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Hi,
Im only 16 but I have benn interested in falconry and birds of prey since I can remember. I have recently moved from England and I was involved in falconry and the training of birds there. I would LOVE to get involved here, so if anyone knows how I can do that please reply 🙂
P.s: I live in Victoria
Hi we are planning a raptor documentary and would like to include some Australian
birds of prey. It’s very difficult to get portraits and close flying shots in the wild
and I was curious if Australia has legal falconers that might fly birds for a camera
and a fee. Any chance of that?
Norman,
We’re located in the United States but we understand that falconry as a sport is illegal in Australia. Here are two web sites of people who are licensed there to do raptor rescue. One of them might have falcons who would fly for you.
There are many good falconers in the United States, many of whom are also associated with rescue facilities or are rescuers themselves. If any of our readers can help, send us the information and we’ll send it along.
Hi,
i`m involved in general native animal rescue and have undertaken numerous studies/courses in raptor rescue and rehabilitation.
I currently have in care an Osprey, sub-adult, not quite ready for flight, but I hope to have a successful release over the next 10-12 weeks.
At different times I have the pleasure of performing ” Rehab” on a wide variety of raptors, from Pacific Bazzas, through Kestrels ,Goshawks and the occasional WedgeTail… enormously rewarding, but very time consuming,…successful rehab a is very intensive and physically & emotionally draining task….but worth every second.
I`d love to see the movie too.
Cheers,
Roger.
Olá Nathan friend. I call Fernandes Luis and living creature in Portugal, trebalho in the airport of Lisbon and also make control of plagues in sanitary atrerros, beyond hunting with my birds. Portugal is very badly how much the work and is to think about emigrating to Australia, what it intristesse more me is not to aver would falcoaria in Australia, but now sees that it has who works with robbery birds. It would like its opnião how much to emigrate, it can see my profile and my birds in facebook, write Luis would make alcaide. One I hug friend and happinesses.
Hi, my name is Paul Mander I live in Qeensland Australia, I have been a Falconer for 28 years, I grew up in the UK and have been in Australia for 11 years. I have Falcons, Eagles, Kites, Buzzards and Owls around 50 birds in total. A lot of these birds are trained for film work and have been performing in Films, Adds, and docos for many years. Most of the free Flight Bird shows at Zoos and wildlife Parks have been sett up and most of the people in Australia have had some taining by myself. Falconry is not practiced in Australin and the industry is still very young and the experience levels here are very low due to the exposure to falcony is usualy zero. I would love to talk more about the film work, Paul.
Hi, I would like to contact Paul Mander in regards to learning more about falconry due to only having a small amount of experinnce with owls and whistling kites. I am currently a zoo keeper at the Rockhamton Zoo and need to develop my skills. Hope you can help, thankyou Anita.
Hi My Name is Darcy And Iam only 14 and wondering if I could take up Falcorning as a sport or job at a Zoo and how would i go about it.
I grew up on a farm in the riverina 100 Km from wagga and now living
Newcastle and wondering if you knew any0ne up here I could get in touch with
Thank you
Darcy
Hi My name is Nathan.
A quick message for Paul Mander. Im a Paragliding pilot and im massively fascinated with the art of Falconry. I climb in thermals with these bird’s atleast a few times a week, mainly Wedgetails and Sea Eagles and kites and sometimes they even attack our wings in mid flight (Its pretty amazing). I recently watched a doco called Para hawking. It was filmed in Nepal. Its about a conservation group that trains up two Hawks to fly out and mark thermals for them and they will fly back to them in mid flight to get a reward then continue thermaling with them. Not that i wish to do that but i would like some infomation on how to get involved in Falconry? and too be able to get closer to them?
I know it’s 3 years later, but would you have any idea how I could get myself a peregrine falcon with training in Qld as I can’t fnd information anywhere.
Hi Paul,I came across this old post from 2008. Are you still involve I’m falconry. Idioms to get involve but from the information I have gathered it is illegal here in Australia.
Any help would be appreciated
Alan
Hello my name is Jason I was get hopeing you had a moment to answer a question me I’m a 26-year-old man and have always been interested in falconry but as of yet I haven’t been able to find anywhere that runs courses/training as such
If you have any suggestions thay would be immensely appreciated
Thank you for your time and
kindest regards
Jason Ianna
Hi,
I hope you don’t find this too confronting but I was wondering if you train people to do what you do?
I know it’s specialised and probably very sought after, but if I don’t ask I won’t know 🙂
I’m in Nsw now but I’m very much a go to where your love is kind of person so I’d love to know what you suggest. I certainly don’t know everything, and heck I certainly don’t know enough, but I’d love to learn how to work with these great creatures I’m willing and I definitely go all the way with what I do. I’m actually partial to magpie or twenty but birds of prey are a bit of an awe thing for me and it’s sad to be told by my organisation members that most birds of prey rescued don’t make it. I’d like to change that but I suppose it would take a bit of special knowledge to get that happening.
My name is Sarah by the way, if you feel like responding that’d just make my day 🙂
Hi, I am from China and now living in Melbourne, Australia. Acctually I have been a falconer for 14 years when I was in China, and did lots of bird of prey such as goshawk, sparrowhawk, peregrine and saker. Australia is a beautiful land with excellent environment, and the animals here, especially the bird of prey are fantastic! I saw a pair of peregrine falcons made a nest on the top of the tallest building of my university. I saw a brown falcon cheased a pigeon along a street, I saw some windhover……….
I really want to know some friends here who are interested in bird of prey just like me!
Hi Im darcy and when i was younger i was at my uncles farm and found a wedge tail’s nest and a few chickenhawks but i have only ever found they 100Km north of wagga
Hi, my name is Jordan and i have a developing interest in birds of prey particularly peregrine falcons. Was just after some information about keeping birds of prey and if there are any breeders in australia. Any information would be greatly appreciated
Jordan,
Hi, keeping Birds of Prey in Australia is hard, you need to have a licence to do so and work for the birds you are keeping. The sport of Falconry is not conducted in Australia. To answer you question about breeding, the only person breeding Peregrines in Australia is myself at the moment.
Hi Tim, I got your Email and sent one back, If you did’nt get it I will re-send. Let me Know if you got it.
I will try you on the Falconry Forum as well.
Hi all my name is “Paul Willcock” from South Australia.
I am currently flying White Goshawk,Black falcon,several perigrines and Wedge tailed eagles.My buisness here in Australia is bird controll and also film work for TV corparations etc.I have several captive breeding programs in place here in SA and Victoria.My company works all over Australia moveing large flocks of cockatoos etc.
I have a very stong interest in the conservation and the well being of Australian raptors.
Falconry is illegal in Australia although each state has its own laws on this matter but in a nut shell the law here is you are not allowed to hunt animal with another animal.
If anybody has an interest in my post I can be contacted on 0412819475
or by Post to Longwings Australia PO Box 10523 Adelaide 5000 South Australia or phone 0412819475
Hello Paul.
I live in Victoria. Know of a owl that has been brought in blind. Clearly, this will not be released. If i wanted to give this bird a home for its next 10 yrs, what licence(s) and training would i need to receive?
regards
Shelle
Hi
I am contact you from Belgium
i have a family in Austria and want to ask them to find me some falconry materials and equipment’s because some told me Austria is the best place to be at.
can you be kind and write me some Address of falconry store to contact them and by professional equipment or materials for falconry needs , please
Hey guys, I live in Gold Coast and sometimes I see a really good falcon just flying around the building where I live. I am wounding is it legal to catch this falcon?
Hello,
I live in the National Capital and every now and then I am lucky enough to see a falcon flying solo in and around the Cotter Road area.
I was wondering if anyone on this site has any information on the keeping of such birds in captivity in the Canberra region? I wouldn’t have the facilities for a massive raptor, but would love to become involved with a smaller birds such as the little falcon (Falco longipennis) or the Australian Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) as these two appear to not only be smaller then their larger cousins, but also found in the wild in areas akin to Canberra.
Also, I didn’t know that people would become involved in the art of falconry with owls! If anyone has more information on this matter I would love to hear it! Owls are one of my favorite animals and I would love to know whether I could practice falconry with a smaller native species such as the Lesser Sooty Owl (Tyto multipunctata), Southern Boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae) [also known as the Mopoke] or, my personal favorite as I’ve seen five, the Owlet Nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) which are the most commonly seen.
FYI – I’m not a Harry Potter nut, i’ve been into Owls since an early age and whole heartedly agree with JK that owls should order our post.
Thanks for any information, particularly on the owls: do you do falconry by night?
yours,
Eliza Atkinson
To practice Falconry In Australia is illegal in all states.
I get a lot of Emails on this subject from a lot of people around the world. In most states around Australia the best way to get involved with Birds Of Prey, not Falconry, is through parks & wildlife in your area, conducting Rehabilitation of Birds back to the wild.
Another avenue is to volanteer at a local Zoo or Wildlife Park that does flying displays to the public, it sounds like you need to gain some experience before you do anything towards owning your own bird.
Keeping Birbs of Prey for recreation is not legal in Australia, you need a purpose for keeping the Bird and experience.
I run training courses for people wanting to gain experience here at Broadwings Training Cenre. Nobody has close to my knowledge on the subject of Falconry or Training Birds Of Prey anywhere in Australia.
AT the Centre we breed most of the Australian Owls
People do fly and hunt with owls, I flew a European Eagle Owl at Rabbits when I was 11 and mostly at night in the UK. Flying Owls at night gets the best results even when flying for exercise.
By the way the Owlet Nightjar, is a Nightjar and not an Owl. It catches food in its beak.
HELLO,ARTHUR here,i am wanting to buy a baby falcon to hand raise for a pet,do you know where i can buy one,i realise i will need a licence,i have licences for my parrots,but not that for birds of prey,if you can help me i thank you,bye for now Arthur Jamison.
You can not bye a Falcon for a pet in Australia, thank god, and hand raising a falcon is not like hand raising a Parrot. Enjoy them in the wild and you will be enloying them at thire best.
