Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Falconry Friday! More thoughts on Ferrugis

As I alluded to last time, most falconers think Ferruginous Hawks should actually be classified as booted eagles (Aquila sp.). This is partly due to their size, strength, intelligence, and temper (!). It's also partly due to their general behavior , both in the field and at home. The USFWS at least partly agrees, as those interested in acquiring what's known as an eagle endorsement are required to have experience with a Ferruginous hawk (among others) as a pre-requisite.


Ferrugis evolved largely in open country from about Kansas west and are comfortable nesting on the ground when necessary. Indeed, they'd rather perch on flat ground than any branch or bow perch. They are also prairie dog hunters supreme, having relatively small feet and the patience to play whack-a-mole. They also have the largest mouth (gape) of any raptor and can swallow an adult prairie dog whole (which is really quite the thing to see!)

When they're not sitting in wait at a prairie dog town, they are as strong a flier as a golden eagle, if not quite as fast. Way, way faster than a red tail though, and will chase as long as they can maintain a visual. You have to have a pretty big area to fly them and be pretty confident in radio tracking as she'll go a half mile or more on a chase.

Factiod of the day: In Kansas there is an ongoing experiment on two large ranches re: prairie dog control. Ferrugies came back in these areas once they stopped poisoning prairie dog towns and through about year 5, the ferrugies have been more effective at controlling prairie dog populations than the poisoning program was.