Falconry: Harris hawks vs Goshawks. A comparison. 

God bless Harris Hawks!! Some of my favorite falconry related memories over 20 years are trapping passage Harris Hawks in the AZ desert. Harris Hawks seem so domestic to me, and they are built so well for falconry, and they are so world wide spread now in falconry that I almost can't help see them as a domestic animal shaped by humans to work with humans. To see packs of them hunting together in the wild is a real pleasure and a reminder that indeed they were shaped that way over time without influence from people. When Ben says they are easy to train, that is an understatement. In fact you can almost say no training is involved, besides getting them comfortable with you there isn't much else to do. I remember a late passage Harris Hawk I had trapped in December. I had been manning him for a week (7 or 8 days since I trapped him) and I took him and my dog out for our first free flight. He flew to a tree and I tried to call him back to the fist. He refused. So I tried a few other tricks (more food, getting closer, taking the dog away and trying to call him without the dog, dragging the lure, etc....) and he had no real interest in coming down. I sat and watched him and it occurred to me that what he wanted was to hunt. I could just see it. So I called the dog, turned around and walked away from him beating the brush with my stick as I went. I went maybe 25 feet and here he came gliding over to perch on another tree right in front of me. That is absolutely crazy!! 30 minutes later he was on a cottontail kill. I've had other Harris Hawks that could be flown (not necessarily hunted, but flown) at any weight. ANY WEIGHT. I flew one all through his molt. He'd love to come on walks with my dogs and I. He'd just follow us through the cover and buzz (but not grab) rabbits that flushed. And on one hunt a male Harris Hawk of mine took 3 cottontails on the way up a mountain (I was trying to find Chukar Partridge), then took a Chukar on top of the mountain and I let him eat on that chukar until he couldn't eat anymore. He had a bustin' full crop and I was still an hour walk from my car. I had never hood trained him, and never tied him down to my fist. Despite being stuffed he was jumpy still and wanted off my fist. I let him go to see what he would do. What he did was follow as closely as ever and then near the base of the mountain he caught another cottontail that bolted out below us, full crop and all!! Now that's what I call a cooks bird :P. Falconry is hard and intense. Flying Harris Hawks is not. I haven't even told the story of the Harris Hawk I trained to follow me as I rode my mountain bike.... I could go on and on about Harris Hawks :), but I'll stop where I started. God bless Harris Hawks!!

It cracks me up when I see Harris' Hawks used in cinematic productions that are set in 16th century Europe.

This was so informative! Thank you! Falconry is a recently acquired interest for me and as chance would have it I just saw a BEAUTIFULLL goshawk just outside my kitchen window the other day. I'm sad that the legal red tape around Falconry in my state is just so stringent. If it weren't, I would have tried to partner up with that goshawk. Cause I was in absolute awe of it when I saw it the other day. Just beautiful.

Another great educational and insightful video Ben!

Hey Ben I just wanted to say I really enjoy your videos. They're kind of my primary method of learning about falconry. I'm a writer, not an apprentice, and I try to portray things as realistically as I can to the fullest extent of my knowledge. I will admit I'm mostly relegated to your videos and a couple of books I've picked up. I just really enjoy learning about falconry!

I think your video’s are very informative, keep them coming

I enjoy each and every video... Thank you so much. I am in sponge mode so I am not offering any practical experience in my comments.... YET. I am an aspiring Falconer. 🙏

Your videos have been extremely informative and helpful. Would love to see one on all aspects of off season care/ husbandry. A focus on Red-tailed Hawks would be very beneficial. Thanks for doing this.

Thank you for sharing 🙏🏼 Realy a very good documentation 👌🏼

I would be very interested in hearing exactly how Harris's hawks came to be recognized and used by falconers. Who were the first? How did it happen? How did it spread and progress? How long did it take? Was there more resistance in the Old World?

Love Goshawks ❤️

Well done Ben. Your take on gosses are spot on.

Nothing is better than a well conditioned and confident goshawk. Flew a male harris for 5 seasons. They do amazing things and the bond is genuine. Weight is key with accipiter's. If you have this right they are lethal to anything that moves in the field.

Great content Ben. Keep it up. My apprentices enjoy them all.

This is assisting me greatly, so many of your videos. I am getting into falconry and my sponsor/mentor recommended your videos and channel, while I won't be starting with goshawks by any means, he has goshawks and wants me to start with either a Harris Hawk or red tailed hawk. But one day I may move into working with goshawks due to living near the Canadian border in Idaho and the cold climate is harsh even for our local wild life

The stories of falconers' most memorable experiences are fascinating, including the Harris hawk experiences shared today in the comments section. I would love to see interviews with falconers in which they share some of the highlights from their years of falconry. Maybe in a split-screen format, with you on one side and the falconer being interviewed on the other? Possibly via Skype or something similar. With your falconry connections, you could probably come up with some great experiences to share. And your own as well.

Great information, keep up the great work good sir.

I would love to see more videos on training goshawks. I have recently been upgraded to general falconer and a gos is the next bird I want to fly. I have Mike McDermott’s books, of course, but I seem to learn better watching and listening rather than just reading. Thanks so much!

Hey Ben, just an idea but when you do these comparison videos you could add a section on hybrids of the two if applicable.

"What is the downside to goshawks?" They are NUTS. All of em.

Also, by the way, "unicinctus" means "single band" in reference to the white band on the Harris's hawk's tail. There is another species of Parabuteo, P. leucorrhous, the white rumped hawk.

Less asper if kept off the ground and keep chambers or weathering area clean.

