JESSES CAFE AMERICAIN | JESSES CAFE AMERICAIN JESSES CAFE AMERICAIN Jesses Cafe Americain cafe americain Cafe Americain is an American sitcom starring Valerie Bertinelli which aired on NBC during the 1993-1994 television season. It was filmed at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. jesses Jesses (singular “jess”) are thin straps, traditionally made from leather, used to tether a hawk or falcon in falconry. They allow a falconer to keep control of a bird while it is on the glove or in training, and allow a bird to be secured on a perch outside of its aviary. (Jess®) Jess® is a rule engine for the Java platform – it is a superset of CLIPS programming language, developed by Ernest Friedman-Hill of Sandia National Labs. It was first written in late 1995. A short leather strap that is fastened around each leg of a hawk, usually also having a ring or swivel to which a leash may be attached (Jess (fictional cat)) Postman Pat is a British stop-motion animated children’s television series first produced by Woodland Animations.

jesses cafe americain – Bobby Flay's Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook: Celebrate America's Great Flavors When Bobby Flay looks at a map of the United States, he doesn’t see states—he sees ingredients: wild Alaskan king salmon, tiny Maine blueberries, fiery southwestern chiles. The Food Network celebrity and renowned chef-restaurateur created his Bar Americain restaurants as our country’s answer to French bistros—to celebrate America’s regional flavors and dishes, interpreted as only Bobby Flay can. Now you can rediscover American cuisine at home with the recipes in Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Cookbook. Start with a Kentucky 95—a riff on a classic French cocktail but made with bourbon—and Barbecued Oysters with Black Pepper–Tarragon Butter. Choose from sumptuous soups and salads, including a creamy clam chowder built on a sweet potato base, and Kentucky ham and ripe figs over a bed of arugula dressed with molasses-mustard dressing.

Entrees will fill your family family-style, from red snapper with a crisp skin of plantains accompanied by avocado, mango, and black beans to a host of beef steaks, spice-rubbed and accompanied by side dishes such as Brooklyn hash browns and cauliflower and goat cheese gratin. Bar Americain’s famed brunch dishes and irresistible desserts round out this collection of America’s favorite flavors. Bobby also shares his tips for stocking your pantry with key ingredients for everyday cooking, as well as expert advice on essential kitchen equipment and indispensable techniques. With more than 110 recipes and 110 full-color photographs, Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Cookbook shares Bobby’s passion for fantastic American food and will change the way any cook looks at our country’s bounty. Featured Recipe: Sweet Potato Gratin Definitely decadent, this sweet potato gratin is destined to become a do-or-die part of your family’s holiday spread. Cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg perfume the cream with their warm flavors and seep their rich taste of fall into each layer. A mandoline makes quick work of slicing the potatoes and is worth the investment for the time it will save you in prep work.

Don’t forget to remove the cover for the last portion of baking time–the browned and bubbling crust is not to be missed. Yield 8 servings 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1?8 inch thick on a mandoline Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk together the cream, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until smooth. In a 10-inch square baking dish, arrange an even layer of sweet potatoes. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the cream mixture and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and cream, seasoning with salt and pepper, to form 8 to 10 layers. Press down on the layers to totally submerge the sweet potatoes in the cream mixture. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking until the cream has been absorbed, the potatoes are cooked through, and the top is browned, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

~ Beans and Nothingness (Mack Racks His Brains) god and the buddhas are all sitting at the bar inside Mack’s Cafe Americain, an upscale nightclub and gambling den, in casamackblanca, What does jesses mean? This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word jesses Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Jesses Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Jesses Jesses are thin straps, traditionally made from leather, used to tether a hawk or falcon in falconry. They allow a falconer to keep control of a bird while it is on the glove or in training, and allow a bird to be secured on a perch outside of its aviary. Numerology The numerical value of jesses in Chaldean Numerology is: 2 Pythagorean Numerology Jesses | Define Jesses at Dictionary.com (Old Testament) the father of David (I Samuel 16) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for jesses Expand Jesse masc. proper name, biblical father of David, from Latin, from Greek Iessai, from Hebrew Yishay, of unknown origin. jess n. leg-strap used in hawking and falconry, mid-14c., from Old French jes "straps fastened round the legs of a falcon," plural of jet, literally "cast, throw," from Latin iactus "a throw, cast," from iacere (see jet (v.)). Related: Jesses. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper jesses in the Bible Expand firm, or a gift, a son of Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17, 22; Matt. 1:5, 6; Luke 3:32).

