Bonding with a Hawk

The process by which a hawk bonds to their falconer is a complex subject that does not fit into the human concepts of bonding. To a hawk the falconer is the provider of food and the relationship between hawk and falconer is more akin to a dog’s relationship with his food bowl than with his handler.

The hawk and falconer have a relationship of mutual trust built up through a process called manning. Manning can take days or weeks depending on the stubbornness of the bird. The first stage of manning is to get the bird on the fist to take food this can take up to 3 days depending on temperature and the bird’s weight. Initially we will use high value food for the initial hop to the glove but then will move onto tirings, which are pieces of meat with bones that the hawk can only consume slowly, to make the meal last longer. The longer the meal lasts, the more the hawk gets to be handled every day.

The next stage is to leash the bird to the glove so that she can be moved and introduced to other environments. Once the falconer has control of the feet (the dangerous end) it is a matter of time for the hawk to learn that the falconer and being on the glove means only good things. We use further tiring to distract the hawk if she becomes stressed or starts to bait in the presence of all the scary things she will encounter in the environment. As the trust is built up the hawk learns that her food only comes from the falconer and only from the glove.