Bonding of PR birds.

[KeithGlasgow]

I don't have a lot of experience of imprinting etc, but I've been thinking of JBs post on his Sparrowhawk possibly bonding with him.

I have a male Kestrel (parent reared), which I obtained at about 1 year old. He has bonded with me and when I'm near his aviary he flies unto the nest ledge, and displays with tail up and head down. A friend lent me a female Kestrel which I introduced about March. However, after a few weeks, I had to take her out, as they were continually fighting. I had closed off their barred window (14"x14"), so that he couldn't see me, but the fighting continued. I suppose he sees me as his mate, and her as the intruder, and for next year the bond twix he and I will have to be broken if we're to be successful. He's not a screamer at all, it's just that he seems to have formed a bond with me.

I have a female buzzard (parent reared), which I obtained as an adult bird. She nest builds, and likewise has formed a bond with me. When she sees me, even through the kitchen window, she goes straight unto the nest.

Now, I'm not concerned with breeding at the moment, but am rather interested in the bonding process. Can anyone enlighten me, or share their experiences. Both birds are not screamers (apart from breeding calls - at the moment they're quite vocal). They're both a pleasure to work with as well. When I fly the kestrel free, sometimes he'll come and perch beside me or on my head - it seems he likes my company (a real ego boost!). Can all PR birds form a bond like this, or only under certain circumstances? I had assumed for a while that both birds were partially hand reared or imprinted, but the breeder assures me not.

thanks,
Keith.

[Sandeep]

I have not had this experience before. Simly because we released the birds during the moult...8-) :lol:

[Tim Laycock]

I suspect the Kestrel is not totaly parent reared.
Something has probably influenced its upbringing and has given it some imprint traits.
Nothing unusual in this.

Screaming does not equate to an imprint any more than silence equates to parent reared!

[DeathFromAbove]

I know this may sound a bit silly, having no practical experience with breeding BOP at all, but isn't it the female who is meant to display with tail up toward the male ready for coppulation once she accepts him... if this is the case is it possible that you have a female instead of a male and by putting another female in with her may have been the cause of the fighting?

I could be totally off here but this is just how i see it.

[Tim Laycock]

The described behaviours can be displayed by both genders at different points during the cycle

[BlueBoy]

I too have a common buzzard who is exactly the same.At the moment she's sat on 3 infertile eggs, and looks upon me as her mate.

[Jack Merlin]

According to posts on an American list, even passage birds will call, sometimes even scream! An eyas peregrine picked up locally in September (?) screamed like a banshee whenit saw another peregrine! But that, I think, was hunger calling triggered by the sight of the other hawk.

My four year old tiercel gos calls to me during the hawking season and displayed to me last spring. I've got some pictures somewhere. He was hand reared to ten days, then reared by an imprint female. I have the categorical assurance of the breeder that he never fed him after 10 days but did visit the open fronted aviary occasionally to interact with the female.

This tiercel was kept on a trolley system (tensioned wire) next to a four year old female gos since February 2005. When I removed him to the breeding aviary in April, the female immediately started calling to him. She is also parent reared. When put together, pairing up was a dawdle. The female is now on three eggs.

[GregMik]

Ben Ohlander here in Minnesota is AI breeding his Passage Female Gos. He has been doing this for the last 3 yrs. He has 3 fertile eggs at the moment. So a Passage or PR bird can form a bond like an imprint.

Greg

[Jack Merlin]

Ben Ohlander here in Minnesota is AI breeding his Passage Female Gos. He has been doing this for the last 3 yrs. He has 3 fertile eggs at the moment. So a Passage or PR bird can form a bond like an imprint.

Greg

Thanks, Greg, I knew I hadn't dreamt it!<g>

[Game & Pursuit Falcon UK]

This is not an uncommon phenomena, Golden eagles of varying backgrounds have been proven to be of use for AI. I am lead to believe that the lads on the continent are regularly breeding from both male and female eagles via AI. When the birds in the project were parent raised all be it that they were reared in fully open fronted pens. I know of a breeder in the Yorkshire area that has a wild taken female Golden that goes through the breeding cycle though dose not stand for copulation. I am also aware of two haggard females that are standing for copulation after having come into captivity via injuries.

[Altai]

I also have heard of injured birds acting like imprints.
I have also been told that arab falconers that had wild trapped birds, especially passagers, that lived with them would show imprint behaviour as spring approached.

[KeithGlasgow]

Thanks for all you thoughts on the subject.

The Kestrel is certainly a male - he's about 4 year old and in full male plummage.

Thanks again,
Keith.