He was the father of eight sons, the youngest of whom was David (1 Sam. 17:12). The phrase "stem of Jesse" is used for the family of David (Isa. 11:1), and "root of Jesse" for the Messiah (Isa. 11:10; Rev. 5:5). Jesse was a man apparently of wealth and position at Bethlehem (1 Sam. 17:17, 18, 20; Ps. 78:71). The last reference to him is of David's procuring for him an asylum with the king of Moab (1 Sam. 22:3). Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary Hawking Is The Oldest Sport English Literature Essay Hawking Is The Oldest Sport English Literature Essay Published: Last Edited: 23rd March, 2015 This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers. The Boke Of St Albans, a treatise on Hunting, Hawking and Armour published by the Abbess in the fifteenth century, laid out very specific guidelines for the species of hawk to which you were entitled.

Only a king could own a gyrfalcon, the merlin was reserved for ladies, and of course a kestrel for a knave. Falconry is said to originate in the East around 2000 BC and arrived in this country in Saxon times, where it became the sport of royalty when taken up by King Ethelbert II, although at that time anyone could fly a hawk over the largely common land. This all changed with the arrival of the Normans. Land came under the ownership of the gentry; the right to hunt became the privilege of the Landowners, and hunting was part of the education of the sons of the gentry, along with the other noble arts of archery and swordsmanship. In medieval England much of the country was covered with Royal Forest, further curtailing hunting by the common man. Read more in Hunting Â« Hunting Tips: Important Scent Control Hunters for Deer Management Â» Richard Coeur de Lion, a master falconer himself, was fascinated by the falconry techniques of the Saracens he saw in the holy land and is thought to have brought the falcon's hood back to this country.

Hunting birds became very valuable in the middle ages, were often depicted in art and carvings, and the King's hawks were protected, along with his deer, while a falcon was a valuable asset in trade and barter. The layman refers to the birds as hawks or falcons, mixing his terms at will, but they are in fact two distinct types that fall into the categories of longwing and shortwing. The shortwings are the Hawks or Accipiters and the man who flies them is an austringer, from the French for goshawk. The heavily-built yellow-eyed hawks with their short rounded wings include buzzard, goshawk, sparrowhawk and the eagle, and are carried on the fist until released at a suitable quarry. The hawks therefore are classed as "birds of the fist". The longwings are true falcons, capable of high speed dives with their long narrow wings. More slender than the hawks, the falcons have brown eyes and a notch in the upper mandible and include the peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, lanner falcon, kestrel and the little merlin.

Falcons hunt from a great height and are able to see for long distances, often taking prey out of sight of the falconer. They hunt grouse and partridge on open moorland where they are released, and circle overhead waiting for their prey which they take on the wing. To further complicate the matter for the layman only the female longwing is referred to as a falcon, the male being known by the old French word tiercel, showing that he is one third smaller than his mate. The longwings are hawks of the lure, that is they stoop to the lure when hunting and are trained to take a lure in mid air. The lure, attached to the end of a long line, resembles the natural prey of the bird, so that hawks, who take their prey on the ground, are trained by towing a bundle of fur while the stooping falcon is trained by swinging a lure of feathers in the air.

Falconry was a favourite hunting pastime of all English kings from Saxon times right up to the early nineteenth century, with the exception of James I who preferred to fish with cormorants, going so far as to set up cormorant houses on the river at Westminster at a place called the Vine Garden, and to create the office of Master Of The Cormorants. Edward III, when he invaded France, included thirty mounted falconers in his retinue, enabling him to continue his hunting during the war. He later made it a felony, punishable by a year and a day's imprisonment, to steal a hawk or the eggs. Richard II built his Royal Mews at Charing Cross in the fourteenth century, where they housed the Royal hawks, until they were converted to stables by Henry VIII. A popular sport at these times was heron hawking where the falconers would use a cast, or pair, of falcons working together to try to trap the heron's neck without being gouged by the beak, and bringing it down for the following horsemen to dispatch.