Dear Paul,
I live in rural South Australia,I rescued a Kestral Falcon 5mths ago, he hit a power line and severed his left wing clean off.It was a huge decision to keep him as he could not be released.he is very young and has adapted wonderfully,I do have a permit to rescue and keep protected wildlife.I notice a lot of people would like to keep these birds but as i see my falcon not being able to fly it can be heartbreaking to keep them caged.
Ford is his name,and he loves his daily feed of mice.I know of nobody else that has a kestral falcon,but i would like Ford to be able to have a mate if possible.There is a female kestral falcon that visits,she sits up on the pole and they call to each other.he is amongst trees so i dont think she can see him.But i feel sad for him.he is very happy and healthy bird.i am very lucky to have him.
Hi Deb good to hear from someone else from SA.
In regards to your kestrle with one wing do you really believe you are doing the right thing in keeping a falcon alive with one wing? Think about it the rulers of the skys but it can not do what it was put on this earth to do and that being to fly and hunt and rule the skys.Mortality rate for falcons in the first year is approxemently 87% leaving only the fittest to substain a wild population it is really not fair on the bird to keep it locked up in a cadge.You say you have a permit to keep and rescue wildlife but please keep in mind that in this state each inderviduall bird must have its own permit and I find it hard to believe that the Dep of wildlife has given you a permit as I know they are also against people keeping one winged raptors in captivity please check this out as the penaltis are harsh on those keeping them with out permits. What makes you think he is a happy bird again when you consider the enviroment you have now placed him in with no choice of his?
Hi Deb. I too live in SA, north of Adelaide. I have a female non releasable Kestrel and would be willing to give your boy a permanent home for them to be together if you were interested in him having a more fulfilling life in captivity. We have quite a few non releasable Raptors including 2 Wedge Tailed Eagles, a Sparrow Hawk and a pair of Barn Owls.
Hi i was wondering i live in the nt and i want to keep a bird of prey as a pet in the nt i know i need a licence but iwas wondering if you could gie me some specifics
I have owned and cared for Australian reptiles for years now. Just recently I had the pleasure to help raise a hatchling Tawny Frogmouth “Podargus strigoides” And then release it close to where it had fallen out of it’s nest, when old enough to fend for itself in the wild. This gave me a greatest sense of wonder, being able to make a difference and preserve a life. I would so much like to train myself further so I could continue to make a difference. I live in Queensland, could anyone please let me know where I could possible find this training?
Hi Paul, I was at the Cattana Wetlands in Cairns about 6 weeks ago and I saw a very large raptor by the water’s edge struggling with something. I approached stealthily but the bird flew off when i was about 20 metres away-it had captured a big tilapia (approx 1.5kg) and left it wounded in the shallows. I have a thorough knowledge of nearly every bird of prey in Aust, esp Ospreys and White Bellied Sea Eagles, however I could not i.d. this bird. It was similar in size to a full grown wedgie but had nearly the same shape as a sea eagle, esp the tail. The tail was pure white and the rest of the body was a dark gray type colour. There was no way it was a harrier or osprey due to it’s sheer size and appearance, and at first i thought it may have been a juvenile sea eagle but i am very familiar with the appearance of the juveniles and adults of this species. It was then joined in the sky by a second bird with the same colouration and size, and I watched them circling together as i moved away. The only answer I could come up with was that they were adult White Bellied Sea Eagles with the same colour morph or variation.. I was just wondering if you are aware of colour variations within this species and what they are? Is it possible they’re an exotic raptor and if so which species do you think they are and where do you think they may have flown from?
Hi Saul from what you have written I believe it to be a white bellied sea eagle of a age that you have not seen eg. second to to fourth year birds can have a great variation in plumage that changes fairly quickly. There is nothing from overseas that visits our shores with the size and colour description you have given- raptors that have been known to visit oz are also almost never seen in pairs if they do.Im sorry I can not help you much more here but I am allmost positive this would have to be a sub adult Sea Eagle,,,Espcially given the habitat area and prey you have described
Hi Saul, I to have seen what you descibed, a little farther up the road near Trinity Beach 3-4 years ago and I to could not ID it. The bird I spotted was soaring although not high. On first reading your message I was excited to think perhaps a vagrant is in residence but then to read you also spotted another makes it all seem unlikely. They must be sea eagles with an unusual plumage!. The bird I spotted wouldn’t be the one you spotted as a couple of years would have changed the colour. I can only guess we have a pair in the region which produce this odd plumage with their juv’s, or this pair are both an odd colour.
Thanks for your replies-it’s interesting to hear that Mark had
also seen a raptor in the same area with the same colouration.
They must have been adult or sub-adult white-bellied sea
eagles that have a colour morph that is peculiar to that area..
Hi Paul,
I was a bit upset by your response.
I would say i was able to keep him because he did not die!his injury was clean,and it was actually a miracle that he survived at all,he was so young.The raptor centre did suggest to me to destroy him.but i couldnt because he adapted to his surroundings straight away.I actually had a chicken farmer come to investigate whom declined in doing the procedure.Ford lives in a two area aviary.one being 10ft long by 9ft high. the other attached area is 5x5ft.As required by the dept Heritage.this is no way a cage.He is amongest trees and yes he is very happy,he calls for his food and aknowledges me each time i visit.mayb a friend would b gd for him!His enviroment is perfect to destroy this bird would be cruel!! you keep 50 birds are they not caged?he cannot fly he accepts this, otherwise he wouldve died,Kestrals die very easily of stress, he has trees he has ledges to get up on, even his own swing over his feeding rock.He is happy and everyone that has seen him totally agrees,our town collects mice for him!Lucky theres a plague at the moment.People see him and say he is fantastic!and he luvs visitors and my cats and the dog.Thankyou for your response. Deb.
i have the Pauls mixed up.i was waiting for a reply from Paul Mander.So my apologies to Paul Mander. To Paul Willcock, you also must keep birds in cages!!Any Bird in a cage is cruel any fish in a bowl is cruel.they have to wait for you! your birds can not fly off when they want.Ford has no choice! would i put down a person if they could not run or walk?NO!It breaks my heart that he can not fly, But he realy is not bothered.He dosent know any different.and remember he is a protected specises, so i would be breaking the law by destroying him.
I’m alo interested Stuart. I was surprised to find that falconry is illegal here given the space we have. I would like to see that changed so interested people could have clubs.
you lot should all move to the u.k. join a club and get a captive bred harris hawk.there loyal efficient hunters.most of the things they hunt are classed as vermin and theres no legal rubbish to deal with.well sweet.
only problem in UK is that most people just fly harris hawks at bunnies from trees, not from the hood at birds, not many wedge tailed eagles or similar
anyone in australia that says they are breeding peregrines or any diurnal birds of prey for that matter are dreaming. there are tin pot carney shows operarting but they are a long way from falconry. prostituting imprint birds by allowing photographs with the public for money is probably the most disgraceful act and these people call themselves falconers. as for claiming to be the most knowledgeable in australia or to be the only person who has trained anybody in australia is just egomania of the highest order
As many people have asked about keeping falcons as pets, how to obtain one or whether falconry is practised in Australia I’ll throw in a few comments.
I do not claim to be in any way an expert, however, regardless off legality peregrine falcons (in particular) seem to come up often enough for sale or even for adoption in certain internet classifieds and bird fanciers forums. I do not say that they are always there, but if someone was keen and continually scanned such sites and asked on the subject one could probably obtain such a bird within, say, six months or so.
The price seems to range from about $200AU to $500AU, though price on anything relatively rare varies enormously from one seller to another, I merely mention this rough estimate as some sort of indication.
People do breed such birds, quite possibly unlicensed, and sell to unlicensed buyers. Therefore one can take up falconry reasonably easily, there is a lot of literature on the subject easily obtainable on Amazon. The major skill involved in the sport is the abilty to play nursemaid to your birds, as they are often out of action due to minor mishaps after use.
There are falconers in Australia, by this I mean people who hunt using birds of prey. They are few and far between but they certainly exist. Of course even in Europe there are few people who practise this sport, there are even less, proportionally, in Australia.
I suppose it is up to the individual whether they consider this practice to be unethical, not to mention whether they think the law ought to be obeyed in this instance.
Whatever the answers to ethical considerations might be, it is only fair to point out that the peregrine falcon is reasonably common throughout Australia
I have only ever seen one perigrine advertised myself out of Tasmania and I followed it threw to find out it was only a scam out of Nigeria it mearly said deposit into this account and he would send the birds,,,, a load of BS
Yes, well I have no idea how many such advertisements would be truthful, but generally people inspect birds before buying from unknown dealers. Though of course many people buy eggs without any meeting, not that I’ve seen any raptor eggs for sale.
Dear Mark,
Just had a dream that I exchanged a Little Eagle for a CAPTIVE BRED tiercel Peregrine, with Currumbin Sanctuary, one of five bred this year. Looks like dreams do come true. IF you need any training just call or EMail, a good starting point is to learn about a subject before making any coment.
how does one go about flying birds in your situation for pest control? i can imagine what QLD parks and wildlife would tell me if i put forward a request for myself to do the same
We received a comment for this post from someone calling himself “Michael.” He claims to be 12 years old, but that is no excuse for being impolite and rude. We decline to post his comment for that reason.
I became interested in falconry when I lived in the middle east. There it was easy to get a bird. There were a large variety for sale at the local souk but I was not allowed to bring one back to Australia due to customs regulations. Since returning to Australia I have been looking for a falcon.
I have no qualms about using them for hunting. It happens in nature and is no worse or inhumane than using dogs to hunt pigs or kangaroos.
I would also like to know the reason why Falconry was banned in Australia. I see no problem with training a captive bred BoP to hunt with, although I disagree with capturing one from the wild.
Apparently, your first step will be to leave Australia where falconry is basically illegal. Moreover, we recommend you start with less demanding birds. We expect that Brisbane has animal and bird rescue facilities who are always in need of volunteers who they train. All migratory birds are protected under international treaties and people who rescue and rehabilitate them must have training. That would be a wonderful way to learn about birds. Best of luck!
