About the Birds
Monadnock Falconry is dedicated first and foremost to the well-being of the birds in our care. Whether raptors are here for a short-term stay before returning to the wild, or need our help over months or years, we aim to make them the healthiest, happiest hunters they can be.
Mahood is a four-year-old male Harris’ Hawk. An accomplished hunter of voles, chipmunks, rabbits, and pheasants, he flies with reckless abandon and more than a little self-confident swagger. Weighing in at only a pound and a half, he will occasionally harass larger red-tailed hawks hunting on his turf, but behind his bravado is a keen intelligence. The Harris’ is unique among North American raptors in being a social species, and Mahood is no exception; he has adopted hundreds of human visitors into his hunting “pack,” stooping to perch on the gauntlets of people of all ages, from three to ninety-three.
Pip is an outsized personality in a flyweight body. A one-year-old American Kestrel, smallest of North America’s birds of prey, she flies at around 95 grams, lighter than a stick of butter. But don’t be fooled by her sweet expression and doll-like proportions! Like other falcons, she rips through the air at terrific speeds, able to catch starlings and house sparrows on the wing. Though Pip lacks hunting experience, the year ahead should transform her into a confident, self-sufficient hunter.
Pitch is an adult female Red-tailed Hawk, one of the largest members of the Buteo family of hawks here in New England. The red-tail is the bird of choice for many falconers, being extremely hardy in our climate and capable of taking a wide range of prey. Sidelined by a mysterious sinus infection, Pitch is beginning to regain strength and hunting form. A recent ten-day stint on her own in the woods and fields of Temple showed that she was capable of fending for herself for a short time, which gives us hope that a return to the wild may ultimately be possible.
Aengus is a three-year-old male Harris’ Hawk, younger brother to Mahood, but with habits, postures, and a personality all his own. In hunting mode he is strictly business, wings always half-open in anticipation of movement. But afterwards, no bird so enjoys the rituals of bathing: the slow soak of feet in a shallow stream or pool, followed by a lively diving routine and some stylish moves straight out of Dancing with the Stars. While taking a bath in a half-frozen pond last winter, he became perhaps the first Harris’ Hawk to ever catch and eat a fish!
Louhi is a young female Harris’ Hawk with a year’s hunting under her belt. Like other birds of prey, females are larger and stronger than the males of their species, and Louhi is no exception. Cock pheasants, gray squirrels, and even ducks are possible prey for these sizeable talons, although she is not always sure how to go about catching them. Crash landings, midair misses, and confused looks are all a part of a juvenile hawk’s education! As she develops, she will become the leader of our Harris’ Hawk pack, showing the boys with her strength and speed just how it’s done.
Pete is a fifteen-year-old Great Horned Owl, one of the world’s largest and most powerful owl species. Beautifully camouflaged, he is at home in the New Hampshire woods but nearly impossible to see unless found by crows or hawks angrily pointing out his whereabouts. Raised with humans from the time he was young, Pete shows signs of imprinting that likely mean he cannot return fully to the wild. Still, one look at his enormous, feathered talons and critical stare will make one thing clear: there’s nothing tame about him!