Editing Falconry (section)

==Birds used in contemporary falconry==
Several [[Bird of prey|raptors]] are used in falconry. They are typically classed as:
* "Broadwings": ''[[Buteo]] and [[Parabuteo]]'' spp., and [[eagle]]s (red-tailed hawks, Harris's hawks, golden eagles)
* "Shortwings": ''[[Astur (genus)|Astur]]'' and ''[[Accipiter]]'' spp. ([[Eurasian goshawk]]s, [[Cooper's hawk]], [[Eurasian sparrowhawk]]s)
* "Longwings": [[Falcon]]s (peregrine falcons, kestrels, gyrfalcons, saker falcons)
Owls are also used, although they are far less common.

In determining whether a species can or should be used for falconry, the species' behaviour in a captive environment, its responsiveness to training, and its typical prey and hunting habits are considered. To some degree, a species' reputation will determine whether it is used, although this factor is somewhat harder to objectively gauge.

===Species for beginners===
In North America, the capable [[red-tailed hawk]] is commonly flown by beginner falconers during their apprenticeship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themodernapprentice.com/redtail.htm|title=The Modern Apprentice – The Red-Tail Hawk|website=Themodernapprentice.com|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-date=22 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022064059/http://www.themodernapprentice.com/redtail.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanfalconry.com/beginners.html|title=Beginners Circle|website=Americanfalconry.com|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-date=31 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031000540/http://www.americanfalconry.com/beginners.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Opinions differ on the usefulness of the kestrel for beginners due to its inherent fragility. In the UK, beginner falconers are often permitted to acquire a larger variety of birds, but Harris's hawk and the red-tailed hawk remain the most commonly used for beginners and experienced falconers alike.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc12787/raptors/parabuteo.html |title=Harris' Hawk |publisher=Cyber city |place=[[Denmark|DK]] |access-date=2013-03-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305133856/http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc12787/raptors/parabuteo.html |archive-date=2013-03-05 }}</ref> Red-tailed hawks are held in high regard in the UK due to the ease of breeding them in captivity, their inherent hardiness, and their capability hunting the rabbits and hares commonly found throughout the countryside in the UK. Many falconers in the UK and North America switch to accipiters or large falcons following their introduction with easier birds. In the US, accipiters, several types of buteos, and large falcons are only allowed to be owned by falconers who hold a general license. The three kinds of falconry licenses in the United States, typically, are the apprentice class, general class, and master class.

===Soaring hawks and the common buzzard (''Buteo'')===
[[File:Red-tailed hawk, falconer's bird.jpg|thumb|A falconer's red-tailed hawk (''Buteo jamaicensis'')]]

The genus ''[[Buteo]]'', known as "buzzards" in the Old World and "hawks" in North America, has a worldwide distribution. The North American species red-tailed hawk, [[ferruginous hawk]], and rarely, the [[red-shouldered hawk]], are all examples of species from this genus that are used in falconry today. The red-tailed hawk is hardy and versatile, taking rabbits, hares, and squirrels; given the right conditions, it can catch the occasional [[duck]] or [[pheasant]]. The red-tailed hawk is also considered a good bird for beginners. The Eurasian [[common buzzard]] is also used, although this species requires more perseverance if [[rabbit]]s are to be hunted.

===Harris's hawk (''Parabuteo unicinctus'')===
[[File:Harris' Hawk plumage.jpg|alt=|thumb|Harris's hawk used in falconry]]
[[Image:Parabuteo unicinctus01.jpg|thumb|Falconer with a [[Harris's hawk]]|alt=]]

''Parabuteo unicinctus'' is one of two representatives of the ''Parabuteo'' genus worldwide. The other is the [[white-rumped hawk]] (''P. leucorrhous''). Arguably the best rabbit or hare raptor available anywhere, Harris's hawk is also adept at catching birds. Often captive-bred, Harris's hawk is remarkably popular because of its temperament and ability. It is found in the wild living in groups or packs, and hunts cooperatively, with a social hierarchy similar to wolves. This highly social behaviour is not observed in any other bird-of-prey species, and is very adaptable to falconry. This genus is native to the [[Americas]] from southern Texas and Arizona to South America. Harris's hawk is often used in the modern technique of [[car hawking]] (or drive-by falconry), where the raptor is launched from the window of a moving car at suitable prey.