I think the aggression in goshawks is mainly from the imprinted individuals, my parent reared goshawk shows no aggression to me at all... but he does attack my dog sometimes 🤦‍♂️🤣

Great video

Excellent comment, I recommend to all my falconry candidates your videos. Have a nice day.

Hello from Slovakia Ben, really interesting and well done video as always! I was wondering, if you ever heard of or knew anyone who hunted with kites (milvus genus). I mean sure they have small weak footsies, but are very agile in air and I could think of a few ways that could be used along with their unique flight style. Hope you'll find the time to answer or discuss. Thanks!

A couple of additional thoughts on goshawks vs Harris's hawks: Some people need or want or like strong, stimulating challenges. The goshawks are more of a challenge. Failure, though, is more likely. People who don't take failure well, or are knocked down or seriously set back psychologically by failure, would probably be better off with Harris's hawks. Some people get very depressed by certain failures. In particular, the loss of a bird that takes off, or the death of a bird, especially when they are blaming themselves. Those people should probably not go with a goshawk. Harris's would be a better choice, or maybe even something other than falconry.

I can't find any good recommendations on what temperature to bring my Harris hawk in from. I usually hear that it just varies. I have been bringing him in at 32 degrees F and below just to be sure. He is at flying weight so I want to make sure that he doesn't get wing tip edema or frostbite. Do you have any temperature recommendations?

Hello can you do a red tailed vs Harris hawk vid pls

Harris hawks have short broad wings and long tails like an acciptrine and I would like to see it do an obstacle course for accipitrines.

Hey Ben, I have a question can you trap a bird for falconry in a country then move to to a different with that bird, like can you transport a bird to a different country

Harrys hawk is reborning the falconry for news falconers. Others species like Buteo Polyisoma has a lot of potential as the harrys and i maybe became popular too.

What do you mean by cold and hot environments? I live in NC and am interested in which species might work best here. Goshawks are native here, but very rare and only here during the winter. Harris hawks are not native here. Our winters are mostly in the low 30s, but we have occasional nights that drop into the single digits (though I’ve never seen it below 0). Our summers are mostly in the high 80s, but we do have frequent periods in the high 90s, which has become increasingly common in the last couple of years.

I’d rather enjoy watching your videos I have always been interested in falconry you ask the question does it count as a catch if you catch the bird with your hand but you didn’t answer does it count as a catch?

Thanks for these videos Ben. A question I have is- we see lots of Rough-legged Hawks in Utah during the winter months. Why don't I hear about anyone using them for falconry?

Who wins in a fight Harris vs ghos vs red tail ? I’m thinning redtail since it’s size compared to the other two even tho the ghos is more aggressive

a Harris would be amazing!... but even if I could get into falconry I live in wet/cold state

Can a Harris Hawk see infra red. The reason I ask is because I've installed two new CCTV cameras in my Harris Hawk aviary and my male is slowly dropping tail feathers (3.5yr old) which began in late December 🤔 Is this typical behaviour or could the IR's coming on at night be triggering the molt. I live in Donegal, in the North of Ireland.

So I live in Kentucky which bird would you recommend for here and which would you recommend for a new general falconer

How about some videos of your birds out hawking.

Harris on squirrel? I've heard toes are too thin and might lose one to squirrel bite. Thoughts?

I Fly a Harris hawk 7 days a week, my Hawk will call me to flush an area , this happens a few times during the season, iv learnt to follow his call now. A lovely hawk, mine catches all its feed for the moult. I do let him feed up on a catch and we still fly the next day but over time we bring the weight down again , sometimes he will just keep catching and I then trade off earlier. Harris Hawks are to often thought of as a beginners hawk , they deserve more than that.

"uni" meaning once; and "cinctus" meaning girdled

If i had a busy day i would fly my harrises two at a time out of my garden They are so easy and not stressy at all Fantastic birds Best value or not far off Great starter hawk Pete UK

So what is the difference in the prey that they are capable of taking? I know people talk about Goshawks taking geese. There are a lot of species of geese world wide. Are either of these species capable of taking a Canada goose? While the goshawk was the butcher's bird back in the middle ages would it have been the Harris' hawk if it would have been available?

Can ravens be used like hawks and falcons? Or at least somewhat similarly? At least flown and exercised and partnered with?

Think for the eduction

Goshawks are so menacing great video

To progress as a seasoned falconer from other hawks and falcons to Harris hawks is fine, but to progress from Harris hawks as your first bird to other hawks and falcons could be a totally different experience. My take is Harris hawks are as far as falconry training is concerned in a class of their own and have often created the perception falconry is "easy", which it is more than often not.

I wonder how the hybrids of the two have turned out thus far.

Man i just discorvered your channel. To avoid a wall of text: Please stick to your current way how you do your videos. It is exactly how it should be, and not too common anymore these days. 20 mins lenght, packed with quality. I thank you!

so its like lions and tiger!

Harris hawks are more akin to dogs and Goshawks are more akin to cats

The Harris hawk is to falconry as Tiger Woods is to golf.....An explosion of interest in said sports. Why ? Harris hawk is very easy to get good hunting results.

Bah... I want a Harris' Hawk that has the relentlessness of an Accipiter.

I think buiteodies goshawks are bigger than finish Ben

Don't get a goss unless you've flown a few other breeds first They aint no harris to train FOR SURE

Harris's hawks do great in east Tennessee on squirrel and rabbet

Harris uninctus unicinctus, para mi mucho mejor que el Harris unicinctus harrissi

Is that a real fucken sabre tooth tiger skull or what?