Best bird for a newb?

[SoaringSilver]

hey all,

There is about ten similar post to this that I have found on this forum, and im sorry to start up another, but this has a slightly different slant on the others.

What I wanna know is: obviously people have their ideas of what they see as a good bird for a beginner and I've seen red tails and harris hawks come up alot on this issue, but is that the answer full stop.

What I mean like is what if say for example my main interest lay in owls or small falcons is it still best to start with a HH or RT ?

Thanks for your time

[OhMyGod]

people buy owls as first birds and imprint them so weight control is not as critical when flying owls, as they are not really cut down to make them switch on like hawks and falcons. Weight control can be confusing at first.

If you are dead set on flying falcons and have little interest in flying hawks at ground game it may seem a little pointless to go with popular opinion and get a hh or rt. I don't believe it to be wrong for a beginner to go into longwings from the start, but small falcons is an area best kept away from for a few seasons. female lanners are good birds for a novice but if hunting is your thing you may be better off with a hawk as a first bird as you would seem to be acheiving more with a hh than a lanner, people hunt with lanners but as a beginner you would probably learn more about weight control, height, flying style, footing ability, lure swinging, thermals and wether effects on the birds ability to pitch etc in your first year than you would learn about hunting tactics and setting up good flights for longwings. This is because lanners are birds that weight on, not persuit birds and are best when flown at partridge requiring a dog. If you could engineer a few good flights at teal (not requiring a dog) when the bird is pitching well you may have some success and get a few good setups and a handfull of reasonable kills in the first season, otherwise you will be beating hedges after a few stoops at birds found in the hedges which will get the bird hunting something at least, giving some small stoops but nothing very sporting.

If starting off with a longwing as your first ever bird you would have to go about things in a different way. You would have to do loads more preperation in learning what the bird requires of you when out in the field, and go out with someone who has longwings who will get your lure swinging up to a reasonable standard. The best way to do this if you don't know anyone to go out with in the season just starting would be to go to your local centre in the closed DISPLAY season (now) and speak to people and explain your needs to learn basic lure swinging, weight control (including energy losses and gains), the different styles of flight (ie persuit or waiting on), and try and reach some sort of realistic plans of goals for the 6 or 8 months of DAILY flying to follow getting the bird, and it will need to be daily.

[SoaringSilver]

Thanks , So your saying really its all in the preparation and if you were to put enough into research and building your knowledge it gives you more of a choice in which direction to go in falconry.

[OutFlying]

yes that is correct.

[Hawkmaster]

I don't believe it to be wrong for a beginner to go into longwings from the start, but small falcons is an area best kept away from for a few seasons.
I can't agree more, but you like to make a point of stressing the importance of good book keeping and some local experienced help.

[SoaringSilver]

I get the impression that its like alot of hobbies, the more you put in, the more you will get out.
But its an animals care that will suffer if you dont prepare properly, you cant just store him/her away when you get bored.

[Xantara]

:supz: