18 Sep Training an Imprint Swainson’s Hawk: Building Trust and Skills
Welcome to our interactive deep dive on training a young Swainson’s hawk at Avian Behavior International. This particular bird has quite an interesting backstory that shapes our approach to his training. He was found as a nestling covered in ants and ended up imprinting on humans early in his life. After spending some time with a falconer who couldn’t give him the time he needed, he made his way to us. As with any bird that imprints, there are unique challenges and opportunities, and today, I’m going to share some of our process with you.
Starting with Flexibility and Understanding
When working with an imprint, it’s essential to have flexibility in your training plan. With our Swainson’s hawk, we haven’t yet decided on a set end goal for him, and that’s okay. For some scenarios, he may be suited as an on-the-glove bird where equipment is necessary, but in others, we might feel comfortable enough to let him be without any equipment. This flexible approach allows us to observe and respond to the bird’s needs and comfort levels as they evolve.
Early Days: Focus on Health and Avoiding Food Associations
In the early stages of his time with us, our priority was to let him molt out his feathers while he ate as much as he needed. This was crucial for two reasons. First, molting takes a lot of energy, and ensuring he had plenty of food would help him through this period. Second, as an imprint, we want to avoid creating strong food associations with the glove or hand. This is critical for maintaining healthy boundaries and behaviors. Now that he’s further along, we’ve become a bit more relaxed with his food and training routines, especially as he starts to work with more trainers. It’s important for an imprint to develop relationships with various handlers to avoid becoming overly fixated on one person.
Building Skills with Progressive Training
One of the first skills we began working on with this hawk is stepping up onto a glove and developing the confidence to do so without hesitation. In these sessions, we focus on smaller, more frequent repetitions with lots of reinforcement. We’re not aiming for tons of repetitions at once; instead, we want him to feel rewarded for the level of effort he puts in.
For example, when stepping up, I might tap and then place the food down, but I avoid giving food directly from the glove to prevent forming too strong an association. Sometimes, I hide the food behind my back, ready to reward him the moment he shows the desired behavior. If he seems hesitant or unsure, we take our time, allowing him to explore his comfort zone without feeling rushed.
Learning to Work with Multiple Trainers
You’ll notice in one of our training videos, I’m working alongside another trainer to build the bird’s comfort with new people. It’s not just about getting him to step up; it’s about observing how he responds to different trainers and adjusting our approach accordingly. For instance, if a trainer moves too quickly or doesn’t give him enough time to settle, he might back off or display uncertainty. In those moments, it’s crucial to pause, reset, and give him the chance to try again. This helps build trust and confidence.
Problem Solving and Adjusting Techniques
Training is rarely linear, especially with an imprint. You’ll see instances where he doesn’t react as expected or hesitates to step onto a perch. In these cases, we don’t force it. Instead, we use problem-solving skills to figure out why he’s hesitant. For example, there was a situation where he wouldn’t move down to a lower perch as quickly as I anticipated. We’ve since learned there might have been a reason he didn’t feel comfortable, but that’s okay. Training isn’t about getting everything right the first time; it’s about learning from each session and adjusting your approach.
What’s Next?
As we continue to work with this Swainson’s hawk, we’re not just teaching him behaviors; we’re learning about his needs, preferences, and boundaries. The process involves a lot of observation, patience, and willingness to adapt. Every bird, especially imprints, teaches us something new. And for us, that’s one of the most exciting parts of training.
Stay tuned for more updates and training videos where we dive even deeper into the specifics of working with imprints and how to navigate the unique challenges they bring. If you’re interested in this kind of hands-on learning and want to explore more about our methods, watch the full interactive course on training an Imprint hawk inside the Avian Behavior Lab! You can join the Lab FREE for 2 weeks! Use the code: Avian and dive into the hundreds of hours of deep dive courses, live trainings and our amazing supportive community!
For even more resources on how we use free loft training across different species, owls and eagles, check out our courses on free loft training with our great horned owl, nervous harris’s hawk, and one-eyed ornate hawk eagle.