Comunication

[KenHawker1970]

This has been going on for quite a while now.
Every time i enter my harrises dwelling, I shut the door behind me and sit down on the floor next to her as she sits on her bow perch.
Next. she jumps onto my knee walks across my arm and takes a squat on my sholder. Normally i would be reading a book or something. Then she startsgrooming my hair and starts to make a tweeting noise in my ear. But now the tweeting noise sometimes ends in a fant screem.
Is this normal? regards Ken.

[North East Harris Hawker]

how old is this bird?

[KenHawker1970]

17 weeks (female) cheers mate

[Milsbon]

christ...you sure its not an illegal immigrant in a costume :D :D :D

[KenHawker1970]

crist ididnt think of that

[Milsbon]

its nowt to worry about ken, its just her "social" side coming out, this female harris i have here was the same, except for the hair preening

[Wightwings]

sounds like shes bonding well with you Ken :D

[KenHawker1970]

Does't come keen when they try to rip your earlobe off.

[Gaz]

Yeah,thats brilliant.....till she rips your face off...this aint a parrot,why take the chance?..not trying to start a row,but this really bites!!got a mate whos had his Saker for three years,same thing..she would never hurt him..such a strong bond...ill get him to show you whats left of the side of his finger..cant show you the other side..she ate it in front of him..(bonding i expect) :!: :mrgreen:

[KenHawker1970]

Still mift about the picture Gaz, any way I dont intend letting her rip my ear, face or any other parts of my anatomy off. Just thought it was weird thats all. I've flown raptors for 15 years now, not all my own birds maybe but as every thing else it all comes down to common sence. Sorry to her about your mate. One of my mates lost his eye to an imprinted common buzzard and he has an eye patch to show for his stupidity. No offence intended, sorry if you think i've caused any.
thanks for your veiws, Ken.

[Wightwings]

oooh Gaz you tinker. nothing wrong with bonding as long as you know you are in control. I KNOW all birds are unpredictable but im sure Ken has the experience to judge that. :D

[KenHawker1970]

All birds of pray are wild at heart. And should be treated with respect.
It all comes down to this: you get out what you put into this sport.
Knowing about these, could be dangerous birds/animals makes you think what they are capable of. It makes you think. Thats why we all show them respect. Like when manning Euro Eagle owls we play with there feet & beaks. Than we feed them and see them rip a rabbit to shreds, picking back legs up in one powerfull talen and the snapping the leg with one twist of the beak. And you think to your self wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwoooo ive just had my thinger in there.
It does make you think twice. cheers folks /Ken

[Hosehead]

Once knew a gentleman who only used a short glove with his Redtail because it never footed him. After he had a talon go through his radial artery he decided to try a 15" welders glove. We all learn from mistakes,I would rather learn from someone else's. Kurt

[Gaz]

Exactly :mrgreen:

[KenHawker1970]

So would I
Thanks for the feedback lads. Its already had a full stop put to it. This will never happen again anyway. It just never happend with any other bird before(feathered). This means that ile stop bonding with my ile just use a different way thats all.
Hye Gaz thats a nice picture. many thanks lads/ ken

[Jester]

and now i know hand feeding doesnt mean handing the bird meat with your bare hand :oops:

when he is on my fist out of the aviary he is fairly well behaved (and as trustworthy as a BOP can be) but in the aviary when im trying to weigh him or fit his equipment to take him outside he can be a bit nasty and i have the marks on my right hand to prove it :?
as he is so used to my hand coming to feed him with food he seems to expect there to be something to eat on it every time (whether it be chick, beef,mouse,etc.) and if not, my hand will do :?

thanks guys .......... where was this forum when i first got him nearly 6 months ago :roll:

now i have learned not to feed him from bare hand is it possible he might stop looking at bare hands as a food source or will i just have to accept he will try to bite me in the aviary every time?

[Hawkmaster]

He will bite everytime unfortunately, I have one like that too.

