Hi Anthony! If you're looking at conditioning for training raptors (or anything else for that matter) there's a book I've been working my way through that may be of use or interest to you too.
I've found the link to it on Amazon Australia website, it says temporarily out of stock but you could look it up in a local bookstore once you have the title and details, if you're interested that is.
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Shoot-Dog-Teaching-Training/dp/1860542387/ref=sr_ob_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293989613&sr=1-3]Amazon.com: Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training (9781860542381): Karen Pryor: Books[/ame]
There's a whole bunch of reprints of this book but the most up to date one has a chapter on 'clicker' training, which seems to be the one most places are interested in right now. (I know I'm going to start using it this year, got myself a clicker for xmas).
I gave the details of the book to the Curator of Birds at Chester Zoo recently, and will be interested to hear what he makes of it and whether he implements any of it too.
On the subject of Dimorphism in raptors, along with the size goes temperament. Females are larger than males for a number of reasons, firstly they have to be able to afford the potential weight loss during egg incubation and brood rearing whilst relying on the male hunting for the family, and also being larger helps defend the nest from would-be predators - this is where the temperament comes in, females are more aggressive! (aren't they always?
) So if you are training raptors it is useful to bear in mind that a male of the species will be more laid back and receptive, while the female is likely to be more willful and aggressive. This can potentially lead to errors in training and handling, and naturally potentially nasty injuries to yourself and any public in the vacinity! In my experience females of buzzard species, goshawk, and the larger owls make the more challenging, shall we say, trainees. Some people like this challenge, but for anyone starting out I'd always advise on working with a male.
kc7gr
Only a veterinarian can tell for certain if a bird is male or female (it takes genotyping of their DNA, from a blood sample).
- No offence but not always true. Some species do show plumage differences between the sexes. For example Snowy Owls have a different number of dark barring on their tail feathers depending on whether they are male or female. Harris Hawks also often show general variation in plumage coloration depending on gender, as do Common Buzzard and Barn Owls - but I do have to say that in many species even these colour differences can be more or less apparent depending on the individual bird.
- I have also known laboratory DNA testing get it wrong! Birds confirmed and certified by DNA as definite males have in fact been female (we could tell by their size and aggression!), laid eggs and gone on to become good mothers!
Age and the history of the individual and how it has been handled are also important factors in how they respond to conditioning and training. An ex-wild bird may very well be highly strung and very challenging if not impossible to 'tame', but taking small steps with positive reinforcement conditioning - along with a bucketful of patience - may well bring the individual round given time. While some of the established falconry practice says that raptors, and especially owls, are only open to conditioning in the first year of life (or until sexual maturity at least), I find that this is only partly true. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks but that ain't true, the old dog just takes a little longer and may need smaller steps.
I'd be happy to try help however I can, send me a Private Message, if you like. If I can't help on any topic myself, I can always put you in correspondence with any of my experienced falconry contacts (here in the UK).
I'd say check out that book and you may well have all you need right there!
Oh, one more tip; female Boobook aim for the eyes.
