A bird in the hand

Parabuteo unicinctus

The Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus is a raptor of the south western states of USA, Central and South America - a bird of savanna, chaparrel and other semi-arid habitats. It is a social bird and will often be found hunting in small family groups, working cooperatively to exploit larger quarry. It's natural sociability making it an ideal bird to be trained for falconry (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2009 [Online]; The Peregrine Fund, 2009 [Online]). Peter Harvey took the opportunity today to study the species close up and in the hand when a falconer asked permission to hunt through his garden-side wood.