Toby Bradshaw's Falconry Page

Toby Bradshaw's Hawking and Falconry Website

Hawking is the sport of hunting wild quarry with a trained hawk. Strictly speaking, falconry refers to hunting with falcons, but the terms 'hawking' and 'falconry' are now used interchangeably. I've been a hawker (and falconer) for more than 30 years. For the past 25 years I've flown captive-bred Harris's hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus) almost exclusively. Rabbits and hares (jackrabbits) are the primary quarry, but a wide assortment of other game is taken here and there -- pheasant, quail, chukar, ducks, crows, etc. Personally, I think Harris's hawks are the premier rabbit/jackrabbit hawk. Properly handled, they give a quality flight in an astonishingly wide variety of circumstances. Killer, a female Harris' hawk, and jackrabbit