Escaped Harris Hawks in UK

[Tomkuzma]

Hi everybody!

I'm falconer from the Czech Republic. Currently I'm doing Wildlife and Practical Conservation degree at University of Salford in Manchester. I graduate this July and I'd like to do Master degree in UK.
I'm searching for good topic for my master research. One idea came to me and I would like to discuss it with you.

I'm looking for information on escaped Harris Hawks. I'm sure that there are many free flying HH in wild. Do you know any? What do you think about their survival in wild nature in UK. Do you know any breeding pairs of HH in wild?

I know that IBR has some numbers and records of escaped, lost and found birds, but are there any additional information on numbers of escaped birds?

All information are welcome
Thanx
Regards
Tomkuzma

[Bubo]

hello and welcome to the forum. i cant help you out on the hawk front but how about doing one on the conservation of owls :lol: our barnies are declining despite the release programs. I have heard that breed/release programs are not allowed to be for much longer in the uk does anyone know if this is true?

[Tomkuzma]

There are many people concern about barn owl, and to much effort put to their declining status. I would like to do something with real birds of prey :P ..i mean diurnal birds of prey...

[Bubo]

I would like to do something with real birds of prey :P ..i mean diurnal birds of prey... :twisted: :twisted: if you want diurnals go for the marsh owl then :wink: actually if you do have some good references for papers or book for marsh owls i would be truley grateful.

[Ben C]

The problem is tomkuzma that if there are any identified wild harris hawks it would be illegal to just leave them in the wild. It would also be massively irresponsible and no falconer worth his salt would ever do such a thing. Not least because it lets all the anti's win in terms of the moral issue of using a non-indigenous species. If any falconer knew of breeding pairs etc, they would report them to the authorities and try to catch them.
They would NEVER post up details because this is BAD for falconry I would imagine. I certainly do not know of any free wild Harris hawks anywhere in the UK, accidentally lost ones would be found by contacting the IBR. But there are non living in the UK at this moment. I HOPE I AM RIGHT ON THIS FRONT.

[North East Harris Hawker]

the uk is a pretty enclosed area, im sure that HH 's would be a ble to survive the climate (especially in southern regions) but the odds of them going unnoticed is pretty slim, now if you were to ask about red tailed hawks, that might be a different kettle of fish!

[BlackHawke]

there r also plenty of gos pairs in the wild estimated 900 pairs in the uk. we were talking about this last nite at the club. harris's no one really wants to admit to them breeding in the wild because of the negative publicity(no official figures) . i would've thought normally young harris's would be the ones for disappearing due to bird not being ready to come of creance inexperienced falconers, i dont know. but these young birds would have to learn to hunt for themselves n some probably do but i rekon some don't.

another thing i heard last nite is that there are plans to allow falconers to take sparrowhawks under license dunno when its happening but in the not to distant future.

also know this aint the right thread to say but is it true about the BFC splitting into 2? someone said this last nite one part of the club will b something like the british falconry display club or somethin like that!!!! they would not fly their birds at quarry but to the lure only

[North East Harris Hawker]

THAT SEEMS TO MAKE Ooops sense as there seem to be spars cropping up all over the place, definatelly more common now than they have been for a long time

[Tim Laycock]

another thing i heard last nite is that there are plans to allow falconers to take sparrowhawks under license dunno when its happening but in the not to distant future

I HAVE JUST HAD THIS YEARS APPLICATION THROWN BACK IN MY FACE THIS MORNING THE PACK OF B*****DS. :evil:

IM AFFRAID DEFRA ARE A SET OF W****RS WITH NEITHER THE DEPTH NOR THE BREATH OF KNOWLEGE TO UNDERSTAND THE SIMPLEST THINGS. :x

THE SAME DEPARTMENT THAT HANDLES WILDLIFE APPLICATIONS IS THE ONE THAT DEALS WITH DOMESTIC CATS :roll:

GO AND FIGURE THAT ONE OUT?
IM STILL TRYING!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Hawkmaster]

MOVED TO THE CORRECT PLACE :!:

[Tr1gger]

now if you were to ask about red tailed hawks

Yeah i think that redtails could quite happily survive in this country, maybe even breed with wild common buzzards. Heard of that in theory but as yet no proof.

[Coedhirion]

I would guess there are H.H, R.T, Gos, lost Peregrine x, plus a few falcons living wild. Around here there aren't so many people to spot them. I know some birds go missing for some months before being reunited with their owners. But all birds spotted should be reported so that they can be returned or homed where they will be looked after. As for breeding pairs, I hope not, if they are not native.