Harris Hawk

British Birds: Harris Hawk

Jake Davies

The Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) is able to tolerate a very wide range of habitats, from desert to woodland, mangrove to grassland, and even urban environments. It is native to the Americas, but is often included among British birds as it is the most popular species used in falconry.

Falconry, the ancient method of hunting by using trained birds of prey, has been around since ancient times, possibly as much as 4,000 years ago. It was a popular pastime for nobles, from English kings to Japanese Samurai warlords, but has also been a popular sport among the working class, as in the 1969 Ken Loach film, Kes. The Harris Hawk is the most popular of all breeds among falconers in the UK.

Falconry also exists nowadays as a commercial business, with the birds of prey used to deter birds such as gulls, starlings, pigeons, and crows who are a nuisance at a variety of industrial, agricultural, and commercial sites.

Every year Harris hawks escape from captivity and can be seen in the wild. Sometimes breeding and occasionally interbreeding with common buzzards, but no viable long-term population of wild birds exists.

Harris Hawks are a medium sized bird of prey with a wingspan of 2 to 4 feet. Their distinctive appearance, dark brown body, reddish shoulders, and white tips on their tail feathers, make them easy to identify.

Their preferred diets seems to be rabbits and hares, though they will eat rodents, lizards, other birds etc. They will sometimes eat larger prey because of a characteristic of the Harris hawk that distinguishes them from most birds of prey - they hunt in packs rather than solo. From 2 to 6 will work together, each taking a specific role, and this will allow larger prey to be caught, This cooperative behaviour has earned them the nickname of "wolves of the sky". This social behaviour may well be why they are so well liked for falconry as they are considered easy to train and form strong bonds with their human handlers.