Catching Falcons

The general technique for catching raptors is to put out some kind of bait and then put little nooses around the bait. When the bird grabs the bait, the noose grabs it back. Then you can run up and catch it. You just have to find the appropriate bait for each type of raptor. The NZ falcon primarily eats small birds, so one thing we do is put small birds behind a screen covered with nooses. We also put small birds behind a net, which is a less common technique, but it works really well with these falcons. The most unusual technique takes advantage of how aggressive these birds are. NZ falcons will physically attack you if you enter their nest area, which is very unusual for birds. In this case, we just put the nooses on our heads and we are the actual bait. It is a pretty crazy idea, but it works! I will try to post pictures over Christmas.