Falconry: AGGRESSION! What to do when your bird foots you 

Ben, I feel confident your videos help the raptors by the educating both falconers and non-falconers alike. Thank you for posting the videos. I'm learning a lot about the sport of falconry and birds of prey from you.

Holy crow!! this is more exiting and educative than animal planet!! Thanks Ben, your videos about falconry dangers keep me bitting my fingernails everytime I watch them

You know what they all say, "No pain, no gain!". Now, I didn't say "oh I just want a hawk to stick its talons into my skin"! But everything that happens in Falconry is always a learning experience! Learning about how a hawk reacts is a key detail to realize my own mistakes! I would just keep calm the whole time. And heck, I'll even pretend I'm asleep! You presented everything extremely well! I was almost predicting this video was going to happen from the "feeding off the fist" video.

Hey mr. Woodruff, I just wanna say thanks for all this falconry videos you uploaded in this short period of time. They are a real joy for me as an upcomming falconer and helped me sooo much understanding these wonderfull species a bit more. Thank you for your service! (Sorry for my bad english, I'm german.)

I hope I get to a point in my life that falconry is possible. Finding someone who does this in my area - let alone a sponsor - has proven difficult. I sort of gave up at least until I have some more freedom to travel to a sponsor for an apprenticeship. I appreciate your videos!

How about a video on steps for retraining after the molt.

The very first bird I trapped, a male redtail, footed me solidly in my index finger. I heard three separate clicks as the talons hit bone. Luckily he didn't hold on, and the infections weren't too bad.

That’s the truth right there! Usually agression is a reaction not an action by the bird… well explained. Greetings from a fellow falconer from Germany! 👏

GREAT vid Ben!

This video was really interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Wow. just found your videos. I love them. I have my mews built, a sponsor secured and waiting to take the test. I LOVED the psychology and thought process behind your Spiral and Stomp video. Traditional and Good are not always the same. I like the psychology you bump that up against

Great video. Very good information. I've worked with a number of aggressive Harris Hawks over the years and I've managed to curb/redirect/extinguish about 95% of their aggression.

Nice video

Great info! More Goshawks! 😀

Hi, thanks for your amazing videos. I'd like to know if the aggression also has something to do with the moulting period? I'd appreciate it if you make a video on the moulting issue, and about the behaveior we should have towards our birds of prey! Thanks

Thank you for posting this, Ben! I recently got a young great horned owl to add to my educational demonstration team, and I have really been struggling with his aggression. He's been biting hands hard enough to draw blood, attacking legs/feet as people go by, flying at my head, etc. I have been looking for any advice at all on how to curb this aggression as it only started recently, so I am so glad to have found a video addressing aggression issues. I will see if I can determine the causes for his outbursts and how I can work to distract him from reacting in that way. If you have any other thoughts on this situation exactly, or advice, I would be glad to hear it! Cheers!

Thanks for share a deeper approach to raptors psychology; I'd like to see a video about the imprint; there are too many things that can go wrong with a young raptor and prevent them is the best way. Kindest regards from the DR.

Ben, Another great, informative video. One technique you didn’t mention that I’ve seen in a number of printed sources is squeezing the hawk’s head in order to get it to release. I’d be interested in your thoughts on that idea. Thanks!

thank you ben that was some very useful advice. To be honest i highly agree with your point about the owls. we have steppe eagles and big owls like eagle owls and brown wood owls, and if one of them is going to foot me i've would rather have the eagle although they look much more intimidating

Ben, would you consider a video on how to retrain a bird to the hood after it has developed negative feelings towards the hood?

I have a little tips to get off the sticky foot. Is being calm down and then put the hand down to the ground and throw a lure, or tidbit like the way we trade off. They are quickly let go.

keeping the intangible cultural heritage going👍👍

Way back when I volunteered in wildlife care, I was chatting with one of the Rehabbers, talking about "crazy rescues" and the like, she told this one story where a person rescued a Great Horned Owl off the road, hit by a car, etc. But the problem is it squirmed out of the towels it was wrapped up in, in the back of the person's car. (they didn't have a box or container, I mean, who thinks of that, right?). Anyway, the rehabber met this person, opened the back of the car, and went to grab the GHO. And the GHO understandably was pissed and managed to grab the rehabber. Hard. So she ended up having to pull the bird out, attached to her hand, and sent the person on their way, horrified, and then sit in her own car for a good length of time, until the owl suddenly decided to let go. Another (huge) GHO earned the nickname "Satan" and was scary to handle because it apparently "knew" how to grab backwards, so all the SOP of typical raptors that grab forwards and out did not help in this particular case. (we) were so relieved to finally release that owl! I remember being told a number of times, it was never a question of IF, but WHEN you would get footed or bit/jabbed (ie a Heron). Although I was very lucky I had some close-calls but didn't have to extricate talons out of myself. I -did- happen to have a big female Red Tail Hawk bite me on the hand (as I was trying to secure its head), clamped down on the webbing between my thumb and finger, and I still don't know how the beak didn't break through my skin, or get nerve damage. I felt that in my hand for weeks. Learned a lot of respect and to always be on your guard, yet calm, because they will indeed react to anxiety and panic.