I moved to QLD just under a year ago and have thus found no avenue’s to get involved in the final stage of rehabilition of raptors (free flight + hunting) i think its a sad state of affairs that falconry is illegal in australia we are one of the few countrys in the world where this is the case
if there is anyone involved in the free flight of raptors in SE QLD dont hesitate to contact me.
Paul Mander i hear u are a breeder. may i ask you that: can anyone keep a falcon in VIC with a licence? Because i have a chance to get a licence. Also the cheapest falcon or eagle would be? and what is the price too?
Hi,
Im only 16 but I have benn interested in falconry and birds of prey since I can remember. I have recently moved from England and I was involved in falconry and the training of birds there. I would LOVE to get involved here, so if anyone knows how I can do that please reply
P.s: I live in Victoria
Deathflame i assume you are talking about a basic wildlife licence?
If you are no, anyone who wants to buy one can get one of them and they do not cover BOP.
What is wrong with Australia Falconry should be a leagal practice, our bird of preys are both beautivful and indangered. If we started to breed them you would thin k that might just change a long shot I know.
The hunting part of falconry is probaly the most humane hunting styles I’ve seen. I went spotlighing with my stepmother family, Farmers we guns who where given perision from the local Goverment to hunt feral animals on bother their farm and other with the farmers permision and I will never do it again!
If I had the choice of killing foxes with either a Falcon who has pin point vision and either misses or strikes and kills. leting nature do most of the work, and giving a endangered bird a change to breed and exspand,
OR
Grabing a rifle jumping in the back of a ute and go speeding around a padock for hours in dark or light, shoot little bit of led and small fast animal who if you even hit it is unlikly to be a killing shot.
Worst of all alot of farmers admit that to save bullets ie money if they dont kill first shot then they just run the animal down in the ground.
so yeah I would prefer it if our farmers took to the art of hunting with dogs to flush the prey and falconry to land the final blow I sure the birds enjoy it its in their nature after all
Dear Stuart,
No, I am not talking about a basic wildlife licence but in fact a special licence that proves that i have passed a falconry and birds of prey test. If i use this am I allowed to use it then? Stuart please reply ASAP (or any other skilled person in this field)
PS: this licence is signed and it is professional AND from overseas.
Thanks
I’m curious to learn more, or even start working with birds (any, not just hunting) around Melbourne. They’ve always been a fascination, mature in early 20s, I don’t mind some volunteer work if it’s for nice people. Contact me if you can.
Hi Paul I was a falconer in England. I used to fly a Harris Hawk and a European Eagle Owl. I know it’s not allowed here but would love to come and help out if you think I would be of any use to you.
The noble art of hunting falconry has recently been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Status! Australia is a signatory country to UNESCO and the beurocrats in Canberra should get their heads out of their butts and smell the coffee. Australia is in the dark ages with regard to some of it’s wildlife and conservation laws and particularly Falconry. Legal falconry wouldn’t make a jot of negative difference to the birds flown, the quarry taken or the VAST majority of this country’s population who simply don’t care. Canberra listens to a very small but very loud-mouthed minority of looney greens and falconry stays illegal. Meanwhile, countless thousands of birds and animals are being kept in cages or being persecuted in the wild. We can learn an awful lot about birds of prey and their natural habitat by interacting with them through falconry, knowledge that can be put to very good use. Falconers the world over have proven, time and again, that they can make a HUGE contribution to conservation and indeed save species from extinction. Australia chooses to ignore the massive benefits that good falconry practices can bring, I’ve never seen such double standards!!!
PS. My name is Michael and I’m from the UK with over 30 years experience of hunting with all manner of Birds of Prey, including successfully re-habbing several Peregrine falcons back to the wild in WA. Call me if you like 0434495620
Hi Michael.
I live in the Perth hills & volunteer at a bird rehab here (Kaarakin) but really want to gain some experience with BoP.
I am happy to do any training involved. I have had an ongoing interest in BoP since childhood & now in my forties I know I want to work in this field.
I was in the UK in 2010 & went to several Centres to view birds & gain insight into training in Falconry. I would love to speak to you about it & I would like also to offer any help as a volunteer if you needed help with birds rehab. Would you email me please? jojoagogo@optusnet.com.au or 0415619497mob you can txt me.
“i want a falcon, its unfair that it’s illegal!” good. i love hunting, but i would not like to see birds of prey kept locked up by a heap of people who say they are into falconry, and have no idea about the first thing about hunting, let alone falconry.
hi Paul Willcock,
im very interested in what you do. i have actually had a chance encounter with you a couple of years ago. i understand that you fly your birds occasionally at a local oval, and would love to come watch some time and possibly even volunteer my time to assist in any way possible. maybe, if you see some potential in me you might take me under your wing (no pun intended). i asked when i met you, how i would go about getting involved. you replied ‘no chance’. i have done some soul serching since and the passion for these majestic birds keeps comming up. so now that ihave found a way to contact you im gonna do my best to get on your good side and see if i cant raise my odds.
from Dwayne. (Adelaide)
Hi Dwayne hope your well.
Im sorry but I can not remember you but by all means please contact me and lets get together for a chat. I Am currently training up a new perigrine every day for bird abaitment work and in the next few weeks all other birds should be finnished moulting and they also will be back on the wing for future work in this field. I defenenetly do not fly on local ovals perigrines need big skys although I live in the city my training fields are about an hour from where I live any way give me a call and lets catch up,,,,,Paul 0412819475
Hi all,
Seems people are interested in Falconry – what can we do to get the sport allowed in Australia again. Why is Australia the only country where you can’t do the things available to those who live overseas.
such a shame Oz does not practice falconry. Should be able to learn it here minus the bloodsport aspect I would have thought, plus a way for real falconers
quote Michael
” The noble art of hunting falconry has recently been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Status! Australia is a signatory country to UNESCO and the beurocrats in Canberra should get their heads out of their butts and smell the coffee.”
I agree, but it will take those with the knowledge and background to lobby the pollies and UNESCO
Hi there
Our local footy club – The Ferny Grove Falcon – is holding a season launch in early march and we’re looking for someone to perform a short falconry display for the kids and their parents. Does anyone know who I can contact or if you can point me in the right direction, please email me on falconsflyer@bigpond.com.
Thanks, Brendan
Ian I agree falconing should be legal and laws should be changed and how do those falcolners get a go at the mcg and other grounds why are they allowed to keep birds of pray but others can’t
Who only has the sencibilidade and passion for the nature has notion of what it is to fly a robbery bird, mainly a high Pilgrim of võu, does not understand the reason of Australia not to find for would falcoaria it to good, therefore they have some plagues that could be fought using robbery birds. One I hug.
I am currently in Italy and I have a friend who is moving to Aus in August. He is a trained falconer with many years experience and is also a qualified biologist covering a wide field including domestic and wild animals. He has also worked as a Park Ranger here for many years.
Would anyone have any advice on finding work in Australia as a falconer and/or in bird control, or Park like enviornment etc? We know it is not legal to practise falconry in Australia but know that it is permissible in some circumstances…
Any advice or contacts etc would be greatly appreciated.
I read with interest the various comments above and decided to add mine to the list. I also rescue Raptors and rehab/release as many as are suitable to do so. However, I am getting a collection of non-releasables who I try to provide as good as possible life in captivity. I do not believe in ‘release or euthanase’ as some people do – if we all did that there’d be no birds out there to educate the public in preservation of habitat, food sources, etc or show them close up how truly magnificent these birds really are. I have a Class 3 permit and we have rescue permits for all our birds.
I believe using the skills of a Falconer is the best way to rehabilitate a rescued bird and get it flying and really fit pre-release so it has the optimum chance of survival.
We currently live 1hr north of Adelaide, SA and are trying to learn about how to best interact with our birds and provide stimulation to their world. One is a young Wedge Tailed Eagle (a ‘valentines day present’ from DENR Pt Lincoln) who we are having slow success with. He has the tip of one wing missing – possibly bitten off by a sibling as he was too young to be out of the nest – at the time we got him he had not started to grow his tail feathers – they are only about 2″ long now 2 months later.The other is an adult Wedge Tailed Eagle who had been (we presume) dumped in the outback 70k from Coober Pedy and 35k from the nearest human habitation. The reason I say dumped is because there’s no way in the world this bird could fly as he had really severe feather damage to his tail and both wings from wire mesh. He is quite tame and prefers to not feed himself, wants to be hand fed. We are currently trying a suggestion for him put to us by someone ‘in the know’ but always looking for extra info or tips that have worked for other people. If anyone reading this has any suggestions as to what they find good for their birds I would be very interested to hear from you. We also have Kestrels, a Collared Sparrowhawk, Barn Owls and Kookaburras.
Hi I love birds of prey I have worked with barn and barking owls a few years ago at a wildlife park. I live in Queensland and want to know what is the best way I can get to interact with these bird again? Keeping or some other way?
Hi Paul
Is the use of Falconry for pest control purposes prohibited in Australia NSW?
If not, can you recommend someone in Sydney who has the knowledge and skill to use falconry to control pigeons in a sensitive CBD environment. ?
All your comments are welcome.
Thanks
Gonz
Anyone in Australia who is interested in the use of falconry techniques and free flying exercise for pre-release captive raptors, who is doing it now or would like to get involved, please call me on 0434495620 anytime. regards, Michael.
Paul Mander…could you please give me a call, thanks.
Hi everyone, If you’ve heard of, or read about any bad or illegal practices with regard to ‘falconry’ here in Australia, could you please get in contact at calvinsdownunda@hotmail.com or call me on 0434495620. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s not a witch hunt, just that I would like to get a better perspective of why falconry is not legal here in Australia. Something can only (usually) get banned or made illegal because it’s bad, or those involved are flouting the laws. I don’t need any names or anything like that, I just need to know what’s so bad about it, or at least why the relevant Gov’t depts think so…there must be something! Thanks, Michael.
How could one purchase a Falcon? What licensing would be required? We train and care for Falcons, with access to excellent falcon health facilities, and we’d like an Australian falcon. Thank you for any information.
