Merlin
I'm holding a Cooper's Hawk! (you can see it's brand new band!)
Adventures in Hawk Banding
Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with the hawk banders. If you are not familiar with bird banding in general, the basic idea is that we catch the birds, take down information on size, sex, species, weight, etc., then put a uniquely numbered metal band gently around their leg right above the foot. The metal band is free to move up and down the leg, but is not loose enough to slide off the foot or to get caught on anything. I was luckily enough to hold and release a Cooper's Hawk and a Merlin!
Merlin
I'm holding a Cooper's Hawk! (you can see it's brand new band!)
MerlinI'm holding a Cooper's Hawk! (you can see it's brand new band!)
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2 comments:
That must be a great feeling to be able to get so close to such magnificent birds.
It is just so amazing to be able to actually hold these wonderful predators and feel how light and soft they are. They look so different when they are high up in the sky.
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