Pearl is our 7-year old Red Tailed Hawk. She is an amazing bird with a very strong, and sometimes stubborn personality. Pearl is already trained to perch on the gloved fist during my educational presentations. She is a pro....she also easily steps into and out of her travel crate, she steps on and off the scale several times each week, and she will sit on the fist while we go for "walks" in the woods. Lately I have been trying to train Pearl to jump to the glove, and then to eat her meal off the glove. Right now, at this point in time, Pearl does not realize the value of doing what I am asking of her....meaning Pearl has decided she does not want to eat on the glove but would rather take her food to a high perch to devour in relative privacy.
(translation: stubborn)
I am determined to not give in to Pearl and am remaining steadfast in my "request" to her. She must eat her food on my gloved fist. It is her decision to eat or not. If she chooses to not eat the tasty fresh mouse on my glove, then she will not get a meal that particular day...again, it is Pearls' decision. Because I am a softie-at-heart I usually give Pearl a few opportunities each day to eat on the glove. The past 2 days Pearl has only decided to eat one mouse on the glove. I know she wants to eat more, but she chooses, instead, to fly off the glove and onto a high perch in her aviary. Then she just seems to glare at me. At this point in the training cycle, I am not too worried that Pearl is only eating one mouse each day, because, in actuality, Pearl is at the heaviest weight she has ever been while living at Wings of Wonder. She currently weighs in at more than 1500 grams......aka she is rather fat. I am predicting that as Pearl loses a few grams over the next couple of days, she will be more interested in eating her meals on my gloved fist. The reason why I am determined to get Pearl to eat on the glove is that I want to have her do a bit of flying during the educational presentations. Pearl needs to learn that there is always a treat in the glove. It is my goal to have Pearl fly about 35 feet from a stationary perch to my glove in front of an audience. That way audience attendees can better appreciate the beauty and gracefullness of a hawk. I hope none of you reading this blog will think that I am being too strict or harsh with Pearl. Please know that she is a totally pampered red tailed hawk. Her varied diet consists of fresh mouse meat, rat meat, quail and chicken. During the summer months she enjoys the addition of crickets, fish and european starlings into her diet. She certainly has found a place in my heart and is my most favorite raptor here at Wings of Wonder.... but, please, don't tell any of our other raptors!
