There are various myths about falconry and hence Avian Pest Control
The following are some of the more common Myths that people associate with Falconry and a description of what actually happens.
It is cruel to keep wild birds in captivity
None of our birds has come from the wild. They have been born through artificial insemination, or from other falconry birds and raised by us, in much the same way as a domestic cat or dog. As such they believe we are their parents, and if they were released into the wild they would not survive, as they do not know how to hunt or protect themselves from predators or the elements as we do both for them.
The birds are starved to make them fly
Our birds are fed every day, but like a well honed sportsman we have to ensure they are at the right weight to fly. Birds of Prey store their food in a similar way to camels, if they are too heavy because they are still digesting they will fly to a perch in a tree or building and can stay there for several days. This risks their life as they become a target for wild predators or subject to the elements. Therefore each bird has an optimum flying weight
It’s cruel to tie the birds up.
At home our birds each have their own aviaries and subject to the weather they fly everyday. Like dogs the birds need to be on leashes when out for a number of reasons; to stop them coming to harm inbuilt up areas from power wires etc; whilst they all live together the various birds are each others predator and they do see each other as dinner; as above to prevent them flying off and dying through starvation or bad weather.
Why don’t you let the public stroke the Birds?
The birds feathers have a natural oil that both protects them from the elements and enables them to fly. Human hands have grease on them that with repeated stroking from a wide variety of people affects the oil in the birds feathers. Also we want to reduce the risk of our birds picking up any diseases.