The most recent instance of falcons being used by the military was in the 1870's during the siege of Paris, when Bismarck used peregrine falcons in an attempt to hunt down the pigeons carrying messages to the government in Tours. The buildings housing the hawks were called mews, and there are still many fashionable narrow streets of small dwellings over integral garages in our old cities that bear the name. The equipment used on the hawks, much of it of leather, is called furniture and is largely un-changed to this day. The jesses are two leather straps fitted to the bird's legs so they can't tighten, and are used to keep the bird on the leather glove which the falconer wears to protect himself from the talons. In the case of a small falcon the glove needs to be thin enough for the falconer to be sensitive to the bird, but in the case of an eagle the glove extends to the elbow and is thick enough to protect him from bruising from the bird's powerful grip. The leather hood covers the bird's eyes to keep it quiet, fitting snugly over the head while leaving the beak free.

It is decorated with a plume of feathers, and the medieval Dutch example had colored panels over the eyes to denote the prey - green for rooks, red for game and purple for heron. Brass bells are fitted in pairs to fully-trained hawks so that they can be easily located, and a short leather leash is fitted to the jesses by a swivel to tether the bird. Falconry is no longer a sport of kings, it is available to the common man too, but it is a very difficult and demanding sport, and one which is rigidly controlled. A hawk needs to be flown every day and trained carefully by its handler, while the weight has to be carefully monitored so that the bird is kept at its flying weight; enough weight to give it stamina and energy, but not too much so that it is lethargic and unwilling to fly. Once the bird is trained and will step happily onto the fist, it should be regularly hunted over open country - hawks are raptors not domestic pets and need to catch their own prey.

All birds of prey are protected under British law, and anyone intending to take one from the wild or import one must first obtain a license from the department of the environment, and all legally held birds wear a registration band on their legs. These safeguards and restrictions are necessary in our modern world where the natural habitats of our birds of prey are being continually eroded, and illegally-obtained birds and eggs can command high prices. The gyrfalcon, the King's bird of the middle-ages, is highly prized today, being the largest and fastest falcon in the world, but is extremely valuable and rare in this country. The ancient sport of falconry however is unchanged since the Lionheart watched the Saracens flying their hawks in the Holy Land, while the modern falconers carry on valuable work breeding endangered species of hawk to return to the wild Read more: #ixzz2EE5BC1I3 Next article Falconry is a form of hunting, using birds of prey rather than weapons, to catch the hunted animal.

It was used in medieval times both as a necessity, by those who needed to catch food in order to eat and also as a sport by the wealthy, who often saw the sport and the birds of prey as status symbols and indicators of wealth and prestige. Falconry in Medieval Times At the height of the popularity of falconry, during the Middle Ages, the birds used in the sport had their own hierarchy. Certain birds were viewed as more suited to the sport and birds which were rarer and more expensive were deemed suitable for higher ranking persons. The best hawk, according to the fifteenth century English Boke of St Albans, was an eagle, vulture or merlon; the 'emperors' of birds. The list continued, with peregrine falcon, goshawk and sacre further down the list and the kestrel last in precedence, known as the 'knave' or 'servant', suited to ordinary working people. The Boke of St Albans recommended which classes of people should be allowed to own which bird, with the higher ranking birds reserved for royalty alone.

The Tasks Carried out by a Medieval Falconer The job of falconer in the Middle Ages was a responsible one; it was he who kept the hunting birds of his master, ensuring each was fully trained, well-nourished and ready to hunt at short notice. The birds that the falconer cared for were expensive and had to be treated with respect, as they were often both fragile and dangerous. It was the falconer who caught catch birds of prey from the wild and trained them to be handled by humans, whilst retaining their hunting instincts. The falconer made leather hoods and straps, known as jesses, individually for each bird. The job involved acquired skills and was often passed down from father to son. A Master Falconer was attached to a royal or noble household and headed a team of falconers, carrying out ceremonial duties at the royal table. An austriger carried out a similar job to a falconer but worked with birds which flew onto the fist, such as kestrels. This job was seen as lower status than that of the falconer, who worked solely with long-winged hawks, known as falcons.