Hey everyone I’m Calista and I’m only 11 but that doesn’t matter right now. I’m learning about birds of prey and the art of falconry and I would like to get involed in owning a barn owl I have plenty of experience of. Owning birds I have a macaw Alexander plum head parakeet owned many budgies and cocktails cockatoos and many other bird and animals. I’ve always been interested in owls eagles. And kites since I was little I reply really really want to help egercate others about Australia’s raptors. Please please help mei really want to get involved and help egercate others I am. Ready to own a raptors doesn’t matter what well anowl in particular and I know that raptors are still wild animals and I’m not a person who thinks they are rubber ducks I am very serious about this and will be waiting for all eternity for a reply please get me involved evenpass on some contacts with Wires please please please REPLY. Oh yeah I’m in QLD
Hello to all you falcon enthusiasts and pros out there. My husband and I are photographer and have been photographing a kestral.
Recently we noticed in one of our photos, it appears to have a fishing line streaming from it’s mouth. We are concerned for him as we have been photographing him for the last couple of months and have become somewhat attached to him.
We would like to get him some help and get the line removed.
Would it be wrong of us to try and capture it to get it some help?
We spoke to one of the wildlife Sanctuaries here in Melbourne, but they don’t have the resources or the time to spend on capturing him. Thoughts or advice please, we just want it to remain safe and well.
Hi Nicci. Try contacting a Wildlife Rescue Group – your local vet may have people you can contact. Would love to help you as we rescue Raptors but we live on Kangaroo Island, SA. Good luck
hey I just wanted to know how and where can I get a licence to keep hawks like chicken hawks falcons and things littler then that around Bathurst to have as pets and to learn about them abit and can I since im only 13
When I was young I used to fly harrris hawks at rabbits etc. THose of us that has been involved in falconry understand the passion. I would love nothing more to be able to do that again, not only to teach my child about nature but, help get rid off some introduced pests too. Aussies dont like change, they like to go out tearing around the country side in 4*4, pigging, shooting roo’s and fishing but see falconry as cruel and so they banned it years ago.
Hi, My name is Kirsty.
I’ve recently been interested in falconry and caring for an owls, eagle and other birds.
I’m 13 and a half and live in Townsville, Queensland.
I would love to work with these birds and have a great interest for them.
P.S I didn’t know what it meant by website so I gave you my facebook xp.
I am looking for any courses/ experienced individuals living in the Brisbane/Toowoomba areas. I am doing some research for a special interest group associated with the UQ Vet school and we would like either a lecture/presentation or hands on experiance.
Hi
I am contact you from Belgium
i have a family in Austria and want to ask them to find me some falconry materials and equipment’s because some told me Austria is the best place to be at.
can you be kind and write me some Address of falconry store to contact them and by professional equipment or materials for falconry needs , please
I have a family member who has been a falconer for many years. He is a UK National who is working in Dubai as a falconer for a falconry company that does pest control for five star hotels in Dubai.
I would like to know from you if Falconry is allowed as a form of pest control in Australia. If yes, how does one go about getting assessed for the purpose of immigration.
Hmm falconry…awesome feeling.
being so into birds all my life and growing up in some of the most remote n beautiful parts of australia iv been lucky enough to have had the chance to rehab many breeds of birds and raptors,
It would be good to have falconry legalized in australia if it’s managed properly. Not by the government. We have a good variety of birds and good weather to fly all year round,
I could talk all night on the subject n am keen to talk to others as interested as myself.
Hi I love birds of prey, and used to rehabilitate for parks & wild life many years ago, so I’m very interested in what I need to acquire in the regards to rehabilitating and flying the birds that can’t be released back into the wild, so instead flying them at airports, golf courses, resorts, MCG etc for a natural bird control technique, no killing of couse, so I’m wondering if you would be able to help me in regards to any contacts etc please
Hi, my name is Louise.
Just been going through most of the posts, and checked out a couple of websites such as DPI and Game and hunting. One blog posted in this forum mentioned that animal to hunt animal is illegal in Australia. Not trying to be provocative, but many people (county kids) grew up using ferrets, dogs or shooting vermin (wild rabbits), perhaps law have changed but can’t seem to find any reference.
I am at a loss that falconry or any other birds of prey could be used to control these pests with a quick kill, rather than a slow death by bait, poison or virus. With gun-laws as they are, perhaps this could be another industry!
I’m a retired photographer/videographer. I have a degree in Zoology (University of New England 1979) and have been a bird lover—raptors in particular—since childhood. I have adopted the peregrine as the totem/logo for my photography.
I would like to obtain some good photos, video and audio recordings of peregrines if there is anyone willing to assist me with that. Perhaps we could work out some mutually agreeable terms. I am based in Port Macquarie, but travel widely on photo expeditions from time to time.
I think it’s good that falconry is illegal in Australia, even though, as a boy, I read books on falconry and fantasized about how cool it would be to hunt with a raptor.
There are few people who have the patience and skill necessary to keep raptors humanely in activity, with opportunities for true free flight. And how could amateur falconers 100% guarantee that protected non-target species (possibly rare or endangered) would not occasionally fall prey to their flown raptors?
I think we need to accept that the world has moved on in attitudes to blood sports and that the political situation in Australia is unlikely to bend to the acceptance of falconry, no matter how noble and traditional it certainly is in my opinion. Yes, I accept that feral pig hunting and fishing are also blood sports, but don’t expect public attitudes to soften on others such as falconry, fox hunting with hounds, rabbiting with ferrets etc.
I get my raptor fixes by marveling at the prowess of peregrines in the wild. There is no more impressive raptor, in my opinion, but Australia’s Grey Falcon comes close (beauty and mystique—I saw one once near White Cliffs NSW).
Hi,
My name is Issy and I have been interested in eagles since I was 7 years of age and have only heard of falconry recently but I am really interested.
I have been looking at the legalities of the job and was wondering if anyone could point me in the right directions of the steps I would have to take to become an apprentice or falconer.
I am 13, I live in Melbourne and I would appreciate any comments or E-mails,
Fat Finch — Backyard Birds, Birding & Blogging 
July 7, 2008 at 2:24 pm |
Thank you! I really needed it.
June 22, 2011 at 7:22 pm |
Hi,
Im only 16 but I have benn interested in falconry and birds of prey since I can remember. I have recently moved from England and I was involved in falconry and the training of birds there. I would LOVE to get involved here, so if anyone knows how I can do that please reply 🙂
P.s: I live in Victoria
March 19, 2012 at 2:30 am
Hi, try Full Flight birds of prey, they have te only mobile flight show in Victoria. The website is http://www.fullflight.com.au
July 30, 2008 at 10:31 am |
Hi we are planning a raptor documentary and would like to include some Australian
birds of prey. It’s very difficult to get portraits and close flying shots in the wild
and I was curious if Australia has legal falconers that might fly birds for a camera
and a fee. Any chance of that?
Thank you
Norman Nelson USA
August 3, 2008 at 1:36 pm |
Norman,
We’re located in the United States but we understand that falconry as a sport is illegal in Australia. Here are two web sites of people who are licensed there to do raptor rescue. One of them might have falcons who would fly for you.
Society for the Preservation of Raptors Here is a list of people you could contact. Assistance
Perth Raptor Rescue
There are many good falconers in the United States, many of whom are also associated with rescue facilities or are rescuers themselves. If any of our readers can help, send us the information and we’ll send it along.
We want to know about the movie when its done!
September 14, 2008 at 3:56 am |
Hi,
i`m involved in general native animal rescue and have undertaken numerous studies/courses in raptor rescue and rehabilitation.
I currently have in care an Osprey, sub-adult, not quite ready for flight, but I hope to have a successful release over the next 10-12 weeks.
At different times I have the pleasure of performing ” Rehab” on a wide variety of raptors, from Pacific Bazzas, through Kestrels ,Goshawks and the occasional WedgeTail… enormously rewarding, but very time consuming,…successful rehab a is very intensive and physically & emotionally draining task….but worth every second.
I`d love to see the movie too.
Cheers,
Roger.
May 29, 2012 at 6:28 am |
Olá Nathan friend. I call Fernandes Luis and living creature in Portugal, trebalho in the airport of Lisbon and also make control of plagues in sanitary atrerros, beyond hunting with my birds. Portugal is very badly how much the work and is to think about emigrating to Australia, what it intristesse more me is not to aver would falcoaria in Australia, but now sees that it has who works with robbery birds. It would like its opnião how much to emigrate, it can see my profile and my birds in facebook, write Luis would make alcaide. One I hug friend and happinesses.
September 29, 2008 at 5:01 pm |
Hi, my name is Paul Mander I live in Qeensland Australia, I have been a Falconer for 28 years, I grew up in the UK and have been in Australia for 11 years. I have Falcons, Eagles, Kites, Buzzards and Owls around 50 birds in total. A lot of these birds are trained for film work and have been performing in Films, Adds, and docos for many years. Most of the free Flight Bird shows at Zoos and wildlife Parks have been sett up and most of the people in Australia have had some taining by myself. Falconry is not practiced in Australin and the industry is still very young and the experience levels here are very low due to the exposure to falcony is usualy zero. I would love to talk more about the film work, Paul.
June 28, 2009 at 11:25 pm |
Hi, I would like to contact Paul Mander in regards to learning more about falconry due to only having a small amount of experinnce with owls and whistling kites. I am currently a zoo keeper at the Rockhamton Zoo and need to develop my skills. Hope you can help, thankyou Anita.
December 19, 2009 at 4:26 am |
Hi My Name is Darcy And Iam only 14 and wondering if I could take up Falcorning as a sport or job at a Zoo and how would i go about it.
I grew up on a farm in the riverina 100 Km from wagga and now living
Newcastle and wondering if you knew any0ne up here I could get in touch with
Thank you
Darcy
September 7, 2010 at 5:52 am |
Hi My name is Nathan.
A quick message for Paul Mander. Im a Paragliding pilot and im massively fascinated with the art of Falconry. I climb in thermals with these bird’s atleast a few times a week, mainly Wedgetails and Sea Eagles and kites and sometimes they even attack our wings in mid flight (Its pretty amazing). I recently watched a doco called Para hawking. It was filmed in Nepal. Its about a conservation group that trains up two Hawks to fly out and mark thermals for them and they will fly back to them in mid flight to get a reward then continue thermaling with them. Not that i wish to do that but i would like some infomation on how to get involved in Falconry? and too be able to get closer to them?
