Get a new experience with nature
Experience the way of hawks
This is a unique opportunity to get the closest you can be to the world of birds of prey. Thanks to millenary techniques of FALCONRY, you can now have a thrilling encounter with our trained raptors in an interactive session, or get involved in the practice of Falconry through a longer and deeper activity. For those going farther, taking one of our Courses on Conservation Management or the Beginners Falconry Course will give you the basic knowledge for successfully keeping, training and hunting with a bird of prey.
Depending on the tour you are taking, one or more trained raptors will fly free and come to your gloved hand when called, or have a speed flight to catch a decoy prey just in front of your eyes, guided by a professional Falconer.
A hike with hawks
Hike 1
This is a one hour interactive experience flying to the fist and to the lure, and exploring the daily lives of raptors from El Salvador. Accessible for all ages
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Hike 2
Walking with the birds and dogs in a 2 hour session, will allow us to get deeper in the foundations of training and hunting with birds of prey. Walking distance is approximately 4 k.
XX$
Education Programm
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My Experience
Developing a local Falconry style is paramount, local conditions of vegetation and the prey species living there, as well as the type of raptors succeeding in that environment, determine the type of falconry that can be achieved. I have successfully hunted short wing hawks and falcons, in emerging prey scenarios, which lead to short to medium “tail chases”, or occasionally a stoop flight from a flying height.
Since my early teens I have had the opportunity to spend my life with these preferred birds. As a Zoo Veterinarian I could manage a variety of raptor species, even those not traditionally used for hunting. Many birds received by me could overcome a haphazard of encountering human activity, and happily return to their space in our landscape. Others stay in the project for better chances at providing them a good way of life doing what they do best, and helping humans to better understand and respect our close neighbors.
The Hawks
Gray Hawks are probably the commonest of raptor species in El Salvador. As a medium sized opportunistic raptor, it has adapted to the urban environment, taking advantage of having very few competition from other bigger raptor species in there. It is considered a common species and not in danger of extinction.
Harris Hawks are one of the most employed birds of prey, and one of the most sociable species of raptors. This native species satisfies more demanding practitioners, for , a bigger size and pursuit drive allow for a bigger and broader prey spectrum. They naturally hunt together as a pack, in a cooperative way more desirable between the most sociable falconers species!
Hunting with Hawks
Practiced for more than 5 thousand years, Falconry has now been catalogued as an INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE of humanity, and has a global protection status, especially in those countries where it is a tradition of knowledge and had joined UNESCO s guidelines for its protection and conservation.
Actually, small prey is often spotted in base of abundance, or in terms of flight characteristics, as well as a way of natural pest control, where abundant invasive or alien species populations become a hazard to some human activity. As a hunting team, hawks and humans are aided by the valuable pointing or flushing breeds, without which, it would be much harder for humans to successfully locate a susceptible prey. We have found Weimaraners to adapt to our polyvalent terrain and demands, for a diversified prey range from rabbits and squirrels to water birds or roller wood pigeons hiding in the dry leaves.
Training and relationship
During the active season, birds of prey will have Exercise routines in the company of the dogs, on a daily basis. Imprinted birds are those that form closer bonds and even enjoy spending time with the human partners all along the year, while the wild passengers or haggard will just allow our intrusion in to their space as long as they remain interested in hunting prey, or the small tidbits in the gloved fist or a garnished lure on the ground. These more disattached birds are better released free to the wild in some cultures, or allowed a yearly period untrained in order to complete their annual feather change or moult.