In Wales, the Master of the Hawks, known as the Penhebogydd, was regarded as the fourth down in the social hierarchy from the king. Falconry in Medieval Society Falconry was widespread in medieval Europe and despite its elite image, was enjoyed by all social classes. There are records of monks and nuns being warned against bringing their birds into church services and disturbing the prayers. Outside the clerical world, falcons could be seen as a status symbol and often were carried round the streets as an accessory, fastened to a jewelled chain. Frederick II of Hohenstaufen is recognised as one of the greatest falconers of the medieval age. He was a Holy Roman Emperor and wrote De Arte Venandi cum Avibus (The Art of Falconry), a book which took decades to complete and which allowed him to share his enthusiasm with a wider public. People of various classes, both rich and poor, used the fields and forests of medieval Europe to hunt with birds throughout the Middle Ages. As the use of guns became more widespread, the sport fell into decline and many of the skills of the falconer, honed over centuries, were lost forever.

Next article Imagine standing on a freeway overpass, high above the traffic rushing past. Imagine spotting an enormous motorcyclist in the distance, a 350-pound Hell's Angel looking ominous on his Harley, cruising in the passing lane at, say, 70 miles per hour. Now imagine diving headfirst from the highway overpass, timing your jump perfectly so that you and the giant, speeding Harley rider arrive at an unobstructed point on the freeway simultaneously. Assuming you have executed your treacherous leap successfully--and you have, since this is all imaginary anyway--you must now wrestle the biker (who is at least twice your size) to the ground, where, with a few well-placed blows, you kill him instantly. Welcome to the world of game hawks. The life of a peregrine falcon or a goshawk or a golden eagle, like that of most any animal in nature, is filled with this kind of violent confrontation. A raptor--a bird of prey--is a stalker, a hunter and, ultimately, a ruthless killer. It is, like the metaphorical freeway overpass jumper, frighteningly vicious. But hawks are also profoundly beautiful.

Like a galloping cheetah chasing a bounding gazelle or a great white shark cruising after a school of mackerel, a hawk in flight is ineffably graceful, a living study of aerodynamic wonder. This is why some 4,000 Americans have discovered the ancient sport of falconry, the art of hunting with a trained bird of prey. They derive intense enjoyment from watching at close range a raptor doing what nature has designed it to do. Indeed, seeing a red-tailed hawk making lazy, effortless circles in the sky, its magnificent wings outstretched and its head panning the ground below like an automated surveillance camera, is like seeing Michael Jordan shooting jumpers in his pregame warm-up or spotting Jerry Rice in the corner of the stadium, jogging in a zigzag: They are all visually arresting and confident and utterly in control. When the time comes to strike, they will be ready. And they will often succeed. No wonder, then, that falconry has fascinated mankind for more than 4,000 years. Most historians say the sport originated in ancient China, where peasants employed raptors to supplement their food sources.

(Before the invention of guns, hawks may have been the most effective means of capturing small quarry.) Later, when the practice spread to Europe, falconry garnered a reputation as "the sport of kings," possibly because only the king and members of his court were allowed to own certain rare species of birds. Despite the sport's patrician connotation, falconry's appeal cuts across class lines. Unlike, say, polo, for a nominal investment--approximately $1,000, less than a set of new graphite-shafted golf clubs--anyone with a passion for birds and the patience to pass through a supervised educational program (including a two-year apprenticeship) may participate in one of the world's oldest and most seductive outdoor activities (see "Getting Started, below"). This winter, the California Hawking Club held its silver anniversary field meet in Yuba City, near Sacramento. A couple hundred hawkers, their birds in tow, met to swap stories, trade equipment and let their birds do what they do best.

