Birds of prey

Question 1

Two types of birds of prey

Answer 1

Longwings- falcons
Shortwings- hawks

Question 2

Longwings

Answer 2

falcons

often travel hooded

hunt by hover and stop

trained to wait on and fly to a lure

Question 3

Shortwings

Answer 3

hawks: buzzards, sparrowhawk

‘rough shooting’

Question 4

Harris hawk

Answer 4

‘weekend hawk’

lazy

get attached to owner

can work in a group

Question 5

Which sex is larger within birds of prey

Answer 5

females

Question 6

Housing types for birds of prey

Answer 6

mews and weathering lawn

aviary

Question 7

Feeding birds of prey

Answer 7

day old chicks

‘wrangle’

quail

prey: rabbit, pigeon, rook

Question 8

Handling of birds of prey

Answer 8

beware of talons, beak less powerful

restraint by casting

Question 9

Imping and coping falconry birds

Answer 9

Imping: Cutting a broken or damaged feather and replacing it with an undamaged feather. Imping usually involves cutting the shaft of the bird’s broken feather, trimming a feather that the falconer has on hand to the right length, and the gluing the shaft of the replacement feather to the shaft of the broken feather on the bird.

Coping: To re-shape the bird’s beak into its optimal form; to trim the growth and shape it up.

Question 10

Hospitalisation of falconry birds

Answer 10

• Need something to perch on
• Have a pair of falconry gloves in building
• Dont put them where they can frighten other patients
• Support feeding
  ○ Liquid feed
  ○ Pieces of prey
• Remember that owls have no crop

Question 11

Roundworms in falconry birds

Answer 11

• May be in digestive or respiratory tract
• Most common: ascarids
  ○ Often in birds housed in aviaries
  § Infective larvae survive up to a year in the environment
• Prepatent period 6-8 weeks
  Fenbendazole

Question 12

Capillaria in falconry birds

Answer 12

Paratenic host
○ Earthworms
○ So often seen in buzzards and kites

May see lesions on tongue, in mouth

VERY hard to kill
○ Try Fenbendazole 25mg/kg sid 5d
○ Re-test faeces

Move aviary!

Question 13

Other worms in falconry birds

Answer 13

Syngamus trachea
- Confirm before Tx and give antibiotics because of dead worms in respiratory tract

Tapeworms
- Rarely cause disease

Question 14

Trichomoniasis in falconry birds

Answer 14

‘Frounce’

Feeding pigeons
○ Freeze
○ Remove head/neck

Metronidazole/Carnidazole

Often seen in rta owls - ‘concussed’

Question 15

Coccidiosis in falconry birds

Answer 15

Eimeria truncata

Heavily infected birds die due to kidney failure

Question 16

External parasites of falconry birds

Answer 16

• various flat flies, hippoboscid flies
• all the usual mites found in permanent bird accommodation

Question 17

Bite wounds in falconry birds

Answer 17

• Squirrels
• Amoxy-Clav
• Always check and dose for long enough

Question 18

Bumblefoot in falconry birds

Answer 18

• Debride, swab, bandage
• Antibiotics
• Astroturf perching

Question 19

Wing tip oedema in falconry birds

Answer 19

• Factors
  ○ Cold and damp
  ○ Ground or low tethered
• Symptoms
  ○ Wet and foul smell
  ○ Discoloured skin and feather loss
  ○ Loss of wing function
• Treatment (emergency)
  ○ Must be caught early
  ○ Antibiotics, pain relief, anti-inflammatories, vascular promoters (peripheral dilators)
• Prognosis guarded to poor

Question 20

Poisons of falconry birds

Answer 20

• Illegal poisoning of bait
• bacon

Question 21

Sour crop/impacted crop of falconry birds

Answer 21

• An emergency
  ○ The bird gets very sick very fast
  
  • Empty the crop
    ○ May require ingluviotomy
    ○ (Surgical empyting of crop)
  • Start iv fluids

Question 22

Aspergillosis of falconry birds

Answer 22

• Poor environment
  ○ Most falconers aware of the problem
  
  • Gravel floors in mews are good
    ○ Can be hosed regularly
  • Aviary may be even better
    ○ Depending on substrate