October 5, 2013 at 8:53 am |
I know it’s 3 years later, but would you have any idea how I could get myself a peregrine falcon with training in Qld as I can’t fnd information anywhere.
March 12, 2014 at 10:10 am |
Hi Paul,I came across this old post from 2008. Are you still involve I’m falconry. Idioms to get involve but from the information I have gathered it is illegal here in Australia.
Any help would be appreciated
Alan
August 16, 2014 at 8:34 am |
Hello my name is Jason I was get hopeing you had a moment to answer a question me I’m a 26-year-old man and have always been interested in falconry but as of yet I haven’t been able to find anywhere that runs courses/training as such
If you have any suggestions thay would be immensely appreciated
Thank you for your time and
kindest regards
Jason Ianna
July 1, 2015 at 7:02 am |
Hi,
I hope you don’t find this too confronting but I was wondering if you train people to do what you do?
I know it’s specialised and probably very sought after, but if I don’t ask I won’t know 🙂
I’m in Nsw now but I’m very much a go to where your love is kind of person so I’d love to know what you suggest. I certainly don’t know everything, and heck I certainly don’t know enough, but I’d love to learn how to work with these great creatures I’m willing and I definitely go all the way with what I do. I’m actually partial to magpie or twenty but birds of prey are a bit of an awe thing for me and it’s sad to be told by my organisation members that most birds of prey rescued don’t make it. I’d like to change that but I suppose it would take a bit of special knowledge to get that happening.
My name is Sarah by the way, if you feel like responding that’d just make my day 🙂
October 22, 2008 at 6:54 am |
Hi, I am from China and now living in Melbourne, Australia. Acctually I have been a falconer for 14 years when I was in China, and did lots of bird of prey such as goshawk, sparrowhawk, peregrine and saker. Australia is a beautiful land with excellent environment, and the animals here, especially the bird of prey are fantastic! I saw a pair of peregrine falcons made a nest on the top of the tallest building of my university. I saw a brown falcon cheased a pigeon along a street, I saw some windhover……….
I really want to know some friends here who are interested in bird of prey just like me!
Luyi0515@hotmail.com
December 19, 2009 at 4:29 am |
Hi Im darcy and when i was younger i was at my uncles farm and found a wedge tail’s nest and a few chickenhawks but i have only ever found they 100Km north of wagga
November 11, 2008 at 2:38 am |
Hi, my name is Jordan and i have a developing interest in birds of prey particularly peregrine falcons. Was just after some information about keeping birds of prey and if there are any breeders in australia. Any information would be greatly appreciated
November 18, 2008 at 5:27 pm |
Jordan,
Hi, keeping Birds of Prey in Australia is hard, you need to have a licence to do so and work for the birds you are keeping. The sport of Falconry is not conducted in Australia. To answer you question about breeding, the only person breeding Peregrines in Australia is myself at the moment.
January 26, 2009 at 7:12 am |
does anyone have a contact email for paul mander? I would really like to get in touch with him.
regards
tim
February 10, 2009 at 12:59 am |
My E-Mail is broadwings@iprimus.com.au. Paul Mander
February 21, 2009 at 8:51 pm |
Hi Paul, did you get my email?
March 18, 2009 at 7:58 pm |
Hi Tim, I got your Email and sent one back, If you did’nt get it I will re-send. Let me Know if you got it.
I will try you on the Falconry Forum as well.
Regards
Paul.
May 1, 2009 at 5:17 am |
hi paul, i didnt hear from you. Are you sure you emailed me back???
July 2, 2009 at 8:07 pm |
Hi all my name is “Paul Willcock” from South Australia.
I am currently flying White Goshawk,Black falcon,several perigrines and Wedge tailed eagles.My buisness here in Australia is bird controll and also film work for TV corparations etc.I have several captive breeding programs in place here in SA and Victoria.My company works all over Australia moveing large flocks of cockatoos etc.
I have a very stong interest in the conservation and the well being of Australian raptors.
Falconry is illegal in Australia although each state has its own laws on this matter but in a nut shell the law here is you are not allowed to hunt animal with another animal.
If anybody has an interest in my post I can be contacted on 0412819475
or by Post to Longwings Australia PO Box 10523 Adelaide 5000 South Australia or phone 0412819475
September 25, 2012 at 2:46 am |
Hello Paul.
I live in Victoria. Know of a owl that has been brought in blind. Clearly, this will not be released. If i wanted to give this bird a home for its next 10 yrs, what licence(s) and training would i need to receive?
regards
Shelle
February 26, 2014 at 1:11 pm |
Hi
I am contact you from Belgium
i have a family in Austria and want to ask them to find me some falconry materials and equipment’s because some told me Austria is the best place to be at.
can you be kind and write me some Address of falconry store to contact them and by professional equipment or materials for falconry needs , please
yours truli
joèl
July 2, 2009 at 8:12 pm |
Email contact is
tiercel@bigpond.net.au
July 13, 2009 at 1:39 am |
Hey guys, I live in Gold Coast and sometimes I see a really good falcon just flying around the building where I live. I am wounding is it legal to catch this falcon?
July 13, 2009 at 4:12 pm |
No. No. No. It is not legal. Nor is it wise. Just sit back and enjoy that bird enjoying his freedom.
A bird in a cage, William Blake taught us, three centuries ago, “Puts all Heaven into a Rage.”
July 13, 2009 at 7:52 pm |
Hello,
I live in the National Capital and every now and then I am lucky enough to see a falcon flying solo in and around the Cotter Road area.
I was wondering if anyone on this site has any information on the keeping of such birds in captivity in the Canberra region? I wouldn’t have the facilities for a massive raptor, but would love to become involved with a smaller birds such as the little falcon (Falco longipennis) or the Australian Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) as these two appear to not only be smaller then their larger cousins, but also found in the wild in areas akin to Canberra.
Also, I didn’t know that people would become involved in the art of falconry with owls! If anyone has more information on this matter I would love to hear it! Owls are one of my favorite animals and I would love to know whether I could practice falconry with a smaller native species such as the Lesser Sooty Owl (Tyto multipunctata), Southern Boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae) [also known as the Mopoke] or, my personal favorite as I’ve seen five, the Owlet Nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) which are the most commonly seen.
FYI – I’m not a Harry Potter nut, i’ve been into Owls since an early age and whole heartedly agree with JK that owls should order our post.
Thanks for any information, particularly on the owls: do you do falconry by night?
yours,
Eliza Atkinson
July 14, 2009 at 8:13 pm |
Dear Eliza,
To practice Falconry In Australia is illegal in all states.
I get a lot of Emails on this subject from a lot of people around the world. In most states around Australia the best way to get involved with Birds Of Prey, not Falconry, is through parks & wildlife in your area, conducting Rehabilitation of Birds back to the wild.
Another avenue is to volanteer at a local Zoo or Wildlife Park that does flying displays to the public, it sounds like you need to gain some experience before you do anything towards owning your own bird.
Keeping Birbs of Prey for recreation is not legal in Australia, you need a purpose for keeping the Bird and experience.
I run training courses for people wanting to gain experience here at Broadwings Training Cenre. Nobody has close to my knowledge on the subject of Falconry or Training Birds Of Prey anywhere in Australia.
AT the Centre we breed most of the Australian Owls
People do fly and hunt with owls, I flew a European Eagle Owl at Rabbits when I was 11 and mostly at night in the UK. Flying Owls at night gets the best results even when flying for exercise.
By the way the Owlet Nightjar, is a Nightjar and not an Owl. It catches food in its beak.
Kind Regards
Paul Mander.
July 22, 2009 at 4:37 pm |
HELLO,ARTHUR here,i am wanting to buy a baby falcon to hand raise for a pet,do you know where i can buy one,i realise i will need a licence,i have licences for my parrots,but not that for birds of prey,if you can help me i thank you,bye for now Arthur Jamison.
July 28, 2009 at 3:40 pm |
Dear Arthur,
You can not bye a Falcon for a pet in Australia, thank god, and hand raising a falcon is not like hand raising a Parrot. Enjoy them in the wild and you will be enloying them at thire best.
Kind regards
Paul.
May 13, 2010 at 5:10 am |
Dear Paul,
I live in rural South Australia,I rescued a Kestral Falcon 5mths ago, he hit a power line and severed his left wing clean off.It was a huge decision to keep him as he could not be released.he is very young and has adapted wonderfully,I do have a permit to rescue and keep protected wildlife.I notice a lot of people would like to keep these birds but as i see my falcon not being able to fly it can be heartbreaking to keep them caged.
Ford is his name,and he loves his daily feed of mice.I know of nobody else that has a kestral falcon,but i would like Ford to be able to have a mate if possible.There is a female kestral falcon that visits,she sits up on the pole and they call to each other.he is amongst trees so i dont think she can see him.But i feel sad for him.he is very happy and healthy bird.i am very lucky to have him.
May 16, 2010 at 3:03 am
Hi Deb good to hear from someone else from SA.
In regards to your kestrle with one wing do you really believe you are doing the right thing in keeping a falcon alive with one wing? Think about it the rulers of the skys but it can not do what it was put on this earth to do and that being to fly and hunt and rule the skys.Mortality rate for falcons in the first year is approxemently 87% leaving only the fittest to substain a wild population it is really not fair on the bird to keep it locked up in a cadge.You say you have a permit to keep and rescue wildlife but please keep in mind that in this state each inderviduall bird must have its own permit and I find it hard to believe that the Dep of wildlife has given you a permit as I know they are also against people keeping one winged raptors in captivity please check this out as the penaltis are harsh on those keeping them with out permits. What makes you think he is a happy bird again when you consider the enviroment you have now placed him in with no choice of his?
April 15, 2012 at 12:57 am
Hi Deb. I too live in SA, north of Adelaide. I have a female non releasable Kestrel and would be willing to give your boy a permanent home for them to be together if you were interested in him having a more fulfilling life in captivity. We have quite a few non releasable Raptors including 2 Wedge Tailed Eagles, a Sparrow Hawk and a pair of Barn Owls.
