🐦 Apprentice Birds · 5 min
Two species, and why
Why this matters
Your first bird is chosen for you by regulation. Understanding the reasoning behind that choice is the difference between resenting the rule and using it.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- State exactly which wild raptors a New York Apprentice may take and possess
- Explain why the Red-tailed Hawk is the usual recommendation
- Identify the trade-offs of choosing a Kestrel instead
Under 6 NYCRR 173.2(e)(3), an Apprentice falconer may possess only an American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) or a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) taken from the wild, and may capture them only under the direct supervision of a sponsor. An Apprentice may not capture or possess nestlings at all, so in practice the bird is a passage Red-tail or a passage Kestrel.
Why the red-tail is the default
The passage Red-tailed Hawk has the reputation for being the easiest raptor to man, ahead of a passage goshawk, prairie falcon or sharp-shin. It is also the most cold-tolerant of the common falconry birds, ahead of Harris's Hawk and the Aplomado Falcon, which matters in a New York winter. Large birds are generally easier to train and easier to keep healthy than small ones.
The kestrel is not the easy option
The exam asks directly why you might pick a Kestrel over a Red-tail, and the answer is none of the above. Kestrels do not need feeding less often, they are more likely to carry, and they are harder to keep healthy. Because of their small size and fast metabolism, they are the species most sensitive to weight fluctuations, and poor weight control is what most often kills them. A Kestrel is a rewarding first bird for someone with the discipline to weigh accurately every single day. It punishes anyone else.
What each bird hunts
The Red-tail is oriented toward ground quarry, especially large rodents and rabbits, and is the species best suited for taking rabbits. A Kestrel is best suited to starlings and English (house) sparrows, both unprotected in New York. Quail is the wrong answer for a Kestrel.
This lesson is part of the NY Falconry Exam course. Open it in the course to answer the retrieval checks that go with it, track what you have read, and quiz the whole unit. Lessons, quizzes and the glossary are free.