The club's members, an eclectic mix of the wealthy and the working class, enjoy this annual congregation of falconry aficionados in the same way antique auto connoisseurs relish car shows: It's fun to gawk at other people's prized possessions--and even more fun to have them gawk at yours. Thus the centerpiece of the hawking club's field meet is the weathering yard, where the birds, tethered to handmade perches, preen in the sun, showing off their subtle coloring and lean muscles. Curious enthusiasts--lawyers and vintners and civil engineers and truck drivers by trade--lean over the fence rails surrounding the yard, peering at the birds as if they were so many rare jewels. The birds are alert but calm; the humans are unabashedly excited, like 10-year-old boys behind the dugout at their first big-league baseball game. These people--mostly men, though the club's president is a woman--delight in a bird's subtle attributes with the intensity of cigar lovers tasting a well-made double corona.

The weathering yard is similar to the aviary at a zoo, only you can get closer, close enough to see the birds' talons and beaks and piercing eyes. Since some species of raptors are occasionally hunted in the wild by other, larger species, the weathering yard is divided into two sections: the hawks, including the red-tail, Harris and Cooper varieties; and the falcons, including the smaller merlin, prairie and gyr varieties. Scattered among the purebreds are dozens of hybrids, such as the merligrine, a mix between a merlin and a peregrine. Though owls, ospreys and eagles are also birds of prey, they are not used in America for falconry because of species protection laws and behavioral incompatibility. 1 2 3 4 > Falcons are generally known as the fighter pilots of the sport. Long, pointy wings, slender bodies and particularly large feet make them especially adept at high-speed, open-air flight; they are capable of soaring to 1,000 feet or higher and bringing down ducks and pigeons at speeds ranging from 120 to 200 mph.

Hawks do not fly as fast--probably closer to 70 mph--but with shorter, broader wings and a stockier build, they are more maneuverable, capable of twisting through forests and brush to nab quail and pheasant. Some of the birds, such as the red-tail hawk, are expert bombers, which soar down from lofty perches, pouncing on mice, snakes and rabbits with brutal force. Spend enough time around the weathering yard and you'll notice a spectrum of bird behavior, from the delightful to the terrifying. In one corner of the yard, a mature Harris hawk, relaxed and seemingly content, bathes himself in a small bowl of water beside his perch. If not for his curved, needle-tipped talons, you might think him a wren in your backyard. Across from the laid-back adult Harris, a young, immature female of the breed periodically begins to "bait," jumping up and down, flapping her wings. Her neighbor, a young red-tail, screeches loudly, like a baby seeking a bottle.

According to Rick Holderman, an engineer from San Diego and the field meet's weathering yard marshal, the red-tail's caterwauling may be a plea for attention, or it may merely be social talking. "Once these birds have been domesticated," he says, "they can recognize their owner, whom the bird associates with food. If I walk past my bird, you can bet she'll start yelling at me." In the falcon wing, a petite, robin-sized merlin "mantles" over an afternoon snack. He stretches his wings to their full length and pulls the tips toward his beak, creating a tent of feathers that conceals his food from the other birds. The effect is something like a vampire enveloping his cape over a nubile victim. Some of the birds wear little leather hoods, like horse blinders. "A raptor's brain is 90 percent vision," Holderman says. "Maybe eight percent of its brain is dedicated to hunting and killing, and two percent to reproduction. The rest is all about eyesight." The phrase "eyes like a hawk" is not merely a cliché. A hawk's vision is thought to be about eight times more powerful than a human's.

(If you and a hawk, for instance, were to sit in the stadium press box at a football game, you would see an expansive green field; the hawk would see individual blades of grass.) To a hooded raptor, the world is an extremely mellow place. Unhooded, perched on a tree above a meadow, a game hawk is anything but relaxed. He is part roving radar dish, part meat-seeking missile. At the California Hawking Club's field meet, groups of falconers (and their birds) light out into the fields around rural Yuba City, in search of quarry. Those falconers flying merlins seek flocks of English sparrows, which a merlin can pluck out of midair like an outfielder snaring a line drive in the gap. Those flying Harris hawks seek jackrabbits--muscular, superfast bunnies the size of a small dog. Whether you like hunting or not, it is difficult not to admire the precision and grace with which a raptor works. Though domesticated, most trained birds hardly differ from their brethren in the wild--except that the domesticated ones live about three times longer.

