The Case of the Missing Wings

[Takajo]

A Japanese hawker's Harris mysteriously lost her wings this spring. How do you think this happened? I've heard that climates colder than the hawk's normal climate (which would be just about anywhere, considering Central and South America are its habitat) can induce edemic reactions, weakening both skin and bone integrity, but what do you think? Try the above poll:[marq=up]...Mike

[Adam Barrett]

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://w3.trib.com/~phxcon/BANDING2003/HarrisHawkCaught.jpg&imgrefurl=http://w3.trib.com/~phxcon/HARRIS_HAWK_BANDING.html&h=361&w=672&sz=36&tbnid=h Ej7Bxb-LToJ:&tbnh=73&tbnw=136&hl=en&start=8&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dharris%2Bhawk%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den% 26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff

sorry for the long link-but it takes you to a artical about a harris that was trapped with half a wing and missing toes aparently the accident was caused by a server electric shock.

[Adam Barrett]

you have to go to the bottom of that page and click on the wounded warrior story-sorry
:|

[Takajo]

Cheers Adam,
But the hawk was just hanging out on his mews perch. As it was leashed up, maybe a cat, crow, rat, or disgruntled neighbor? Both wings eventually fell off over three weeks. Bloody shame, but the owner said it had happened to another Harris' he'd had years before....Mike

[Adam Barrett]

i dont like to say it mate but maybe your friend is doing something strange as i have never heard of anything else like this happening to any other falconer and certainly not to any of the falconers on this site.?

[Wightwings]

why the poll???? not being unny but just what is the point of this thread please

[Bubo]

I certainly dont mean to sound rude but if this has happened before, it sounds like he is not keeping his birds in the right conditions.

[Sparrie]

Could it be wing tip adema? If the bird is standing on the ground and it is very cold the wings can get a type of frostbite which kills the blood supply (I think) and the wings fall off because they are dieing. I think it is the same as human frostbite when your fingers fall off.

Gary.

[Takajo]

Why the poll?? Because I want to know what most people think destroyed
the bird. I have to agree with Gary. (Gary comes through again) It's the only thing I've read that's available on the subject.
Thing is, any country gets cold in the winter. I'm going out on a limb here, but I seem to think that the cold, coupled with Japan's above average humidity, has something to do with it.

[Shaun Byrne]

Maybe thats the way Japanese HH moult :twisted:

[OutFlying]

wing tip edema.

Cold damp conditions with exposure to the wind. Free loft and design the avairy to prevent excessive drafts.

[Takajo]

Yeah, Outflying ;
I seriously think dampness is a big no-no for Harris' Hawks. Their evolutionary deal has been a hot, dry desert climate for god-knows
how many hundreds of thousands, hell if not millions of years. To introduce them to a humid, island climate like Japan (Britain doesn't get the abrupt temperature swings Japan does) is just asking for trouble unless, as Outflying said, these conditions are properly dealt with.
I wonder if anyone in Scotland during winter has lost Harris' wings??
..Mike

[Bubo]

the coldest area is 50cm from the ground (i think that is right i can never remember if it is 50cm or 1m - if anyone could correct me here :D please) so during cold seasons it is better to make sure they are in the right sort of housing above this level. Also leaving damp birds in freezing conditions like this will also cause damage to the wings.

[Sparrie]

Takajo.

What do you mean by Gary comes through again.

Gary

[Coedhirion]

Bet it is wing tip oedema. sounds like it, wings dying off over number of days!! Free lofting, draft free and under perch heater if you cant free loft.
2 birds with under perch heaters in this area had a problem winter before last, just lost tiny tips on one but neither good enough to hunt with again. Real sad. It hadnt been that cold, just damp and wind chill did it.
It is fairly common I gather.

[Takajo]

Sorry, I mistook you for the Gary who's tryin to get me a Red-Tail shipped to Japan.

[Takajo]

By the way, in GB and USA you get your hawks for nothin and your chix for free. In Japan a red-tail will put you out round 2000 pounds and
a Gyr 5000.

[Takajo]

Yup Coedhirion,
Thanx. That helps confirm what I was guessing. The wan_er's been a falconer for 20-odd years but still keeps his birds out in the open, leashed up under nothin but a flat rain covering. No bath either.