Falconry among many specialized pursuits at SRT preserves

Above: Submitted by Melanie Alvarado, copyright 2023.

“When I first seriously considered becoming a falconer, what held me back was some hesitance about taking an animal out of the wild for a sport,” said Melanie Alvarado, a longtime SRT supporter and preserve visitor. When she approached SRT about flying her American kestrel on its various nature preserves, she was still fairly new to the sport. But SRT staff were confident in approving her request (currently only leashed dogs are allowed on SRT preserves).

However, as Alvarado learned more about falconry, she discovered that most falconers are also passionate about conservation. In fact, falconers played a vital role in the recovery of the once-endangered peregrine falcon. Most raptors trapped for falconry are juvenile birds in their first year of life; many are released back into the wild the following spring or summer after hunting with them through the winter months, thus helping them survive their first year of life, a period during which raptors have a very high mortality risk.

“Those are some of the details that convinced me to give it a try,” Alvarado said. She was also motivated by the awareness that some wildlife rehabs use falconry techniques to rehabilitate sick or injured raptors and host educational events for the public, which I think is crucial for getting people to appreciate raptors and their role in their ecosystems.”

Alvarado has been fascinated by the outdoors since her childhood spent in Germany. “I always had a special love for birds, including raptors. I spent much of my childhood playing in the forests and fields behind our house. I was very impressed by the golden eagles we sometimes could see soaring in the mountains. So she checked out library books to learn more about these birds and about nature in general.

During her 21 years of living in the U.S., Alvarado moved frequently and says that her lifestyle and career thus would not have been suitable for practicing falconry. But two years ago, she purchased a rural property in Exeter, CA where she is able to live out some of her childhood dreams such as sustainable gardening, beekeeping, and now, falconry. “My current work schedule allows for a lot of flexibility, so it seemed like the right time to try this out,” Alvarado said.

She started by reading and learning about falconry in order to pass an exam and obtain her hunting license. She also had to build a mews (raptor enclosure), make or buy other necessary equipment, and had to undergo an inspection by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Laws and regulations, training methods, animal husbandry, knowledge about raptor biology and health, and appropriate nutrition are among the many subjects to be mastered by falconers, who in the U.S. are required to complete a two-year apprenticeship supervised by a sponsor who serves as mentor and teacher.

“I found a wonderful sponsor who is very knowledgeable and available for any of my questions. During each of those two apprenticeship years, you have to have a falconry bird for at least four months and your sponsor has to confirm that you met the requirements of maintaining the bird's health, training, flying, and hunting,” Alvarado said.

“The bird I took to Kaweah Oaks Preserve was my first falconry bird. She was a gorgeous female American kestrel, who I named her Billie. My sponsor estimated her to be two years old. I trapped and tamed her, managed her health and weight, trained her, and took her out to fly and hunt most days of the week,” Alvarado said.

“I released Billie back into the wild after the required four months were up, since spring had started and I felt it was time for her to go find a mate,” said Alvarado, who is halfway through her apprenticeship period. “I plan to get another falconry bird in the fall, probably another American Kestrel, but possibly a Red Tailed Hawk.” She said she hasn't fully decided between the two, but those are the only species that are legally allowed for falconry apprentices in California. 

Establishing a bond with the bird is tricky business, says the adoptive Exeterite. “In a way it's a very one-sided relationship. I adored my little kestrel, but raptors really do not have any type of affectionate behavior in their repertoire, even among members of their own species. They definitely do not form an emotional bond like, for example, a dog or even a parrot. They are not a snuggly animal and are capable of causing injury.” So Alvarado says a healthy amount of respect, and caution is always recommended.

Most of the bond is established by careful taming. Some weight control is involved, dropping just enough of the bird’s weight so that they are responsive to food rewards while still maintaining a high degree of fitness. Positive reinforcement training is also used. “I think they do develop a sense of trust in the falconer. They learn to trust that you won't take their food, that you won't hurt them, that you will reward them with food, and that therefore it is beneficial and rewarding for them to hang out with you and return to you,” Alvarado said.

How does one train a bird for falconry? What methods are used, and how long does it typically take? Alvarado emphasizes her belief in positive reinforcement.

“I've always been very interested in animal training in general. I have some experience training horses, but especially with dog training. With both dogs and horses, unfortunately a lot of old-fashioned aversive methods are still being used, and I'm a big believer in positive reinforcement training. I think partly because of this background, training my kestrel went relative smoothly. You just cannot bully a bird into doing anything,” Alvarado said.

With her kestrel, it took three weeks before she had her flying freely outside without any equipment. Billie learned to come back to Alvarado’s fist or to a lure that she swings. She said that with some species, training can take longer or shorter and look different, because each species has different hunting styles and different training techniques. “There really are a lot of ways to practice falconry,” Alvarado points out.

At Kaweah Oaks, Alvarado was flying Billie, who was spanning quite large distances looking for prey. “Periodically I called her back to me. Many falconers fly their birds with jesses (leather straps on the feet) or a telemetry unit in case they go out of your sight, but I did not have any equipment on her since I eventually wanted to release her again anyway, and I wanted to be sure that if she decided to leave she would not have any type of equipment on her that could create a hazard. She is quite small, and we lost sight of her for a bit,” Alvarado said. Then, she and her boyfriend saw that Billie had landed atop a fence post near a family out on a hike. “The family stopped and took photos of her and appeared quite surprised by this tame bird. Later on in the parking lot we chatted and explained that she is a trained falconry bird,” which helped the family understand the bird’s behavior.

Tame as falconry birds can seem, their wild counterparts remain highly territorial. When Alvarado took Billie for an attempted flight at SRT’s kestrel-populous Dry Creek Preserve, what she described as an “unbelievable number of resident kestrels” – she says at least five – flew in, sounding their alarm calls and trying to chase her off.

“I did not want to cause any kind of disturbance, so I called her down and headed straight back to the car. But at the same time I was amazed at seeing so many kestrels there that I had never previously noticed at Dry Creek.” Not a bad problem to have, considering that SRT’s now-restored preserve was just twenty years ago a barren gravel quarry mostly devoid of wildlife.

For anyone interested in falconry at SRT preserves, please reach out to info@sequoiariverlands.org for the required advance approval.

Above: Submitted by Melanie Alvarado, copyright 2023.

Above: Submitted by Melanie Alvarado, copyright 2023.

Above: Submitted by Melanie Alvarado, copyright 2023.