ABOUT US

Why we're breeding

My wife and I have been falconers for just over a decade now. And though we've flown different species over the years, starting in our second year, we've always flown a cast of Harris's Hawks.

We benefited greatly from the work that Tom and Jenn Coulson, Dan Pike, and Toby Bradshaw put into the work of selective breeding. More than 30 years these wonderful people have put into making these bloodlines. So much care has been put into these pedigrees that Harris's Hawks are like racehorses nowadays.

This is possible in large part because Harris's Hawks breed so much easier than most raptors. But, this fact also means that essentially anyone can put two Harris's Hawks together and make you a new hunting partner. And in practice this has many times meant that people fly their best birds, and breed their worst. "Why stop flying the spectacular ones? They're the most fun. What about this other bird, she isn't as fun to fly, but she'd breed I bet." Selective breeding required sacrifice. It required that these wonderful people stopped flying their best birds to ensure that you and I would have the best hunting partners.

Toby Bradshaw's breeding program existed 20 minutes from my front door and when he retired from breeding I felt that it was a loss to our community. And when Dan Pike told me he was retiring from breeding Harris's Hawks too, I was privileged to carry on the torch. More than 30 years of effort has meant something and Lily and I will continue the work.

Contact us

If you've got questions about falconry or about the birds we have for sale, shoot us a message.