What Birds Are Used In Falconry? Our Expert Guide To Falconry Birds

Harris Hawks are versatile falconry birds that are ideal for beginner falconers or experienced practitioners alike. Part of the family Accipitridae, also known as True Hawks, this species works well in urban environments, which is why LPPC Environmental uses several Harris Hawks to remove nuisance birds across Aberdeen.

Known for their long tails, gangly legs and rounded wings and weighing between 515 and 880g, Harris Hawks are different from most other raptors as they are adept at hunting in groups.

Medium in size, female Harris Hawks are significantly larger than males, and they are known to hunt small to medium-sized birds, mammals and other prey.

Peregrine Falcons are distinctive birds of prey with dark grey wings and a white chest with thick black bars across it.

These birds are one of the most commonly used in falconry today because they are incredibly fast and highly trainable. Their large size, combined with their speed and agility, makes Peregrine Falcons ideal for hunting large prey and pursuing quarry across long distances.

While peregrine falcons are native to the UK and found in the wild, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 wild birds of prey cannot be tamed and used. As such, all trained birds used in falconry need to be captive-bred.

Hybrid birds, which are a mixture of different species, are an ideal option for those who use birds of prey professionally, whether for pest control, wildlife management or falconry displays. By breeding different species together, falconers can get the perfect mixture of features and behaviours that they need.

At LPPC Environmental, we use a range of hybrid species, including Gyrfalcon X Peregrine Falcons, Peregrine Falcons X Saker Falcons, Gyrfalcon X Saker Falcons or tri-breds.

Hybrids are bred to bring together the optimum traits of each bird species. Breeding Gyrfalcons with Peregrine Falcons combines the size of the Gyrfalcons with the tenacity and speed of a Peregrine Falcon.

Red-Tailed Hawks are a popular falconry bird for beginners, as these large raptors are strong, adaptable and easy to train. The females can be aggressive, but male Red-Tailed Hawks have a mild temperament.

These large birds weigh 690-1600g and can reach 45–65 cm in length, with a wingspan from 110–141 cm. Like many of the species listed here, Red-Tailed Hawks are sexually dimorphic, and females are up to 25% larger than males.

Imported from North America, Red-Tailed Kites aren’t native to the UK and can only be kept if captive-bred and licensed, as per the UK’s falconry regulations. They eat a variety of small to medium-sized prey, including mammals and small birds.

Sparrowhawks are relatively small birds of prey that weigh as little as 150-260g. As such, they are mainly used to hunt small birds or mammals, and are popular with beginner falconers.

With beady yellow eyes, light grey backs and reddish-white chests, Sparrowhawks are a distinctive bird when on the fist, but in flight they blend in well among trees and vegetation.

Like most species, Sparrowhawks have a significant size difference between males and females, with female Sparrowhawks as much as 25% larger than their male counterparts. Still, even the largest Sparrowhawks are only the size of a pigeon, so these compact raptors are commonly flown after small prey and used in falconry displays.

Gyrfalcons are the biggest falcons in the world, weighing between 805-2100g, and are popular in North American falconry. They are a popular species for use in hybrids, due to their large size, but purebred Gyrafalcons can be hard to train.

These polymorphic birds come in various colours, also known as morphs. The classic colour for a Gyrfalcon is almost pure white with black or brown bars across the chest, but they also come in various shades of white, grey, and brown.

A non-native species to the UK from North America and the Arctic region, Gyrfalcons are often released in Scotland in large numbers to learn hunting in the wild, in a process known as wild hacking, before the young birds are recaptured for use in falconry.

Less popular in the UK than other birds of prey, Common Buzzards are often used at falconry centres and clubs because of their docile temperaments.

Native to Europe and parts of Asia, these birds weigh between 750g and 1100g, and have pale brown feathers interspersed with white plumage. They have broad wings, a small, fan-shaped tail and a short neck, making them distinctive when in flight. Common Buzzards are known to have a distinctive mewing call that is often described as being similar to a cat.

While they are generally easy to manage, Common Buzzards are opportunistic hunters and prefer to hunt small birds and mammals. The limited size of their prey, their independent natures and territorial behaviours mean that many falconers don’t use Common Buzzards.

One of the smallest raptor species found in the UK, Merlins are usually just 24–33 cm in length with a 50–73 cm wingspan, and weigh just 165-230g. Part of the family Falconidae, Merlins, like Kestrels, are technically a type of falcon.

Adult males have blue-grey backs, rusty underparts with dark streaks, and dark feathers on their outer wings. Immature males and females are mostly light brown with white chests streaked with rust-coloured feathers.

These robust birds of prey are skilled at capturing small birds, and they have a hooked black beak with a yellow tip that is sharp. Merlins are not commonly used for beginner falconers because Merlins can be challenging to control during a hunt.

Another small bird of prey that’s not recommended for novice falconers, but is used throughout the UK, is the Kestrel. Because of their small size and delicate bodies, Kestrels can be fragile and easy to harm, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing with them.

These small native falconry birds, which belong to the Falconidae family, have light brown feathers with dark bars across them, and a sharp beak set in a pale face with two distinctive black bars falling from the eyes.

Weighing between 156-252g and with a wingspan of 71-80cm, Kestrels are limited to small prey and usually choose mammals such as voles or mice, but they can also eat small birds and even insects.

Goshawks have been a popular choice among UK falconers for generations, and were traditionally known as the “cook’s hawks” or “butcher’s birds” because of their ability to find food for humans and feed large groups.

Over the years, Goshawks have become less popular owing to their temperament. Goshawks can be nervous and need consistency in their training, which is why they are mainly used by experienced falconers.

These large birds are rewarding to fly when trained correctly, and despite being large birds that weigh between 850-1500g, they are surprisingly agile and fast. Their most distinctive feature is their large orange/ red eyes, each of which has a large white line, like an eyebrow above it.

A large, powerful raptor, Golden Eagles are slow to mature and eat a lot of food, which is why they’re less commonly used in falconry than other birds. Still, this iconic raptor species is ideal for taking down larger prey and can be useful for some falconers.

Native to the UK, Golden Eagles are mainly found in Northern Ireland and Scotland, but all Golden Eagles used in falconry today are captive-bred. These majestic dark-brown birds have lighter feathers on their chests, which is where they get the name Golden Eagle from.

Their huge wingspan and long tails make them a phenomenal sight to see flying, and their speed and agility, combined with their size, which can be between 2800-4500g, make them ideal for tackling small mammals and rodents such as rabbits and squirrels.

Saker Falcons have been flown in the UK since ancient times, like many of the species on this list. While they are still used regularly, they are less common than other species, as they require more training than other species and can be harder to handle.

Skilled at hunting horizontally and diving quickly, Saker Falcons can reach speeds of up to 200mph, and they can snatch prey quickly from the air or tackle it to the ground.

Usually weighing 970-1300g, these large birds of prey are part of the Hierofalcon family, and are often confused with Lanner Falcons, to which they are closely related.