January 1, 2010 at 7:22 am |
Hi i was wondering i live in the nt and i want to keep a bird of prey as a pet in the nt i know i need a licence but iwas wondering if you could gie me some specifics
January 16, 2010 at 4:50 am |
Hi,
I have owned and cared for Australian reptiles for years now. Just recently I had the pleasure to help raise a hatchling Tawny Frogmouth “Podargus strigoides” And then release it close to where it had fallen out of it’s nest, when old enough to fend for itself in the wild. This gave me a greatest sense of wonder, being able to make a difference and preserve a life. I would so much like to train myself further so I could continue to make a difference. I live in Queensland, could anyone please let me know where I could possible find this training?
May 15, 2010 at 7:33 am |
Hi Paul, I was at the Cattana Wetlands in Cairns about 6 weeks ago and I saw a very large raptor by the water’s edge struggling with something. I approached stealthily but the bird flew off when i was about 20 metres away-it had captured a big tilapia (approx 1.5kg) and left it wounded in the shallows. I have a thorough knowledge of nearly every bird of prey in Aust, esp Ospreys and White Bellied Sea Eagles, however I could not i.d. this bird. It was similar in size to a full grown wedgie but had nearly the same shape as a sea eagle, esp the tail. The tail was pure white and the rest of the body was a dark gray type colour. There was no way it was a harrier or osprey due to it’s sheer size and appearance, and at first i thought it may have been a juvenile sea eagle but i am very familiar with the appearance of the juveniles and adults of this species. It was then joined in the sky by a second bird with the same colouration and size, and I watched them circling together as i moved away. The only answer I could come up with was that they were adult White Bellied Sea Eagles with the same colour morph or variation.. I was just wondering if you are aware of colour variations within this species and what they are? Is it possible they’re an exotic raptor and if so which species do you think they are and where do you think they may have flown from?
May 16, 2010 at 3:15 am |
Hi Saul from what you have written I believe it to be a white bellied sea eagle of a age that you have not seen eg. second to to fourth year birds can have a great variation in plumage that changes fairly quickly. There is nothing from overseas that visits our shores with the size and colour description you have given- raptors that have been known to visit oz are also almost never seen in pairs if they do.Im sorry I can not help you much more here but I am allmost positive this would have to be a sub adult Sea Eagle,,,Espcially given the habitat area and prey you have described
June 1, 2010 at 10:31 pm |
Hi Saul, I to have seen what you descibed, a little farther up the road near Trinity Beach 3-4 years ago and I to could not ID it. The bird I spotted was soaring although not high. On first reading your message I was excited to think perhaps a vagrant is in residence but then to read you also spotted another makes it all seem unlikely. They must be sea eagles with an unusual plumage!. The bird I spotted wouldn’t be the one you spotted as a couple of years would have changed the colour. I can only guess we have a pair in the region which produce this odd plumage with their juv’s, or this pair are both an odd colour.
June 8, 2010 at 3:19 am
Thanks for your replies-it’s interesting to hear that Mark had
also seen a raptor in the same area with the same colouration.
They must have been adult or sub-adult white-bellied sea
eagles that have a colour morph that is peculiar to that area..
May 24, 2010 at 12:28 am |
Hi Paul,
I was a bit upset by your response.
I would say i was able to keep him because he did not die!his injury was clean,and it was actually a miracle that he survived at all,he was so young.The raptor centre did suggest to me to destroy him.but i couldnt because he adapted to his surroundings straight away.I actually had a chicken farmer come to investigate whom declined in doing the procedure.Ford lives in a two area aviary.one being 10ft long by 9ft high. the other attached area is 5x5ft.As required by the dept Heritage.this is no way a cage.He is amongest trees and yes he is very happy,he calls for his food and aknowledges me each time i visit.mayb a friend would b gd for him!His enviroment is perfect to destroy this bird would be cruel!! you keep 50 birds are they not caged?he cannot fly he accepts this, otherwise he wouldve died,Kestrals die very easily of stress, he has trees he has ledges to get up on, even his own swing over his feeding rock.He is happy and everyone that has seen him totally agrees,our town collects mice for him!Lucky theres a plague at the moment.People see him and say he is fantastic!and he luvs visitors and my cats and the dog.Thankyou for your response. Deb.
May 24, 2010 at 2:11 am |
i have the Pauls mixed up.i was waiting for a reply from Paul Mander.So my apologies to Paul Mander. To Paul Willcock, you also must keep birds in cages!!Any Bird in a cage is cruel any fish in a bowl is cruel.they have to wait for you! your birds can not fly off when they want.Ford has no choice! would i put down a person if they could not run or walk?NO!It breaks my heart that he can not fly, But he realy is not bothered.He dosent know any different.and remember he is a protected specises, so i would be breaking the law by destroying him.
June 24, 2010 at 3:23 am |
Dear Deb,
E-Mail me and I will give some advice. Sorry I have not got back sooner I’v been in the Uk. broadwings@bigpond.com. Paul Mander.
August 22, 2010 at 12:50 am |
Why is it that falconry isnt allowed here in australia?
Do you think it will ever be legal here?
September 4, 2010 at 1:55 am |
I’m alo interested Stuart. I was surprised to find that falconry is illegal here given the space we have. I would like to see that changed so interested people could have clubs.
September 4, 2010 at 6:28 am |
Like to be notified
September 6, 2010 at 11:35 pm |
Hi I would to for resason of pest controll like rabbits and other feral animals do you know any way we could chage so we could
October 18, 2010 at 1:59 pm |
you lot should all move to the u.k. join a club and get a captive bred harris hawk.there loyal efficient hunters.most of the things they hunt are classed as vermin and theres no legal rubbish to deal with.well sweet.
October 23, 2010 at 6:24 pm |
You recon?We all love Australia on here its the land of oppatunity !
October 24, 2010 at 2:10 am |
only problem in UK is that most people just fly harris hawks at bunnies from trees, not from the hood at birds, not many wedge tailed eagles or similar
November 16, 2010 at 6:50 pm |
anyone in australia that says they are breeding peregrines or any diurnal birds of prey for that matter are dreaming. there are tin pot carney shows operarting but they are a long way from falconry. prostituting imprint birds by allowing photographs with the public for money is probably the most disgraceful act and these people call themselves falconers. as for claiming to be the most knowledgeable in australia or to be the only person who has trained anybody in australia is just egomania of the highest order
December 3, 2010 at 3:02 pm |
As many people have asked about keeping falcons as pets, how to obtain one or whether falconry is practised in Australia I’ll throw in a few comments.
I do not claim to be in any way an expert, however, regardless off legality peregrine falcons (in particular) seem to come up often enough for sale or even for adoption in certain internet classifieds and bird fanciers forums. I do not say that they are always there, but if someone was keen and continually scanned such sites and asked on the subject one could probably obtain such a bird within, say, six months or so.
The price seems to range from about $200AU to $500AU, though price on anything relatively rare varies enormously from one seller to another, I merely mention this rough estimate as some sort of indication.
People do breed such birds, quite possibly unlicensed, and sell to unlicensed buyers. Therefore one can take up falconry reasonably easily, there is a lot of literature on the subject easily obtainable on Amazon. The major skill involved in the sport is the abilty to play nursemaid to your birds, as they are often out of action due to minor mishaps after use.
There are falconers in Australia, by this I mean people who hunt using birds of prey. They are few and far between but they certainly exist. Of course even in Europe there are few people who practise this sport, there are even less, proportionally, in Australia.
I suppose it is up to the individual whether they consider this practice to be unethical, not to mention whether they think the law ought to be obeyed in this instance.
Whatever the answers to ethical considerations might be, it is only fair to point out that the peregrine falcon is reasonably common throughout Australia
December 10, 2010 at 6:01 pm |
I have only ever seen one perigrine advertised myself out of Tasmania and I followed it threw to find out it was only a scam out of Nigeria it mearly said deposit into this account and he would send the birds,,,, a load of BS
December 12, 2010 at 7:27 am |
Yes, well I have no idea how many such advertisements would be truthful, but generally people inspect birds before buying from unknown dealers. Though of course many people buy eggs without any meeting, not that I’ve seen any raptor eggs for sale.
December 23, 2010 at 9:37 pm |
Dear Mark,
Just had a dream that I exchanged a Little Eagle for a CAPTIVE BRED tiercel Peregrine, with Currumbin Sanctuary, one of five bred this year. Looks like dreams do come true. IF you need any training just call or EMail, a good starting point is to learn about a subject before making any coment.
Merry Christmas to you all.
April 5, 2011 at 4:32 am |
how does one go about flying birds in your situation for pest control? i can imagine what QLD parks and wildlife would tell me if i put forward a request for myself to do the same
January 5, 2011 at 1:49 am |
Why was falconry made illegal?
January 28, 2011 at 2:29 pm |
We received a comment for this post from someone calling himself “Michael.” He claims to be 12 years old, but that is no excuse for being impolite and rude. We decline to post his comment for that reason.
March 7, 2011 at 7:42 pm |
I became interested in falconry when I lived in the middle east. There it was easy to get a bird. There were a large variety for sale at the local souk but I was not allowed to bring one back to Australia due to customs regulations. Since returning to Australia I have been looking for a falcon.
I have no qualms about using them for hunting. It happens in nature and is no worse or inhumane than using dogs to hunt pigs or kangaroos.
March 15, 2011 at 4:38 am |
I would also like to know the reason why Falconry was banned in Australia. I see no problem with training a captive bred BoP to hunt with, although I disagree with capturing one from the wild.
March 21, 2011 at 6:17 am |
Falconing isn’t illegal in Australia, who is allowed to keep falcons is restricted.
January 4, 2012 at 3:22 am
Do you have any contact details Herbert? You seem to be in the know!
March 23, 2011 at 8:45 pm |
Hi,
I live in brisbane, I’m very interested in learning about falconry. I’m a complete novice with birds. What is the best way to get started.
