Masters of the Sky
The ancient art of falconry takes flight in the modern world.
By Joseph Richards

The morning was charged with excitement as the hunters made their way down to the marsh edge. I watched intently as a flush of ducks erupted from the water. The ducks stayed in tight formation but were hesitant to gain altitude — all except a single shoveler hen. Within seconds of the duck rising in the air, a peregrine falcon dived from above with lightning velocity and knocked the lone hen from the sky.
My camera could barely capture the dramatic attack that unfolded before me. Even as a lifelong hunter and photographer, I was unprepared for such a spectacular display by a trained raptor.
Moments earlier, the large female peregrine falcon had taken off from a falconer's glove in search of prey. After the strike, the peregrine quickly landed and performed a “mantling” display — a falconry term for when a raptor uses its wings and body to cover and defend its food. The successful falcon fed on her reward of duck meat, and then returned to the falconer's glove.
The falconer and the majestic bird, two hunters of different species sharing the same space and moment in time, reflect a partnership that has a rich history going back more than 4,000 years.


Falconry is Hunting
I was invited to photograph falconers and their birds of prey during the annual meetup of the Texas Hawking Association (THA) in Lubbock. The Texas Hawking Association is a conservation-oriented organization that encourages the wise use of raptors in the sport of falconry.
“Falconry is hunting wild game with a trained raptor,” says Matt Reidy, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologist and director at large for the THA. “The things I get to see hunting with a falcon are amazing — how the prey evade capture and how that predator-prey interaction occurs.”
Birds of prey are some of nature's most effective predators. They have held a close association with humanity in the form of falconry for thousands of years with records across multiple cultures.
“Falconry is a wonderful way to be connected to the natural world,” Reidy explains. “It's a lifestyle of hunting as often as possible. Falconers are in the field two to six times a week during the hunting season. The birds need that activity to be successful.”
Practicing falconry since he was 16 years old, Reidy, like most falconers, possesses an unparalleled knowledge about his working raptors — from their behaviors and biology to the fine details of their daily food intake. According to Reidy, food is the motivational tool to reinforce positive behaviors that accomplish falconry. “They're a lot like a teenager. They don't want to be messed with unless you have some benefit for them. They stay in their room, come out for dinner and then go right back,” Reidy says.
A bird of prey will not hunt on a full stomach, and falconers weigh their birds once or twice a day. “We manage their food consumption to get the hunting behaviors we want and maintain a healthy system like athletes,” Reidy says. There are even mobile apps for falconers that predict and calculate the grams per hour that raptors metabolize. Since raptors cannot be disciplined or ignored, training demands infinite amounts of patience.
Falconers must learn skills of interpreting their bird's mannerisms and postures. “It's very important for us to learn how to read birds and their body language,” Reidy says. “Learning about the biology of these animals and their prey will better prepare you for success in the field.”
Along with a comprehensive understanding of their birds and the game they pursue, falconers must also be aware of the laws and regulations of their sport.
“Falconry is the most regulated hunting sport in the country,” Reidy says. In order to become a licensed falconer, applicants have to acquire a licensed sponsor willing to guide them for two years, pass a 100-question test with a score of 80 percent or better, and have their falconry facility pass an inspection by a law enforcement officer. Falconers are required to have a state hunting license and all of the necessary endorsements, and take hunter education.




