Post by Bridget on Oct 10, 2009 18:14:28 GMT -5
Hey all!
I got this e-mail earlier today from a Texas wildlife rehabber:
I have a few questions and frankly no time to read myself through endless laws and regulations, so I'm hoping you can give me some quick and clear answers.
Here's what happened:
2 days ago Animal Control brought me this Cooper's Hawk:
He had flown into Walmart! Unfortunately he passed away that night before I could find out what's going on.
Looking at his tail..it looks broken from wrong caging and there is no band on his leg. He was also very emaciated with the breast bone protruding almost an inch! I couldn't find any other injuries.
Turns out he belongs to a local falconer who is hired to let his birds go where grackles are in the way to hunt and chase them off.
So my questions are:
is banding required?
is falconry incl. banding regulated by state or federal?
how common is it that a falconer loses his birds?
My point is that I want to make sure that this guy is doing the right things here and that I don't have to be concerned about his other birds. But if his caging is doing this to the feathers and he isn't feeding them enough and keeps losing them, I dunno, it just doesn't sit right with me...but what do I know.
So I figured I better ask somebody who does know, before I cry wolf!
Thanks!!!!!
I won't list her name for privacy reasons, but I was thinking that you falconers down in Texas would be able to answer those questions best. I'm not sure on Texas' regulations on banding and everything, seeing as some states don't require certain species to be banded and such.
When I get some answers, I'll e-mail her back. Thanks all!
Bridget
I got this e-mail earlier today from a Texas wildlife rehabber:
I have a few questions and frankly no time to read myself through endless laws and regulations, so I'm hoping you can give me some quick and clear answers.
Here's what happened:
2 days ago Animal Control brought me this Cooper's Hawk:
He had flown into Walmart! Unfortunately he passed away that night before I could find out what's going on.
Looking at his tail..it looks broken from wrong caging and there is no band on his leg. He was also very emaciated with the breast bone protruding almost an inch! I couldn't find any other injuries.
Turns out he belongs to a local falconer who is hired to let his birds go where grackles are in the way to hunt and chase them off.
So my questions are:
is banding required?
is falconry incl. banding regulated by state or federal?
how common is it that a falconer loses his birds?
My point is that I want to make sure that this guy is doing the right things here and that I don't have to be concerned about his other birds. But if his caging is doing this to the feathers and he isn't feeding them enough and keeps losing them, I dunno, it just doesn't sit right with me...but what do I know.
So I figured I better ask somebody who does know, before I cry wolf!
Thanks!!!!!
I won't list her name for privacy reasons, but I was thinking that you falconers down in Texas would be able to answer those questions best. I'm not sure on Texas' regulations on banding and everything, seeing as some states don't require certain species to be banded and such.
When I get some answers, I'll e-mail her back. Thanks all!
Bridget