High-Tech Training for Birds of Prey

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The stress of confinement and rehabilitation is not the only issue for a rescued wild raptor: After release, it must also deal with the new area of releasement, and hopefully, survive. This can be a true challenge for different reasons, the first of which is how long a bird has been hospitalized. High-tech rehabilitation could enhance the recovery of rescued raptors by maximizing their muscle strength, speed, and/or endurance power. The more varied the training, the more the bird will regain a muscular structure comparable to a healthy and vigorous wild raptor. Moreover, high-tech training could minimize the raptors’ attachment to humans, which may become the main problem for wild bird rescue centers, when the released raptors exhibit habituation to humans as food suppliers. ABSTRACT: Raptors are some of the most at-risk groups of birds in the world and saving these top predators is essential for maintaining the health of many ecosystems. After hospitalization, raptors are often released when muscular recovery is still unfitting when they are unable to hunt efficiently and are at risk of dying from starvation within a few days. On the other hand, if a convalescent bird is trained with the only use of classic falconry techniques, it is likely to remain dependent on the caretaker/falconer even long after the release, so unable to hunt independently. To overcome these problems, a new training method was conceived, which could improve raptors’ muscular strength while limiting habituation to humans. This has been possible due to the combination of classic falconry techniques and modern technologies, such as the introduction of specific workouts with drones. Three falconry raptors and one wild Eurasian hobby were trained through high-tech falconry to develop the ability to catch, grasp, and airlift their prey at a different speed, altitude, and resistance. The main findings of this study were: (i) The rapid increase of the raptors’ speed; (ii) the muscular growth and endurance, and (iii) successful reintroduction of a wild bird.