April 12, 2011 at 2:38 pm |
Apparently, your first step will be to leave Australia where falconry is basically illegal. Moreover, we recommend you start with less demanding birds. We expect that Brisbane has animal and bird rescue facilities who are always in need of volunteers who they train. All migratory birds are protected under international treaties and people who rescue and rehabilitate them must have training. That would be a wonderful way to learn about birds. Best of luck!
April 5, 2011 at 4:29 am |
I moved to QLD just under a year ago and have thus found no avenue’s to get involved in the final stage of rehabilition of raptors (free flight + hunting) i think its a sad state of affairs that falconry is illegal in australia we are one of the few countrys in the world where this is the case
if there is anyone involved in the free flight of raptors in SE QLD dont hesitate to contact me.
April 12, 2011 at 2:34 pm |
And watch those apostrophes or the raptors will get them.
April 10, 2011 at 11:51 pm |
Very good post and picture. Really helpful for me..
May 17, 2011 at 1:02 am |
HI!
Paul Mander i hear u are a breeder. may i ask you that: can anyone keep a falcon in VIC with a licence? Because i have a chance to get a licence. Also the cheapest falcon or eagle would be? and what is the price too?
May 17, 2011 at 1:04 am |
also forgot to mention that I want to buy a falcon for a pet with a licence so am i allowed?
June 22, 2011 at 7:26 pm |
Hi,
Im only 16 but I have benn interested in falconry and birds of prey since I can remember. I have recently moved from England and I was involved in falconry and the training of birds there. I would LOVE to get involved here, so if anyone knows how I can do that please reply
P.s: I live in Victoria
June 23, 2011 at 3:07 pm |
Deathflame i assume you are talking about a basic wildlife licence?
If you are no, anyone who wants to buy one can get one of them and they do not cover BOP.
June 26, 2011 at 3:06 am |
Do you need any kind of licence to keep birds of prey, if your not going to hunt with them?
June 28, 2011 at 7:51 am |
What is wrong with Australia Falconry should be a leagal practice, our bird of preys are both beautivful and indangered. If we started to breed them you would thin k that might just change a long shot I know.
The hunting part of falconry is probaly the most humane hunting styles I’ve seen. I went spotlighing with my stepmother family, Farmers we guns who where given perision from the local Goverment to hunt feral animals on bother their farm and other with the farmers permision and I will never do it again!
If I had the choice of killing foxes with either a Falcon who has pin point vision and either misses or strikes and kills. leting nature do most of the work, and giving a endangered bird a change to breed and exspand,
OR
Grabing a rifle jumping in the back of a ute and go speeding around a padock for hours in dark or light, shoot little bit of led and small fast animal who if you even hit it is unlikly to be a killing shot.
Worst of all alot of farmers admit that to save bullets ie money if they dont kill first shot then they just run the animal down in the ground.
so yeah I would prefer it if our farmers took to the art of hunting with dogs to flush the prey and falconry to land the final blow I sure the birds enjoy it its in their nature after all
August 5, 2011 at 8:19 pm |
Dear Stuart,
No, I am not talking about a basic wildlife licence but in fact a special licence that proves that i have passed a falconry and birds of prey test. If i use this am I allowed to use it then? Stuart please reply ASAP (or any other skilled person in this field)
PS: this licence is signed and it is professional AND from overseas.
Thanks
August 26, 2011 at 3:58 pm |
I’m curious to learn more, or even start working with birds (any, not just hunting) around Melbourne. They’ve always been a fascination, mature in early 20s, I don’t mind some volunteer work if it’s for nice people. Contact me if you can.
October 18, 2011 at 4:17 pm |
Ok give me a call 0412819475
February 12, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Hi Paul I was a falconer in England. I used to fly a Harris Hawk and a European Eagle Owl. I know it’s not allowed here but would love to come and help out if you think I would be of any use to you.
October 11, 2011 at 9:03 pm |
faith semmes…
[…]Falconry in Australia « Fat Finch–Birds, Birding & Blogging[…]…
October 24, 2011 at 7:49 pm |
The noble art of hunting falconry has recently been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Status! Australia is a signatory country to UNESCO and the beurocrats in Canberra should get their heads out of their butts and smell the coffee. Australia is in the dark ages with regard to some of it’s wildlife and conservation laws and particularly Falconry. Legal falconry wouldn’t make a jot of negative difference to the birds flown, the quarry taken or the VAST majority of this country’s population who simply don’t care. Canberra listens to a very small but very loud-mouthed minority of looney greens and falconry stays illegal. Meanwhile, countless thousands of birds and animals are being kept in cages or being persecuted in the wild. We can learn an awful lot about birds of prey and their natural habitat by interacting with them through falconry, knowledge that can be put to very good use. Falconers the world over have proven, time and again, that they can make a HUGE contribution to conservation and indeed save species from extinction. Australia chooses to ignore the massive benefits that good falconry practices can bring, I’ve never seen such double standards!!!
PS. My name is Michael and I’m from the UK with over 30 years experience of hunting with all manner of Birds of Prey, including successfully re-habbing several Peregrine falcons back to the wild in WA. Call me if you like 0434495620
March 15, 2014 at 6:04 pm |
Hi Michael.
I live in the Perth hills & volunteer at a bird rehab here (Kaarakin) but really want to gain some experience with BoP.
I am happy to do any training involved. I have had an ongoing interest in BoP since childhood & now in my forties I know I want to work in this field.
I was in the UK in 2010 & went to several Centres to view birds & gain insight into training in Falconry. I would love to speak to you about it & I would like also to offer any help as a volunteer if you needed help with birds rehab. Would you email me please?
jojoagogo@optusnet.com.au or 0415619497mob you can txt me.
November 24, 2011 at 11:27 pm |
“i want a falcon, its unfair that it’s illegal!” good. i love hunting, but i would not like to see birds of prey kept locked up by a heap of people who say they are into falconry, and have no idea about the first thing about hunting, let alone falconry.
December 20, 2011 at 4:48 am |
hi Paul Willcock,
im very interested in what you do. i have actually had a chance encounter with you a couple of years ago. i understand that you fly your birds occasionally at a local oval, and would love to come watch some time and possibly even volunteer my time to assist in any way possible. maybe, if you see some potential in me you might take me under your wing (no pun intended). i asked when i met you, how i would go about getting involved. you replied ‘no chance’. i have done some soul serching since and the passion for these majestic birds keeps comming up. so now that ihave found a way to contact you im gonna do my best to get on your good side and see if i cant raise my odds.
from Dwayne. (Adelaide)
February 7, 2012 at 3:33 pm |
Hi Dwayne hope your well.
Im sorry but I can not remember you but by all means please contact me and lets get together for a chat. I Am currently training up a new perigrine every day for bird abaitment work and in the next few weeks all other birds should be finnished moulting and they also will be back on the wing for future work in this field. I defenenetly do not fly on local ovals perigrines need big skys although I live in the city my training fields are about an hour from where I live any way give me a call and lets catch up,,,,,Paul 0412819475
December 28, 2011 at 3:44 pm |
Hi all,
Seems people are interested in Falconry – what can we do to get the sport allowed in Australia again. Why is Australia the only country where you can’t do the things available to those who live overseas.
February 14, 2012 at 7:27 pm |
I agree Ana. I am willing to get the ball rolling, looking into the legal side. Is anybody ou there that can show me where to start
February 4, 2012 at 7:51 pm |
such a shame Oz does not practice falconry. Should be able to learn it here minus the bloodsport aspect I would have thought, plus a way for real falconers
quote Michael
” The noble art of hunting falconry has recently been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Status! Australia is a signatory country to UNESCO and the beurocrats in Canberra should get their heads out of their butts and smell the coffee.”
I agree, but it will take those with the knowledge and background to lobby the pollies and UNESCO
Hop to it Michael, we need you
February 12, 2012 at 6:30 pm |
Hi there
Our local footy club – The Ferny Grove Falcon – is holding a season launch in early march and we’re looking for someone to perform a short falconry display for the kids and their parents. Does anyone know who I can contact or if you can point me in the right direction, please email me on falconsflyer@bigpond.com.
Thanks, Brendan
February 14, 2012 at 12:22 pm |
You can try Paul Mander for falconry work, perhaps he can help you. I think you can find his contact on here;
http://www.broadwingsevents.com.au/
February 27, 2012 at 7:51 pm
G’day Tim, thanks for that, I’m already chatting with Paul. Cheers
Brendan
February 12, 2012 at 10:16 pm |
I would like to get involved in Kicking some MP’s butts about this. I was a falconer in England and I miss it terribly
April 20, 2012 at 8:04 am |
Ian I agree falconing should be legal and laws should be changed and how do those falcolners get a go at the mcg and other grounds why are they allowed to keep birds of pray but others can’t
May 29, 2012 at 6:39 am |
Who only has the sencibilidade and passion for the nature has notion of what it is to fly a robbery bird, mainly a high Pilgrim of võu, does not understand the reason of Australia not to find for would falcoaria it to good, therefore they have some plagues that could be fought using robbery birds. One I hug.
February 13, 2012 at 6:55 am |
I am currently in Italy and I have a friend who is moving to Aus in August. He is a trained falconer with many years experience and is also a qualified biologist covering a wide field including domestic and wild animals. He has also worked as a Park Ranger here for many years.
Would anyone have any advice on finding work in Australia as a falconer and/or in bird control, or Park like enviornment etc? We know it is not legal to practise falconry in Australia but know that it is permissible in some circumstances…
Any advice or contacts etc would be greatly appreciated.
Dom
April 10, 2012 at 8:31 pm |
I read with interest the various comments above and decided to add mine to the list. I also rescue Raptors and rehab/release as many as are suitable to do so. However, I am getting a collection of non-releasables who I try to provide as good as possible life in captivity. I do not believe in ‘release or euthanase’ as some people do – if we all did that there’d be no birds out there to educate the public in preservation of habitat, food sources, etc or show them close up how truly magnificent these birds really are. I have a Class 3 permit and we have rescue permits for all our birds.
I believe using the skills of a Falconer is the best way to rehabilitate a rescued bird and get it flying and really fit pre-release so it has the optimum chance of survival.
