my backyard is fenced, and the only time my bird would be weathered is when i'm with it. If the perch is six and a half feet high do i still need to enclose the area with netting, or is the fenced yard enough? My sponsor has a bow perch on the lawn for his weathering, but he's a master falconer who moved here so i'm guessing thats why he gets away with it. The packet the ODFW gave me didnt answer my question about it.
6 1/2' high won't work if the bird is tethered. What happens when the bird bates? It varies from state to state but the purpose of a weathering area is to protect from predators, both ground based and airborne. Just a fenced yard won't do that.
Post by Falcon Boy on Aug 17, 2008 19:50:58 GMT -5
6.5ft tall perch can work, the ring is on the "pole" portion of the ring perch and it slides up and down. I've seen it done before and it worked pretty well for the bird that was on it. As far as how the law goes, i don't remember how the wording is in the regs, but i do remember there being something about if a perch is taller than that.
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
As far as how the law goes, i don't remember how the wording is in the regs, but i do remember there being something about if a perch is taller than that.
50CFR 21.29 (1) FACILITIES (ii)"Outdoor facilities (weathering area) shall be fenced and covered with netting or wire, or roofed to protect the birds from disturbance and attack by predators except that perches more than 6 1/2 feet high need not be covered or roofed. The enclosed area shall be large enough to insure the birds cannot strike the fence when flying from the perch. Protection from excessive sun, wind, and inclement weather shall be provided for each bird...."
The way I read it, the bird still must be perched in a fenced area - the area just doesn't need to be covered/roofed. However, I've seen RTs continually mobbed and smacked by crows, robins, and jays while perched on 6 footers. And one falconer I know had a GHO grab his Harris off the perch and kill it. Without the protection of an enclosed weathering yard, a bird is exposed to harassment and predation. Users should be forewarned.
6.5ft tall perch can work, the ring is on the "pole" portion of the ring perch and it slides up and down. I've seen it done before and it worked pretty well for the bird that was on it. As far as how the law goes, i don't remember how the wording is in the regs, but i do remember there being something about if a perch is taller than that.
I've never seen that or even heard it talked about anywhere. I'd like to see a pic of a setup like that. is it really safe for the bird? How long is the leash then? How much momentum can they get in a bate and how hard do they come to the ground when they do bate?
Post by Falcon Boy on Aug 18, 2008 14:38:51 GMT -5
I've seen them used a few times, and the people who used them generally liked them. Personally i am short [5'6 on a good day] and couldn't reach a bird up that high so i have never tried a perch like that.
Migisi has a good point about mobbing, but the bird i saw never had a problem with it.
As far as the leash, it was pretty long. It's kind of a double edged sword. Personally i don't like the ring to be hanging because the leash is too short, i don't think that is good for their legs. Therefore the leash if i was going to use one would have to be at least 6ft long, which leads to a lot of power in a bate. That in itself, other than the height, is the reason i've never used that kind of perch. People i've seen with them never had any complaints though, the birds were always content and i can't once remember seeing one bate.
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
Post by borderhawk on Aug 18, 2008 18:03:09 GMT -5
No matter what the regs require, I would do what is safe for the bird. The regs only require us to have a perch, not to put perching material on it. Do you know anyone who would perch their bird on the bare steel bar? Did you know that according to Washington state laws, you're required to have a windsheild wiper on the drivers side of the car, but you are not required to have a windshield? Just food for thought...
Personally i don't like the ring to be hanging because the leash is too short, i don't think that is good for their legs. Therefore the leash if i was going to use one would have to be at least 6ft long, ...
I agree. Reason I don't much like a jump box for shelter - a short leash with tie ring suspended. If one used a 6ft. leash, that's still a lot of weight suspended from a bird's legs all the time, IMO.
...which leads to a lot of power in a bate.
Yep, a bird can get up a good head of steam with such a long leash. One of my apprentices made and used a 6.5 foot perch years ago. We were over for a party. I saw the 'pole' whip around in a bate. The bird tried to regain the moving perch on top, but missed. Maybe he didn't use a sturdy enough pole?.... perhaps he should've used 3-inch water pipe. I also saw his hawk's leash get caught over the top of the perch after a bate. Even the 6 foot leash left the bird dangling inches above the ground. My apprentice was tall enough to reach the top of the perch to uncatch the leash right away. I would've needed to find a step stool in a hurry. He abandoned the 6-footer soon after. It's still leaning in a corner in his garage.
Just to let newbies know... 6.5 ft perches are not permitted in NAFA meet weathering yards, or in most state club weathering yards. They require way too much space for one bird. You'll have to perch the hawk elsewhere, so bring your own fencing.
If you wanna know what kind of dicky birds are in your nighborhood, perch a hawk on a 6-footer in your yard. It's a tall passerine and corvidae lure pole.
It depends on where you live...here in Missouri it states that you can have a 6 1/2 foot tall perch that can count as a weathering area and not have to be fenced in...dont know where you live but thats the law here...
It depends on where you live...here in Missouri it states that you can have a 6 1/2 foot tall perch that can count as a weathering area and not have to be fenced in...dont know where you live but thats the law here...
50CFR 21.29 (1) FACILITIES (ii)"Outdoor facilities (weathering area) shall be fenced and covered with netting or wire, or roofed to protect the birds from disturbance and attack by predators except that perches more than 6 1/2 feet high need not be covered or roofed.
This is federal law. The "weathering area" must be fenced, but with the tall perch, it doesn't need to be roofed. State regs can't be more lenient than fed regs - no matter where you live.
Once I had a bird on an out door perch in the lawn. I was standing about five feet from it doing something to the car. Out of no where came a large Swanson hawk and just missed knocking my Harris off the perch by inches. The Harris never even seen this hawk coming. Three seconds.
Even if we are outside one must be very cautious and even more so in some parts of the US where there are even more aggressive raptors.
I would think the regulations governing the outside weathering area would be in regard to a bird being left unattended for long periods of time.
When dealing with thee birds of prey I have always lived by the rule of; What can go wrong will go wrong.