After a recent birding trip to Arizona, I had a great time on a falconry experience (“hawk walk”) led by Sky Island Falconry in Tucson. We had the opportunity to hunt with one of Sky Island Falconry’s Harris’s Hawks in the Sonoran Desert. The scenery and flora was absolutely amazing, and it was a real thrill to see a Harris’s Hawk hunt in their natural environment.

Hunting with a Harris’s Hawk in the Sonoran Desert

This Sky Island Falconry session was led by Nate Danforth and his adult male Harris’s Hawk, Norman. Our session took us to the outskirts of Tucson, to the rolling desert landscapes of the Ironwood Forest National Monument. We hunted a seemingly endless topography of tall saguaros, prickly pears, chollas, and the namesake desert ironwood trees.

Cooperative Hunting on Display: A Falconer with a Harris’s Hawk

Harris’s Hawks are one of the few raptor species known for their social nature and cooperative hunting technique. This makes them ideal partners with humans in falconry – they are one of the most popular species in America for falconry, despite being a relatively isolated and uncommon hawk. Norman followed Nate closely for hunting opportunities.

The Ancient Art of Falconry

Falconry is a form of hunting; and should not be confused with keeping a raptor as a pet. A successful falconry event will end with the raptor taking quarry, and in this case, Norman successfully captured a desert rodent.

So You Want to be a Falconer?

Falconry is an ancient discipline, and practicioners must master a nearly endless amount of scenarios to successfully keep a raptor, and become an effective hunting partner. Sky Island Falconry provides a great experience that educates the public about what it takes to hunt with raptors. At the end of our session, Nate allowed us to interact with Norman for a one-of-a-kind closeup experience. I hope to have another chance to visit in the future.