Birds-I LOVE them! I don’t define myself as a birder, but I love to observe these glorious creatures and listen to their birdsong as they perch in trees, hop along the ground or soar overhead. All the while they appear to be blithely oblivious to their beauty, but with subtle invitations to “look at me”.

I recently had an opportunity to participate in a beginner falconry class, compliments of Broadmoor Outfitters. Falconry, considered the oldest sport known to man, is defined as the sport or art of hunting with a trained raptor. It was a rare treat to observe a variety of birds of prey up close, and learn about their remarkable characteristics and hunting skills.

The first part of the class takes place near The Broadmoor Hotel, at the mews where the birds are housed. Part-time falconer Roger Tucker, introduced most of the 11 birds he cares for and trains, sharing his passion and expertise. All these birds were bred in captivity. This class doesn’t involve gazing at birds in cages. Oh no! Participants are able to get very close to the perched birds: examining in detail their feet, beaks, feathers, and watchful eyes. Some will even allow themselves to be touched.

There are 11 birds for viewing: five falcons, four hawks, and two owls. First up was Maverick, one of a pack of four Harris’ Hawks. The other three also have clever nicknames from the movie “Top Gun:” Goose, Ice Man and Phoenix.

Hawks can be described as sprinters, showcasing their powerful feet, wide wings and impeccable vision. They can see up to eight times better than humans. When prey is spotted, hawks go for the catch. Tucker emphasized Maverick’s powerful yellow talons and his long curving black claws. Hawks kill prey by grasping and stabbing them with their feet as they squeeze with up to 300 pounds of pressure. Their relatively weak beaks are then used to tear the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Although Maverick appears to be hefty, he weighs less than 2.5 pounds.

Falcons are built for speed. Peregrine falcons such as Drake are the fastest animals on earth and have been clocked at up to 240 mph. Tucker compares hawks to Jeep Wranglers, and falcons to Corvettes: utilitarian vs. speedsters. Falcons have smaller talons, and weaker feet than hawks. They kill with their beaks; typically grabbing prey by the neck and breaking it, or opening their skulls with this harsh weapon. Falcon’s vision is so sharp, they can spot prey from thousands of feet up in the air, before diving furiously to make the kill.

Rip was introduced next, a gyrfalcon, native to the Arctic Circle. This beautiful guy is the largest species of falcon in the world. He weighs 2.5 pounds and has a snow-white belly and striking black and white speckled plumage on his wings and tail.

Next up was Cupid, a male barn owl, that has an easily identified heart-shaped face and distinctive dark eyes. This adorable little fellow will let you pet his head and caress his downy feathers. He’s a fluff ball with an amazing wingspan, weighing less than a pound. Barn owls hunt for mice and rats by sound not by sight. They have the best hearing in the animal kingdom due to their pronounced facial disc, and asymmetric ear canals allowing them to zero in on prey with their “3D” hearing.

The magnificent queen of the mews was the last bird of prey to be introduced. Lovely Layla is a Eurasian eagle owl found across Europe and Asia. Weighing in at a hefty 5.5 pounds, she gazes at you intently with quarter-sized amber eyes. In the wild she would use her keen eyesight to hunt. And guess what?-owls have no sense of smell.

So what are some of the differences between raptors? Hawks can move their eyes slightly from side to side, while owls cannot and have to rotate their necks to look around. Hawks’ and falcons’ feet have three toes in front and one in back: owls have two in front and two in back. Hawks are able to focus at a distance and also close up, while owls can only focus far away.

The second part of the class was a free-flight demonstration, held at the now-closed Broadmoor Mountain golf course. Class participants don a glove and Lance, a Lanner falcon, will perch on your hand giving you a stellar chance to observe all of his avian characteristics.

A transmitter was then attached to Goose, a Harris hawk, and he shows off his remarkable hunting skills, by flying from limb to limb, swooping through the sky, and searching out prey. He trails and “catches” a motorized raccoon tail in exchange for a tasty mouse provided by Tucker.

Roger Tucker became a bird watcher at the age of 14, finding birds endlessly fascinating. After a trip to the Royal Falconry Center outside London, he was hooked on birds of prey.

“I came back from my month-long visit to England, joined the Great Lakes Falconry Club, and started to learn the process of falconry,” he said.

Within a few years he got his first raptor, a Red-tailed Hawk.

This appealing educational experience provides a unique and very personal appreciation for magnificent birds of prey. You will never encounter anything else like it! For further information contact: broadmooroutfitters.com