Urban falconry in Toronto

[Angie]

Just wondering if there is anyone on here keeping raptors in a city setting? Opinions?

[echotadog]

There are some of us that live In cities , I do .
I am in a 3/4 acre lot center of the metro area in a modest house .
Our Regulations will be different than yours though so you will need to check with your local municipality on codes and laws regarding housing raptors.
Also if you are renting , your landlord will need to approve all things first.
Building a facility for your hawks security usually means a permanent structure being built .
Good luck and keep us posted on how things turn out ..

[Angie]

Thanks for your reply
I am currently renting a house, and will definitely check with the landlord before constructing anything. I had a idea to use the semi-enclosed front porch area to build a 6X6x6 enclosure, however it has nowhere for "weathering" as it is roofed. Perhaps it was a bad idea.
Worst case scenario is that I will have to wait until I move to a more suitable area with more outdoor space.
Do you think that neighbors children playing/screaming in the general vicinity of the mews would be a problem?
I own two indoor cats, could this be a problem i.e. will the raptor smell them on me?
What do you do if you need to travel away from home; who takes care of your bird? I've read that they must only be in the care of a trained falconer for obvious reasons, just wondering the logistics and all the "what-ifs". Especially with a primarily urban lifestyle. THANKS!

[echotadog]

First off 6x6x6 is not big enough for a raptor .
8x8x8 is the minimum requirement legally in the US.
Second off , and I mean this lightly , you REALLY need to do some more reading on the subject from books and citeable sources as opposed to the Internet .
We provide good information here , but it must be taken at face value , information given anonomously online isn't always credible facts .

Hawks can't smell cats , they do have nasal cavities and do have olfactory nerves but not enough to smell cats or any prey for that matter . They will see your cats and that can cause issues with them slamming the side of their house trying to get at them . My wife owns a cat , she stays clear of my hawk on her own and with my help .

Go to Amazon books or Western Sporting falconry supplier and purchase some books on falconry that have been suggested in this sites Falconry Books threads or from www.themodernapprentice.com . Care and husbandry of Raptors is not an easy endeavor but it can be very rewarding for the soul when done right .
Be mindful that the love of raptors brings us to falconry an we must honor the Hawks we love with exceptional and proper care .

The majority of All your questions have been answered on this forum in hundreds of past threads . Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the Rules and Regs of this site and Keep digging for your answers in this site .... You'll find the retention of valuable knowledge is greater when you search it out rather than someone Handing it to you .
Good luck and happy studying ...

[Angie]

Thanks again for your reply, and I appreciate your honesty. You are right, the diversity of info on the web is staggering and it's tough to sort out the right from the wrong and all the opinions. I have ordered some books recommended by a legitimate source, (just waiting for them to arrive!) also subscribed to american falconer magazine. Right now I am at least a year away from even getting a raptor.
The 8x8x8 requirement is surprising though...I have seen lots of pics and specs and many of them are much smaller. I agree with you though.
Someone even told me that they live in an apartment and they keep a raptor. Its sad to know that some people are not doing the best by their birds. I will do as you advised and look further into the threads on here....I was getting caught up in people's opinionated arguments and having trouble finding answers HA HA but I am glad to have joined this forum. Thanks again!

[Falcon Boy]

The size of the housing depends on the size of the raptor. While a 8x8x8 might work well for a redtail, it might not be ideal for a kestrel.

[echotadog]

This is True , however the minimum ( federal) size requirement for an apprentice falconers mews is 8x8x8 The species of raptor not specified by the regulations for inspection

[Angie]

Thanks for the info. I just received my first falconry text from amazon.ca called "Falconry and Hawking" by Glasier and I also subscribed to the magazine "American Falconer". So I've got a lot of reading to do! Where I'm currently living there is no chance I would be able to house a bird properly so I will be content to do lots of research for the time being. And read the forum! Glad to be here. Thanks again

[Falcon Boy]

Sept 20, 2012 16:25:59 GMT -5 echotadog said:

This is True , however the minimum ( federal) size requirement for an apprentice falconers mews is 8x8x8 The species of raptor not specified by the regulations for inspection

The federal regs no longer require an outdoor mew if suitible indoor housing is arranged.

(d) Facilities and care requirements —(1) Facilities you must have and maintain . You must keep all raptors you hold under your falconry permit in humane and healthful conditions.

(i) Whether they are indoors (a “mews”) or outdoors (a “weathering area”), your raptor facilities must protect raptors in them from the environment, predators, and domestic animals. You are responsible for the maintenance and security (protection from predators) of raptors you possess under your permit.

(ii) You must have raptor housing facilities approved by your State, tribe, or territory before you may obtain a bird to use in falconry. Your State, tribe, or territory may require that you have both indoor and outdoor facilities. A representative of your agency that regulates falconry, or its designee, must certify that your facilities and equipment meet the following standards:

(A) For housing raptors indoors or outdoors, the facility must protect raptors from predators and domestic animals.

(1) The facility must have a suitable perch for each raptor, at least one opening for sunlight, and must provide a healthy environment for raptors inside.

(2) You may house untethered raptors together if they are compatible with each other.

(3) Each raptor must have an area large enough to allow it to fly if it is untethered or, if tethered, to fully extend its wings or bate (attempt to fly while tethered) without damaging its feathers or contacting other raptors.

(4) Each falconry bird must have access to a pan of clean water unless weather conditions, the perch type used, or some other factor makes access to a water pan unsafe for the raptor.

(B) An indoor facility must be large enough to allow easy access for the care and feeding of raptors kept there.

(1) If raptors you house in this indoor facility are not tethered, all walls that are not solid must be protected on the inside. Suitable materials may include vertical bars spaced narrower than the width of the body of the smallest raptor you house in the enclosure. However, heavy-duty netting or other such materials may be used to cover the walls or roof of the enclosure.

(2) Acceptable indoor facilities include shelf perch enclosures where raptors are tethered side by side. Other innovative housing systems are acceptable if they provide the enclosed raptors with protection and allow them to maintain healthy feathers.

( 3 ) An eyas raptor may be kept in any suitable container or enclosure until it is capable of flight.

(C) You may keep a falconry raptor or raptors inside your place of residence if you provide a suitable perch or perches. If you house your raptor(s) inside your home, you do not need to modify windows or other openings of the structure. Raptors kept in your home must be tethered when they are not being moved into or out of the location in which they are kept.

(D) An outdoor facility must be totally enclosed, and may be made of heavy-gauge wire, heavy-duty plastic mesh, slats, pipe, wood, or other suitable material.

(1) The facility must be covered and have at least a covered perch to protect a raptor held in it from predators and weather.

(2) The facility must be large enough to insure that the birds cannot strike the enclosure when flying from the perch.

(3) New types of housing facilities and/or husbandry practices may be used if they satisfy the requirements above and are approved by the State, tribal, or territorial authority regulating falconry.

(iii) You may keep falconry raptors outside in the open if they are under watch, such as by you or a family member at any location or, for example, by a designated individual in a weathering yard at a falconry meet.

(iv) You must inform your State, tribal, or territorial agency within 5 business days if you change the location of your facilities.

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