# Cool Video - Flying With A Bird. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 29, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150 "2011-10-29T03:26:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/1 "2011-10-29T03:26:27Z")
Just a man and a bird, having a good time. I got such a kick out of watching this I just had to share: [Fly with a bird](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd5BMP_41bI&feature=player_embedded) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/2 "2011-10-29T03:33:39Z")
Nice! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/3 "2011-10-29T03:42:15Z")
Thank my husband - he had that set up on the computer for me when I got home form work as a visual goody. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/4 "2011-10-29T04:13:43Z")
I first saw this for real, in Nepal in the hills above Pokhara. Wonder if that’s the origin? It’s beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/5 "2011-10-29T04:31:55Z")
Nice stuff but what caught my attention is that I don’t think I have ever seen a bird sitting on something in motion. Am I right or not? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/6 "2011-10-29T04:55:27Z")
The bird is a Harris Hawk, trained for falconry - you can see the jesses (leather straps around the ankles) in some shots. Harris Hawks are southwest birds that are popular for falconry, in no small part because pairs will hunt cooperatively. Being a trained bird, it knows how to take food “from the fist” and clearly has no objection to doing so while that fist is in motion. It look as if much of this was shot at Torrey Pines, north of San Diego. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/7 "2011-10-29T12:55:23Z")
Since hawks normally pursue prey that’s in motion it doesn’t surprise me they can land on something in motion - if you stop and think about it, it’s part of their natural repertoire. It’s just that this one is landing on a guy who’s flying a parasail instead of another bird. For that matter, my pet parrots have no problem flying to a landing on the shoulder of someone in motion, not even my sister when she’s running away screaming “Get it off me!, Get it OFF me!”. Actually, they seem to think all the noise and flailing arms are extra happy fun stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/8 "2011-10-29T13:38:10Z")
Do the parrots say ‘Get it off me!, Get it OFF me!’ now? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/9 "2011-10-29T13:45:41Z")
No. They say “Come here.” No, really, the conure actually says that. But it _would_ be funny if he said “Get it OFF me!”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/10 "2011-10-29T14:07:29Z")
You need to do it more. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/11 "2011-10-29T14:17:18Z")
An interesting detail in this video is the views it gives of the hawk’s alula in action. This is a sort of “thumb” halfway out the wing that deploys like a slat at high angles of attack. A good view appears at 0:29. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/12 "2011-10-30T05:15:07Z")
That is SUCH a cool video. Thank you for sharing it! ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-video-flying-with-a-bird/601150/13 "2011-10-30T13:20:01Z")
This is an amazing video. In spite of my insane fear of heights, I’ve always wanted to parasail (flying doesn’t count as heights in the mix of my mind), and whenever I see hawks flying, I can’t help but stop and watch. I think I just added something to my bucket list.