hybrids

[Redtail06]

hi guys was just wondering purely out of curiosity , as im still relatively new to the sport and have came across hybrids and people who agree or disagree with it me personally find it awful messing with nature dont think u should cross such amazing things, i feel that if u cant fly a thorough bred bird of prey and be happy why bother at all , just wondering what the general opinion on the matter is cheers:D

[BlackShaheen1]

its always best to form your own oppinion .like you said your new to the sport and after a few years you might b lucky enough to have flown both pure and hybreds try and get out there and see people who fly them and im sure you will like what you see

[Phil Dinsdale]

I have always wondered why we hybridise? is it for the llok of the bird? the temprement and personality? or the flying capability?.

Also why do we only seem to cross breed longwings?

Cheers

Phil

[Jack]

[QUOTE=Ph1l;403891]I have always wondered why we hybridise? is it for the llok of the bird? the temprement and personality? or the flying capability?.

Also why do we only seem to cross breed longwings?

Cheers

Phil

Here in the states we lost the peregrine take, and then the only birds left to us was the Gyr, Prairie, and the merlin. I fail to list the Kestrel because it takes a very skilled and dedicated falconer to catch much more then grasshoppers with them. The gyr was only native to the far north and a few of the more northern states. The prairie falcon is only found in the plains states west, and the merlin was not really capable of catching much in the way of game birds. All birds are protected here except for the pigeon, English sparrow, and the starling. We have taken on a few more that are not protected, but you will not see many of them. Large falcons were simply not available to us all, so breeders were mixing them as they needed to produce large falcons. If they had a female Gyrfalcon and a male Peregrine, they could only produce hybrids. Otherwise there would be no offspring to fly by anyone eventually. We have seen some hawks hybridized as well. Harris crosses are the most common. Harris/RT, Harris/Cooper's hawk, and probably a few others. I do not think our birds have ever really been cross bred for looks or ability, just from oppertunity. I have a tiercel Gyr/Prairie cross. Both species have been said to have difficult personalities, and I am inclined to think it true because he is one of the most difficult birds I have ever had. Instead of producing the best of both species, I seem to have gotten the worst of both. He flys strong and he flies high, and he is fearless, but his weight must be meticulously maintained. Only a few grams in his weight is absolutely crutial. If it were not for hybrids in this country, I don't think we would have enough large falcons. And the little Peregrine/Merlin crosses cover quarries that are too big for a Merlin and too small for a Peregrine. I think most of the captive bred lines originated in the US, and were it not for the hybrid, I don't think many would have crossed the pond.

Jack