Trained birds, like wild ones, like nothing better than to hunt. You can see the excitement in the bird's behavior when it is cast from its master's forearm into the sky: It's like a slot-machine junkie let loose in a casino. Falconry is not merely voyeurism. Part of the sport's appeal is working with the bird, beating the brush, flushing prey, guiding the hawk toward potential targets. "It's not the bird that gets trained," Holderman says. "It's the hunter who gets trained. We have to learn to operate within the bird's instincts. We have to learn how to work in tandem with this flying creature." To that end, all apprentice hawkers in America train under the supervision of a sponsor, a master hawker who guides them through centuries-old methods for trapping (it is illegal in America to buy or sell wild birds), training and bonding with a bird of prey. Bottom of Form Hawk Hawk (1) Different parts of a hawk: Arms. The legs from the thigh to the foot. Beak. The upper and crooked part of the bill. Beams. The long feathers of the wings. Clap. The nether part of the bill. Feathers summed.

Feathers full grown and complete. Feathers unsummed. Feathers not yet full grown. Flags. The next to the longest feathers or principals. Glut. The slimy substance in the pannel. Gorge. The crow or crop. Haglurs. The spots on the feathers. Mails. The breast feathers. Nares. The two little holes on the top of the beak. Pannel. The pipe next to the fundament. Pendent feathers. Those behind the toes. Petty singles. The claws. Principal feathers. The two longest. Sails. or sere. The yellow part under the eyes. Train. The tail. (2) Different sorts of hawk: Gerfalcon. A Tercell of a Gerfalcon is for a king Falcon gentle and a Tercel gentle. For a prince. Falcon of the rock. For a duke. Fulcon peregrine. For an earl. Bastard hawk. For a baron. Sacre and a Sacrit. For a knight. Lanare and Lanrell. For a squire. Merlyn. For a lady. Hoby. For a young man. Goshawk. For a yeoman.

Tercel. For a poor man. Sparehawk. For a priest. Murkyte. For a holy-water clerk. Kesterel. For a knave or servant. Dame Juliana Barnes. The “Sore-hawk” is a hawk of the first year, so called from the French, sor or saure, brownish-yellow. The “Spar” or “Sparrow” hawk is a small, ignoble hawk (Saxon, speara; Goth, sparwa; cur spare, spur, spur, spear, spire, sparing, sparse, etc; Latin, sparsus; all referring to mindteness). (3) The dress of a hawk: Bewits. The leathers with bells, buttoned to a hawk's legs. The bell itself is called a hawk-bell. Creanse. A packthread or thin twine fastened to the leash in disciplining a hawk. Hood. A cover for the head, to keep the hawk in the dark. A rufter hood is a wide one, open behind. To hood is to put on the hood. To unhood is to take it off.

To unstrike the hood is to draw the strings so that the hood may be in readiness to be dulled off. Jesses. The little straps by which the leash is fastened to the legs. There is the singular jess. Leash. The leather thong for holding the hawk. (4) Terms used in falconry: Casting. Birds of Prey - PdfSR.com Birds of Prey Debbie Dennis, owl illustration on cover; Doug Pifer, Pennsylvania Game Cindie Brunner, drawings of red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, and Edmond B. Collins, WVU Extension Service division leader, for Brandon R. Vallorani, Extension Service graphic artist, for layout and design. Norma Jean Venable is a natural resources specialist with the WVU Extension Service and author of the publications in the Natural Resources Series. Programs and activities offered by the West Virginia University Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, sexual orientation or national origin. Issued in furthurance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S.