Meet the Falconers
All falconers have their own story about how they started in the sport.
Many seasoned falconers were inspired by stories of a boy raising a falcon in the classic novel My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. Today's generations are introduced to birds of prey in many different ways, including outdoor education programs, falconry demonstrations and even Renaissance festivals.
Sarah Fonville, a recent master's graduate at Texas Tech University, started working with birds of prey in 2016 when she volunteered at a local wildlife rehab center. She connected with a few people interested in falconry and started attending every THA meetup she could.
Texas Hawking Association provides information to falconers, sets up events for falconers of all calibers and advises TPWD on state falconry regulations. It serves as an advocacy group for the sport and ethics of falconry, birds of prey and their quarry. While most of the association's membership consists of dedicated falconers, the group is open to anyone interested in birds of prey and falconry.
During my first falconry meetup, I experienced different modes of hunting and learned from multiple falconers and their exceptional working birds. Seeing the range of falconers and their birds is remarkable — everything from beautiful peregrines to massive golden eagles. I caught glances of accipiters — considered by some the most difficult to train but the best for hunting upland game birds. Many new falconers fly red-tailed hawks and hunt small mammals such as rabbits. The most striking for me were the peregrines that I had always romanticized for their speed and power.
On the same day I photographed the speed, precision and power displayed by the peregrine hunting a duck, I also had the opportunity to hunt rabbits with several falconers and their trained Harris's hawks. Harris's hawks are unique in that they hunt cooperatively in groups for small mammals and birds. This makes them a particular favorite for falconers since their sociable nature makes them more easily trainable. As I walked through bundles of Russian thistle and other brush, the Harris's hawk followed with anticipation for the rabbit I would flush. I felt especially connected to the hunt as I assumed the role of a “hawk” in the bird's eyes.
Many falconers are willing to share their sport with people. Fonville says, “I like taking people hunting and showing them the world of falconry because what falconry gives you is a look into these animal's lives that we do not have.”

Falconry and Conservation
Admired for their efficiency as apex predators, birds of prey have resonated with humanity since antiquity. The methods of caring for and training raptors have been around for generations.
Starting as a means for recreation and harvesting small game, the practice and art of falconry has expanded our knowledge of raptor ecology, which is crucial for preserving species and understanding the natural world.
“The history of falconry methods and husbandry has been really beneficial for raptor research and conservation,” says Clint Boal, a U.S. Geological Survey researcher and professor at Texas Tech University. The methods developed for rearing falconry birds have become one of the cornerstones for recovery efforts for birds of prey.
History shows that falconers have been instrumental in providing their expertise to advance conservation outcomes. For example, peregrine falcons faced near extinction in the wild by the early 1960s due to the use of DDT as a pesticide. Wild populations were unsustainable and required restocking from captive breeding to re-establish the species. Breeding efforts were highly successful in part because falconry husbandry methods had been practiced for hundreds of years. The techniques were successfully adapted for captive breeding programs to bolster wild populations. Between 1974 and 1999, approximately 7,000 falcons were released in the United States and Canada. By 1999, the peregrine falcon was taken off the endangered species list.
In addition to pioneering worldwide recovery of certain species, the permitted use of raptors is also contributing to current research.
Practicing falconry for close to 30 years, Boal asked the question, “How can I use these birds in research studies to better understand wildlife management and predator-prey relationships?” The use of trained raptors to gain information on other species had received little prior consideration. “Falconry seemed to be a novel way to really understand a wildlife species I was working with in a much more intimate way,” Boal says.
Boal has been the primary investigator on several different studies using trained birds of prey. One project investigated how northern bobwhite quail select escape cover depending on the type of threat (human, bird hunter, raptor and nocturnal mammal). Boal and his graduate team found differences in escape cover usage depending on the predator or threat. “Avoiding a raptor, there's much more tortuosity [evasive maneuvers] in flight. The quail fly faster and farther. They go into protective brush and may also use holes or packrat middens,” Boal says. Knowing predator avoidance behaviors can lead land managers to implement practices that promote habitat characteristics favoring survival.


“Working with birds of prey both in research and falconry, your knowledge base expands in so many different ways,” Boal says. Currently, Boal's research lab is investigating whether bobwhites with higher concentrations of parasites (eyeworms and cecal worms) are predisposed to avian predation compared to quail with fewer parasites.
Falconry in the Future
With approximately 5,000 practitioners in the United States, falconers remain a relatively small cohort of dedicated individuals. Texas has some of the best falconry opportunities in the country; however, modernization and habitat fragmentation make access to wild game a challenge for falcons and falconers. Despite this restriction, the art of falconry is growing, and applications for apprentice falconry permits in Texas have increased, mostly between 2019-2022.
Falconers celebrate an ancient attachment to the natural world by observing the dynamic drama between predator and prey. With insights into the biology, behaviors and intelligence of these birds, falconers are in the perfect position to provide practical knowledge and skills for improving conservation efforts and engaging awareness in support of the cultural traditions and sport of falconry.