[Johnny]

Each time i feed me red ,i turn the gloved hand away and place the meat out of sight of him ,he had me once and that was enough?
The wife pulled a chick out of the fridge the other day while the red was in the trees out side and it flew straight in the shed and nailed her and the chick ,lol never heard the wife scream so much in all me life .
Luckilyy it only ate 2 fingers but nothing a strong piece of cotton and needle couldnt sort out ,lol
Johnny

[KenHawker1970]

Its them talons you have to worry about. Read it some where/ 200 pounds per squareinch. Mmm painfull.
sorry mate we are talking about a european eagle arnt we. Buitifull birds what! all the best/ hope everthing works out. Reguards ken

[Bubo]

and now i know hand feeding doesnt mean handing the bird meat with your bare hand :oops:

as he is so used to my hand coming to feed him with food he seems to expect there to be something to eat on it every time (whether it be chick, beef,mouse,etc.) and if not, my hand will do :?



gees jester, I didnt think of that!! glad i can learn from your experiences. Actually I'm glad i read through here before i get mine, I will definately make sure i never drop my guard.
bubo

[Annie]

Can imprinting occur in later life even if the bird has been parent reared. I've had a female common buzzard attack the back of my head when I've gone into the aviary to collect the male at the centre. The last time I went in I automatically put my gloved hand up (which obviously then gave her something to cling to!) It helps if you don't take your eyes off her, as she only seems to go for you if you turn your back on her. I don't know if after awhile she will get more used to me, but it certainly gives you a lot more respect for the bird. The male is extremely laid back and a pleasure to fly but I'm glad I've experienced both, it's certainly a learning experience............and I'm certainly getting a male! :lol:

[Wightwings]

i would say not, but there may be some owl experts on here that can put me right.
i'v always believed you have to imprint for very young. She may get used to you but never be as easy as if imprinted.

[KenHawker1970]

WightWings, sorry mate forgot to ask you yesterday. When you getting New Harris? Ken

[Wightwings]

hi ken, next weekend if all goes to plan!!!!! :D
not my usual style but im getting then to settle in for a week until im off for the week after. 8)

[KenHawker1970]

Nice one my mate hope everthing goes according to plan.

[Kornie]

Ken hawker Parahawker gave a brilliant explanation of this somewhere it is well worht scoping out.

[Kornie]

darn thats me not turning the page again :oops:

[North East Harris Hawker]

dig it out kornie and post the link :wink:

[Kornie]

uuuurgghhhhhhhh, do I have to.............:(

[KenHawker1970]

yep :lol:

[North East Harris Hawker]

ive never heard of parent reared birds (in adult plumage) turning into an imprint... impossible i recon :?

[Kornie]

Yeah wouldn't it be a mal-imprint? It would be impossible to control would it not?

[Grand Master Falconer]

A bird becomes a food imprint if it feels it is dependant on you for food, therefor if a bird is parent reared in seclusion and remains in the aviary with the parent for 2 years it feels dependant on them,then you remove it and start cutting it back and giving it food there is the chance it will become imprinted.(because it feels dependant on you)
Also if you discussing Harris Hawks remember they stay in there familly group somewhat dependant on there parents for the first two years, it is therefor reasonable to assume that during this period of time that bird could become imprinted. this is shown when creche reared screaming HH tend to shut up when they reach two or when they become accomplished hunters thus they don't feel dependant.

[Kornie]

ah, but it is imperative by that time that you work up a good hunting partnership or your bird will swan off lol.

[Parahawker]

Parahawker gave a brilliant explanation of this somewhere it is well worht scoping out.

I wouldnt say Brilliant..
but a possible theory

www.falconryforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=955&highlight=cockoo

on ya go marcus !!!! ive had meny dealing with screaming hh cos as you know the guy who owns the local falconry center up my way cresh rears most of his harris hawks and sells most of them to first time buyers and when they get pist of with the bird screeming and dont get much help from the person who they bought it from ! they usaly end up chapping on my door for advise ! most of them do stop screaming after they have had a good few kills and i dont mean three or four ime speaking atleast 20 ! you also have to up there weight a wee bit just until the bird is on the balence between being non responsive and responsive ! it takes aleast one hunting season and sometimes dosnt work but in the experiance ive had with that method i would say it works 70% of the time ! and yes you have to put up with the bird screaming its nut of in the feild for the first season ! its very testing ! but after there mault they are a difrent bird as long as you dont drop the birds weight to fast you will see the change ! its also a good idea to keep em tetherd out in the open when droping the weight and then when its time for the bird to go into its mews have the food already there for it dont let it see you put it there ( put the food in the mews first then go get the bird and put it in the mews ) it will dive on the food and feed up while you do the falconers knot !!!! ...............