===True hawks (''Astur'' and ''Accipiter'')===
The genera ''Astur'' and ''Accipiter'' are also found worldwide. Hawk expert{{cn|date=April 2025}} Mike McDermott once said, "The attack of the accipiters is extremely swift, rapid, and violent in every way". They are well known in falconry use both in Europe and North America. The [[Eurasian goshawk]] has been trained for falconry for hundreds of years, taking a variety of birds and mammals. Other popular ''Accipiter'' species used in falconry include Cooper's hawk and the sharp-shinned hawk in North America and the European sparrowhawk in Europe and Eurasia.

===Harriers (''Circus'')===
New Zealand is likely to be one of the few countries to use a harrier species for falconry; there, falconers successfully hunt with the [[Swamp harrier|Australasian harrier]] (''Circus approximans'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzfalconersassociation.com/falconry.html|title=Falconry|website=NZ Falconers Association|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-date=30 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130161336/http://www.nzfalconersassociation.com/falconry.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Image:Falconry001.JPG|thumb|right|A [[lanner falcon]] with its lure]]

===Falcons (''Falco'')===
The genus ''[[Falcon|Falco]]'' is found worldwide and has occupied a central niche in ancient and modern falconry. Most falcon species used in falconry are specialized predators, most adapted to capturing bird prey, such as the peregrine falcon and [[Merlin (bird)|merlin]]. A notable exception is the use of desert falcons such the saker falcon in ancient and modern falconry in Asia and Western Asia, where [[hare]]s were and are commonly taken. In North America, the [[prairie falcon]] and the [[gyrfalcon]] can capture small mammal prey such as rabbits and hares (as well as the standard gamebirds and waterfowl) in falconry, but this is rarely practiced. Young falconry apprentices in the United States often begin practicing the art with [[American kestrel]]s, the smallest of the falcons in North America; debate remains on this, as they are small, fragile birds, and can die easily if neglected.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.americanfalconry.com/appKestrels.html |title= Should Apprentice Falconers be Allowed to Fly American Kestrels? |publisher= American falconry |date= 1992-04-14 |access-date= 2013-03-19 |archive-date= 2012-03-27 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120327173558/http://www.americanfalconry.com/appKestrels.html |url-status= live }}</ref> Small species, such as kestrels, [[Merlin (bird)|merlins]] and [[Hobby (bird)|hobbys]], are most often flown on small birds such as starlings or sparrows, but can also be used for recreational bug hawking – that is, hunting large flying insects such as dragonflies, grasshoppers, and moths.

===Owls (Strigidae)===
[[File:Tyto alba - Cetrería - 01.jpg|thumb|A [[Western barn owl|barn owl]] landing on a falconer's hand]]
[[Owl]]s (family Strigidae) are not closely related to hawks or falcons. Little is written in classic falconry that discusses the use of owls in falconry. However, at least two species have successfully been used, the [[Eurasian eagle-owl]] and the [[great horned owl]].<ref name= Melling>{{cite journal|author=Melling, T.|author2=Dudley, S.|author3=Doherty, P.|name-list-style=amp|year=2008|title=The Eagle Owl in Britain|journal=British Birds|volume=101|issue=9|pages=478–490|url=https://www.britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/The-Eagle-Owl-in-Britain.pdf|access-date=2023-07-18|archive-date=2023-04-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418180808/https://britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/The-Eagle-Owl-in-Britain.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Successful training of owls is much different from the training of hawks and falcons, as they are hearing- rather than sight-oriented. (Owls can only see black and white, and are long-sighted.) This often leads falconers to believe that they are less intelligent, as they are distracted easily by new or unnatural noises, and they do not respond as readily to food cues. However, if trained successfully, owls show intelligence on the same level as those of hawks and falcons.