We currently live 1hr north of Adelaide, SA and are trying to learn about how to best interact with our birds and provide stimulation to their world. One is a young Wedge Tailed Eagle (a ‘valentines day present’ from DENR Pt Lincoln) who we are having slow success with. He has the tip of one wing missing – possibly bitten off by a sibling as he was too young to be out of the nest – at the time we got him he had not started to grow his tail feathers – they are only about 2″ long now 2 months later.The other is an adult Wedge Tailed Eagle who had been (we presume) dumped in the outback 70k from Coober Pedy and 35k from the nearest human habitation. The reason I say dumped is because there’s no way in the world this bird could fly as he had really severe feather damage to his tail and both wings from wire mesh. He is quite tame and prefers to not feed himself, wants to be hand fed. We are currently trying a suggestion for him put to us by someone ‘in the know’ but always looking for extra info or tips that have worked for other people. If anyone reading this has any suggestions as to what they find good for their birds I would be very interested to hear from you. We also have Kestrels, a Collared Sparrowhawk, Barn Owls and Kookaburras.
June 9, 2012 at 10:01 pm |
Hi I love birds of prey I have worked with barn and barking owls a few years ago at a wildlife park. I live in Queensland and want to know what is the best way I can get to interact with these bird again? Keeping or some other way?
June 25, 2012 at 12:47 am |
I wounded would there birds be like European goshawk
September 13, 2012 at 3:58 am |
Try Full Flight birds of prey http://www.fullflight.com.au they do media.
September 27, 2012 at 4:42 am |
Hi Paul
Is the use of Falconry for pest control purposes prohibited in Australia NSW?
If not, can you recommend someone in Sydney who has the knowledge and skill to use falconry to control pigeons in a sensitive CBD environment. ?
All your comments are welcome.
Thanks
Gonz
November 14, 2012 at 4:09 am |
Anyone in Australia who is interested in the use of falconry techniques and free flying exercise for pre-release captive raptors, who is doing it now or would like to get involved, please call me on 0434495620 anytime. regards, Michael.
Paul Mander…could you please give me a call, thanks.
November 23, 2012 at 12:18 am |
Hi everyone, If you’ve heard of, or read about any bad or illegal practices with regard to ‘falconry’ here in Australia, could you please get in contact at calvinsdownunda@hotmail.com or call me on 0434495620. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s not a witch hunt, just that I would like to get a better perspective of why falconry is not legal here in Australia. Something can only (usually) get banned or made illegal because it’s bad, or those involved are flouting the laws. I don’t need any names or anything like that, I just need to know what’s so bad about it, or at least why the relevant Gov’t depts think so…there must be something! Thanks, Michael.
February 6, 2013 at 10:36 pm |
How could one purchase a Falcon? What licensing would be required? We train and care for Falcons, with access to excellent falcon health facilities, and we’d like an Australian falcon. Thank you for any information.
March 1, 2013 at 1:42 am |
Hey everyone I’m Calista and I’m only 11 but that doesn’t matter right now. I’m learning about birds of prey and the art of falconry and I would like to get involed in owning a barn owl I have plenty of experience of. Owning birds I have a macaw Alexander plum head parakeet owned many budgies and cocktails cockatoos and many other bird and animals. I’ve always been interested in owls eagles. And kites since I was little I reply really really want to help egercate others about Australia’s raptors. Please please help mei really want to get involved and help egercate others I am. Ready to own a raptors doesn’t matter what well anowl in particular and I know that raptors are still wild animals and I’m not a person who thinks they are rubber ducks I am very serious about this and will be waiting for all eternity for a reply please get me involved evenpass on some contacts with Wires please please please REPLY. Oh yeah I’m in QLD
April 25, 2013 at 9:38 am |
Is there any falconry shops in Perth, Australia.?
April 26, 2013 at 7:00 pm |
Hi guys if anyone knows someone who is involved in falconry please reply to this. I’m very fascinated by birds of pry especially falcons and eagles.
June 19, 2013 at 4:50 pm |
Hello to all you falcon enthusiasts and pros out there. My husband and I are photographer and have been photographing a kestral.
Recently we noticed in one of our photos, it appears to have a fishing line streaming from it’s mouth. We are concerned for him as we have been photographing him for the last couple of months and have become somewhat attached to him.
We would like to get him some help and get the line removed.
Would it be wrong of us to try and capture it to get it some help?
We spoke to one of the wildlife Sanctuaries here in Melbourne, but they don’t have the resources or the time to spend on capturing him. Thoughts or advice please, we just want it to remain safe and well.
November 30, 2013 at 4:28 pm |
Hi Nicci. Try contacting a Wildlife Rescue Group – your local vet may have people you can contact. Would love to help you as we rescue Raptors but we live on Kangaroo Island, SA. Good luck
July 6, 2013 at 8:33 am |
hey I just wanted to know how and where can I get a licence to keep hawks like chicken hawks falcons and things littler then that around Bathurst to have as pets and to learn about them abit and can I since im only 13
July 13, 2013 at 1:11 pm |
When I was young I used to fly harrris hawks at rabbits etc. THose of us that has been involved in falconry understand the passion. I would love nothing more to be able to do that again, not only to teach my child about nature but, help get rid off some introduced pests too. Aussies dont like change, they like to go out tearing around the country side in 4*4, pigging, shooting roo’s and fishing but see falconry as cruel and so they banned it years ago.
September 24, 2013 at 7:11 pm |
Hi, My name is Kirsty.
I’ve recently been interested in falconry and caring for an owls, eagle and other birds.
I’m 13 and a half and live in Townsville, Queensland.
I would love to work with these birds and have a great interest for them.
P.S I didn’t know what it meant by website so I gave you my facebook xp.
February 18, 2014 at 12:58 am |
Hi All,
I am looking for any courses/ experienced individuals living in the Brisbane/Toowoomba areas. I am doing some research for a special interest group associated with the UQ Vet school and we would like either a lecture/presentation or hands on experiance.
My email is jj2140@hotmail.com. Thanks
Jess
February 26, 2014 at 1:01 pm |
Hi
I am contact you from Belgium
i have a family in Austria and want to ask them to find me some falconry materials and equipment’s because some told me Austria is the best place to be at.
can you be kind and write me some Address of falconry store to contact them and by professional equipment or materials for falconry needs , please
yours truly
joèl
July 2, 2014 at 11:24 pm |
Hi,,
I have a family member who has been a falconer for many years. He is a UK National who is working in Dubai as a falconer for a falconry company that does pest control for five star hotels in Dubai.
I would like to know from you if Falconry is allowed as a form of pest control in Australia. If yes, how does one go about getting assessed for the purpose of immigration.
Many thanks in advance,
Kind regards,
June
July 3, 2014 at 1:26 am |
Hmm falconry…awesome feeling.
being so into birds all my life and growing up in some of the most remote n beautiful parts of australia iv been lucky enough to have had the chance to rehab many breeds of birds and raptors,
It would be good to have falconry legalized in australia if it’s managed properly. Not by the government. We have a good variety of birds and good weather to fly all year round,
I could talk all night on the subject n am keen to talk to others as interested as myself.
August 13, 2014 at 3:47 pm |
Hi I love birds of prey, and used to rehabilitate for parks & wild life many years ago, so I’m very interested in what I need to acquire in the regards to rehabilitating and flying the birds that can’t be released back into the wild, so instead flying them at airports, golf courses, resorts, MCG etc for a natural bird control technique, no killing of couse, so I’m wondering if you would be able to help me in regards to any contacts etc please
November 24, 2014 at 6:38 pm |
Hi, my name is Louise.
Just been going through most of the posts, and checked out a couple of websites such as DPI and Game and hunting. One blog posted in this forum mentioned that animal to hunt animal is illegal in Australia. Not trying to be provocative, but many people (county kids) grew up using ferrets, dogs or shooting vermin (wild rabbits), perhaps law have changed but can’t seem to find any reference.
I am at a loss that falconry or any other birds of prey could be used to control these pests with a quick kill, rather than a slow death by bait, poison or virus. With gun-laws as they are, perhaps this could be another industry!
March 1, 2015 at 4:26 pm |
I’m a retired photographer/videographer. I have a degree in Zoology (University of New England 1979) and have been a bird lover—raptors in particular—since childhood. I have adopted the peregrine as the totem/logo for my photography.
http://www.wowfactorpix.com (contact form available on site)
I would like to obtain some good photos, video and audio recordings of peregrines if there is anyone willing to assist me with that. Perhaps we could work out some mutually agreeable terms. I am based in Port Macquarie, but travel widely on photo expeditions from time to time.
I think it’s good that falconry is illegal in Australia, even though, as a boy, I read books on falconry and fantasized about how cool it would be to hunt with a raptor.
There are few people who have the patience and skill necessary to keep raptors humanely in activity, with opportunities for true free flight. And how could amateur falconers 100% guarantee that protected non-target species (possibly rare or endangered) would not occasionally fall prey to their flown raptors?
I think we need to accept that the world has moved on in attitudes to blood sports and that the political situation in Australia is unlikely to bend to the acceptance of falconry, no matter how noble and traditional it certainly is in my opinion. Yes, I accept that feral pig hunting and fishing are also blood sports, but don’t expect public attitudes to soften on others such as falconry, fox hunting with hounds, rabbiting with ferrets etc.
I get my raptor fixes by marveling at the prowess of peregrines in the wild. There is no more impressive raptor, in my opinion, but Australia’s Grey Falcon comes close (beauty and mystique—I saw one once near White Cliffs NSW).
Regards,
Rob Smith AAPS B. Sc (Hons) Zoology
March 1, 2015 at 6:51 pm |
Moderator, can you please alter ‘activity’ (3rd last paragraph) in my post to ‘captivity’. Brain not in gear! :-)Thank you.
November 29, 2015 at 2:08 am |
Hi,
My name is Issy and I have been interested in eagles since I was 7 years of age and have only heard of falconry recently but I am really interested.
I have been looking at the legalities of the job and was wondering if anyone could point me in the right directions of the steps I would have to take to become an apprentice or falconer.
I am 13, I live in Melbourne and I would appreciate any comments or E-mails,
Kind Regards
Issy Perrignon
issyp29@gmail.com