Falconry in Pest Bird Management

There are three types of falconers you can use to do bird abatement in your field:

Falconer using abatement techniques- The most aggressive raptor bird management method involves hiring a falconer with pest bird abatement experience to be in your field just before as well as throughout harvest.

Training an on-farm employee- Some raptor pest bird abatement companies will train an employee in abatement techniques and raptor care during harvest. The bird is returned to the abatement company for the rest of the season.

Falconer using Traditional falconry techniques- Not recommended for bird management, but that doesn't mean that it isn't useful. If you are in a situation where a falconer asks to use your fields to hunt or train, or you seek out someone and offer your fields, the raptor and falconer presence may certainly benefit you, however brief, at no cost.

What to look for in a falconer
Regardless of the type of falconer you use for bird abatement, there are basic characteristics and skills to look for before hiring someone to reduce pest birds on your farm. Click Choosing a Falconer for a list.

Cost
Each falconer has varying cost inputs to cover. Of the falconers and growers we interviewed, falconry program costs ranged from $300 to $1000 per day, with the majority of programs closer to the middle range of $600 a day.

Click on Abatement Falconry Business Models for the estimated cost of various business models.