===Large eagles (''Aquila'')===
[[File:Mongolian_Man_and_his_Eagle.jpg|thumb|A Mongolian man inspects his [[golden eagle]] (''Aquila chrysaetos'') before competing in an eagle hunting contest in northern Mongolia]]
{{main|Hunting with eagles}}
The genus ''[[Aquila (genus)|Aquila]]'' (all have "booted" or feathered tarsi) has a nearly worldwide distribution. The more powerful types are used in falconry; for example golden eagles (''A. chrysaetos'') have reportedly been used to hunt [[wolf|wolves]]<ref>{{Citation | title = The last Wolf Hawker: The Eagle Falconry of Friedrich Remmler | first = Martin | last = Hollinshead | url = http://business.virgin.net/fernhill.press/fernhill.htm | publisher = The Fernhill Press | year = 2006 | access-date = 2007-06-21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110928141630/http://business.virgin.net/fernhill.press/fernhill.htm | archive-date = 2011-09-28 | url-status = dead }}.</ref> in [[Kazakhstan]], and are now most widely used by the Altaic Kazakh eagle hunters in the western Mongolian province of [[Bayan-Ölgii Province|Bayan-Ölgii]] to hunt foxes,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ijih.org/volumeMgr.ijih?cmd=volumeView&volNo=7&manuType=02|title=International Journal of Intangible Heritage|website=International Journal of Intangible Heritage|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621075823/http://www.ijih.org/volumeMgr.ijih?cmd=volumeView&volNo=7&manuType=02|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.analytrics.org/Documents/HSS_Actes_Proceedings_2012.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-12-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001924/http://www.analytrics.org/Documents/HSS_Actes_Proceedings_2012.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-03 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mefrg.org/images/falco/falco41.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-10-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017084620/http://www.mefrg.org/images/falco/falco41.pdf |archive-date=2015-10-17 }}</ref><ref name="discover-bayanolgii.com">{{cite web|url=http://discover-bayanolgii.com/eagle-hunters/|title=Eagle Hunters|date=28 December 2012|website=Discover-bayanolgii.com|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-date=25 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125194345/https://discover-bayanolgii.com/eagle-hunters/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ijih.org/volumeMgr.ijih?cmd=volumeView&volNo=9&manuType=02|title=International Journal of Intangible Heritage|website=International Journal of Intangible Heritage|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621084937/http://www.ijih.org/volumeMgr.ijih?cmd=volumeView&volNo=9&manuType=02|url-status=live}}</ref> and other large prey, as they are in neighbouring [[Kyrgyzstan]].<ref>{{Citation | title = Kyrgyzstan | first = Rowan | last = Stewart | page = 182 | publisher = Odyssey | year = 2002}}.</ref> Most are primarily ground-oriented, but occasionally take birds. Eagles are not used as widely in falconry as other birds of prey, due to the lack of versatility in the larger species (they primarily hunt over large, open ground), the greater potential danger to other people if hunted in a widely populated area, and the difficulty of training and managing an eagle. A little over 300 active falconers are using eagles in Central Asia, with 250 in western [[Mongolia]], 50 in [[Kazakhstan]], and smaller numbers in [[Kyrgyzstan]] and western [[China]].<ref name="discover-bayanolgii.com"/>

===Sea eagles (''Haliaeetus'')===
Most species in the genus ''[[Haliaeetus]]'' catch and eat fish, some almost exclusively, but in countries where they are not protected, some have been effectively used in hunting for ground quarry.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} [[Bald eagle]]s (''H. leucocephalus'') have been tried by law enforcement agencies in the Netherlands and elsewhere for catching illegal [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|drones]],<ref>{{cite web | title=The eagles trained to catch drones | website=BBC Newsround | date=2016-02-02 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/av/35473889 | access-date=2025-04-01}}</ref> though the experiment was not successful outside of trials, as the eagles were easily distracted.<ref>{{cite web | last=Mogg | first=Trevor | title=Drone-catching eagles aren't such a good idea after all | website=Digital Trends | date=2017-12-11 | url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/drone-catching-eagles-retired/ | access-date=2025-04-01}}</ref>