Practical Bird-Keeping .— V. Hawks and Owls. 279


plan is, I believe, followed in the Giza Zoological Gardens with

excellent results. Fowls’ heads, in addition to the usual rations

are very useful here, but whatever ‘ fur ’ be given the bird should

on this day have a gorge, that is to say be given double rations,

the remnants of which need not be removed till the next morn¬

ing, O11 the day following the ‘gorge’ it should be fasted. By

this means almost any Hawk can be kept in the finest trim and

condition. The birds, however, will require watching during the

moult, which commences in the early part of the summer, and

then they will require rather more generous feeding, which has

to be continued well on into the autumn, long after the moult

has ceased ; by November, however, a return may be made to

the ordinary rations. The amount of food that should be given

at any meal can be easily judged by the actions of the bird. If

it has not all been eaten at one sitting too much has been given,

and if, on the other hand, he is ready for more when the surplus

food is being removed his dinner has erred on the ‘short’ side.

I am afraid that when written down all this may sound very

complicated, but it is not so in practice, it is quite easy to make

a rule not to feed the birds on Sunday and to give them larger

rations with chopped tow on Saturday, and that is all that is

essential. Of course, anyone who cannot take sufficient interest

to find out when his birds are in moult should not keep birds.


Next comes the question of water for bathing and drinking,

for the latter purpose water is not necessary, and I cannot

remember ever seeing a Hawk drink, though good observers

have stated that they do, but many species undoubtedly like a

bath at times, even though they are not great bathers. The best

bath is a large rectangular tray, about four inches deep, which

may be put in on fine bright days. Hawks properly kept are,

like most birds, very seldom ill ; if, however, they appear out-of¬

sorts I have generally found that a day without food, followed by

a good meal off a freshly-killed warm bird or rat, and then giving

them for some days as much ‘ fur ’ as possible soon brought them

back to health.


The species of Hawks, though numerous, are all so alike

in habits that the same treatment will do for all, especially the

larger kinds. There are, however, some delightful small species,