Great info. There is a similar action called "earthquake" that I was told to use with Parrots. If they are biting/nipping and you need to change their mindset phytologically, while they are on your hand, raise your hand up and down by 1-2 feet and it will usually make the parrot focus on the need to extend its wings to maintain balance and they usually lose focus on whatever they are doing that you do not like. I'm not sure if this would work with a raptor though?

i was once footed by a ferruginous through my own stupidity,trouble was it was in my left hand which i had just had 2 fingers removed through an accident,she footed me well and truly,i will never forget the pain,it was 20 minutes before she let go her one talon went straight through my palm but it was my fault so i could not blame the bird in any way.

Great troubleshooting videos!! Thought you had gotten some new editing software since the videos were full size for a bit but this one has the black border again.

I do rehab with raptors in Australia and I find your videos very educational. Could you do a video on starting the taming process for a large raptor like an eagle? thanks and keep up the great work.

on the exam...it sys squeeze their head as the last resort. does this work ben?

Can I have two questions please ? Can a black-kite be trained to hunt ?

Hi Ben and thank you for your very informative video(s). I'm not likely to ever own a bird of prey, I'm just interested in them and always have been. I have a question. I suppose it's a slightly ambiguous one, but anyway.. I'm interested to know just how strong the grip is of some of these birds of prey that you fly. I was once told that if a Peregrine Falcon decide to tighten its grip on my fist, it could quite easily break my fingers if it was of a mind to? Is this an exaggeration or is it quite accurate? If it's accurate, then it would probably give me some idea of just how strong the grip of a Golden Eagle, for instance, would be! Many thanks in anticipation of your reply.

My harris hawk have a bad habit, when we went to hunting, he would easily distracted by the oil palm fruit. She will keep looking for Oil Palm fruit to eat. Any advice/suggestion on how to curb this behavior?

Do you have a ornate hawk eagle?

Ben; regarding the 'ratcheting' tendon system: it it possible, or probable, that one can damage the bird's tendons of bones, while removing the embedded talon, for example, by moving the talon/toe too fast, or too hard?? this sounds like a very tricky, very painful situation, and probably very difficult to maintain good self-control!

A video on the different protein levels of food and why certain birds do better on a richer diet

If grabbed and latched onto could you just pitch a lure? I subscribed great video I hope to get into hawking this year.

This only happened to me twice in 12 years both times I was alone and as bad as it hurt and bleed I was successful in just staying calm and waiting it out and the bird released within five minutes.

I used to raise and fly Harris hawk. With time she started to attack my glove free hand soon as I reached to her, when I wanted to grab jesses to finish flying, or even to touch her, after she ate a bit of food from glove. It soon became too hard for me, she would do it on any occasion. Did you ever work with such cases? Being patient didn't help, neither no reaction to that. I used to reach out to her with a hand covered with a blouse but it was horrible, painful and heartbreaking. She didn't attack men, but she did attack my boss who is a woman.

Did this guy tell me he had a eagle with a rage addiction?

If a person was in a zenn like state but didn't try to remove the talons how long can you expect them to hold on?

Good evening, sometimes a bird of prey uses a beak at the beginning of maining to pinch you. by the right hand that approaches him and touches his chest. So just bend your fingers down and give him the back of his hands and the predator tries to catch you, but he fails, you must not squint your hands. After some time, it will cease completely. If he catches you with his feet, follow Ben's advice. The problem is if you are alone and you allow one talon, then it is deeper against. Therefore, first pull out his thumb and underlay it with a pen and then the first finger and underlay with a pen and then the next.

This info is awesome and horrifyng. I think ill start with a kestrel now instead of a red-tail.

Lately my kestrel has become agressive. I have to say that she cant fly because covid 19. Why is this happening?

Can you do a video about broad winged hawks

Do you no what is a broad winged hawk

My hawk foots me and throws away its treat away. Is that normal?

Hey Ben where are you from. I'm looking for someone to appreciate with here in london, ontario.

Forty five years ago I was asked by local fish and game officer to take a great horned owl in with a concussion. Short story that bird hated me. That was cool as I wasn't going to keep it. I got careless one day and her back halex went through the web of my thumb and forefinger. I was just a kid, but remained calm and waited for her to pull it out. Strangely very little pain. She decided she wasn't hurting me and backed it out. Her decision. I believe that if I had made any attempt to remove it I would have been a bloody mess. I finished feeding her and put her away. Then went to medicine kit and squirted antiseptic cream through the puncture wound. That is important ! The owl never recovered and was euthanized and taken to a taxidermist. It is still on display in a science lab. A fraction of a second carelessness and she got me. Had I freaked out, it would have been way worse. Thanks for the video !

"he's gonna go cry his wee eyes out on his HUGE pillah!"

Hahah oh it's a little bird.. I'm training 2 little owls. When those little guys grab you, believe me it hurts like hell! I'm getting used to working with birds of prey and will get a falcon when i'm ready. Can't imagine the pain. Also working with ravens and those beaks are way scarier. No matter what, they will bite eventually and even when it's playfull, blood will flow hah! Still love those boogers.

Lol rage seems like he has some personality

lost my left eye over a mhh was my foult tho

Kindly ask them to let go

Explain why you can't discipline a bird of prey.

I had a female redtail grab me on the nose, pagan what a bird to Hunt she would and did put goshawks and h.hawks to shame hunting,down side was she was viscously aggressive 🇨🇮

Def got footed in the face by a RT once. Felt like I got punched lol. It was my fault and it was all good and we kept hunting no problem