, and they have to be registered with the government, according to the RSPB.
I have never seen a pet shop selling raptors, so hopefully it’s not common. Unfortunately the main interest in birds of prey here seems to be collecting their eggs, for some idiotic reason. Hence a muted cheer went up all over the country when this story broke.
Falconry is on the short list of topics I’ve always been intrigued by, and thought I might look into someday, but that day has not come yet.
All I got to add is a novel by one of my fave authors, Jim Harrison, The Hawk is Dying. Excellent book, tho not solely about falconry. I recall reports that it is/was being developed into a movie. I would not be surprised if you found it enjoyable.
Good to hear it’s not as common as it sounded to me. Even if they are captive bred, there’s absolutely no excuse for keeping one as a pet. I imagine it would be a rare pet shop that would go out of the way to ensure the buyer had a proper mews, weathering yard, eqiupment, and expertise to train and hunt with the bird and not too many true falconers looking for hawks in pet shops.
Weird about the egg-collecting. Although I’d never wish falling to death on anyone, I do breathe a sigh of relief for the clutches of eggs no longer being robbed.
Dinsdale–thanks so much for the word on the book. We’re doing some travelling around the holidays, so I’ll need something to keep me entertained in the car, and that sounds perfect.
The kid next door to us years ago had a hawk that he just would feed and release. He never went through any of the rigorous licensing or any of that. At least, not to my knowledge.
What would stop a person from just doing this? Sounds like an unenforceable law, especially in my area, which is crawling (er…flapping) with red tail hawks. Why couldn’t you just do it?
Color me unignoramified. I had no idea falconing had anything to do with hunting. I had no idea about the levels of expertise. I had no idea there was a bad way to do it. I just enjoy watching them sit or fly over the local wetlands doing their hunting thing.
Oo, I’m glad I found this thread! Falconry is something I’m very interested in and plan on pursuing some day (some day when I own a car and don’t live in a crowded urban area). I did volunteer with a raptor program at a nature center when I was in high school, mainly helping to take care of a screech owl, and I once fainted while standing with a great horned owl on my fist. (It was a warm day & I’d been standing in one spot with my knees locked for a long time.) Fortunately, the owl wasn’t hurt.
Well, nothing really stopping a person, except if someone reported you and Fish and Game checked it out, you get hit with very large fines and have a hell of a time getting licensed again. From what I hear the F&G folks loooooove to respond to those types of complaints.
As an example, being in possession of a single eagle feather is punishable by six months in jail or $1,000 fine. I couldn’t find specifics on holding live raptors, but did read an article where a guy had over $55,000 in fines assessed for killing five hawks. They take it very seriously.
Wait. What? Being in possession of a feather carries 6 months or $1000? Do they turn powdered sugar into cocaine?
Okay, this cracked me up.
More on eagle feather laws. Apparently I lowballed it. Wiki says
And now that I read that I remember that number-- $25,000–quoted at the raptor center where I volunteered.
It’s probably all part of the species protection laws. Feathers you can pick off the ground, but generally ‘collectors’ also have stuffed birds, eggs, etc. - most of the laws and rules around raptors are intended to prevent these birds being driven to extinction.
Okay…your response cracked me up!