Department of Agriculture. Director, Cooperative Extension Service, West Virginia University-- Fall 1997 Printing Cost: $6.00 Attracting Birds of Prey ...................... 43 Harrier ................................................. 17 Northern Harrier or Marsh Hawk 17 Raptor Surveys ................................... 48 Hawk Migration Data Sheet ............... 50 Northern Goshawk ........................ 20 Birds of prey have special characteristics and adaptations for hunting that set them D apart from other birds. Raptors are EFINITION OF BIRDS OF PREY characterized by strong legs, powerful feet Owls, hawks, and hawklike birds including with sharp talons, a hooked beak used to tear vultures, osprey, eagles, harriers, and prey, keen eyesight, and excellent flying falcons, are birds of prey. Birds ability. of prey, especially hawks and Birds of prey are sexually dimorphic, their relatives, are also called meaning female and male birds differ raptors, a Latin word in size. Females are up to a third meaning “plunderer.” larger than males. The male bird of prey is called a CLASSIFICATION tiercel, from the Latin word tertius, meaning third.

Hawks belong to an order or Because of their larger size, group of birds with the scientific females are more aggressive includes vultures, osprey, harriers, kites superior strength and hunting ability make (southern hawks), accipiter and buteo them preferred birds for use in falconry. hawks, eagles, and falcons. Other birds—including warblers, vireos, and Hawks are called “diurnal,” meaning they shrikes that catch insects and herons that are active during daylight. Worldwide, there catch fish—are not considered birds of prey are about 280 species of diurnal birds of because they lack true raptor characteristics. prey, ranging from the small 3- to 8-ounce sharp-shinned hawk, which lives from P Alaska to the southern United States, to the REDATION immense 20-pound harpy eagle of South Hawks and owls are predatory birds. America. More than 35 hawk species occur Predation is an interaction between two in North America. Sixteen kinds of hawks species in which one species becomes food can be found in West Virginia. for the other.

Predation has evolved through Owls belong to an order or group of birds the ages, acting as a natural way to keep with the scientific name Strigiformes. They populations balanced. are nocturnal birds, meaning they hunt at Raptors are a diverse bird group, with each night, filling the nightime feeding niche. species adapted to prey on animals smaller Worldwide, there are over 130 species of than itself. Prey includes mammals, owls, 18 of which live in North America. amphibians, reptiles, insects, fish, and birds. Eight kinds of owls live in West Virginia. The type of prey consumed differs according Hawks and owls are not closely related, to the individual species. Bald eagles and although they have similar adaptations for osprey are fish-eaters; broad-winged hawks hunting. consume primarily insects and snakes; red- tailed hawks prey heavily on mammals; 2 sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks prey usually consist of fur, feathers, bones, teeth, extensively on birds; harriers catch mice, hard exoskeleton of insects, and other rats, frogs, snakes, and insects; and kestrels indigestible parts.

Pellets are usually gray or take mice, birds, bats, and insects. Owls eat brown, oval or oblong, and 1 to 3 inches mice, rats, small- and medium-sized long, depending on the size of the bird. An mammals, birds, and insects. analysis of the pellet contents provides information about the raptor’s cuisine. PELLETS A unique group of birds, raptors play an important environmental role in keeping Hawks and owls disgorge undigested parts prey populations balanced and add regal of their prey in the form of a pellet. Pellets splendor to West Virginia’s skyways. 3 Birds of prey were also important to New A World civilizations. Drawings of birds of NCIENT CIVILIZATIONS prey, such as hawks, eagles, and condors, Birds of prey have played an important part have been found on textiles and stone in the life and culture of ancient sculptures of the ancient cultures of the civilizations. Eagles, hawks, falcons, Andes in South America.

In North America, vultures, and owls were associated with the Pueblo Indians kept birds of prey in deities and religious rites symbolic of kings captivity, using their molted feathers for and great power. The ancient decorations and in religious rites. The civilizations of western Maya and Aztecs of Mexico Asia, including used birds of prey to represent Sumeria, power. In Egypt, as long as 10,000 years F ago, the falcon image was an important ALCONRY theme. Falcons were depicted in Egyptian Birds of prey, especially falcons, hieroglyphics, often representing kings. are associated with the art of falconry, Egyptians worshiped falcons in their or the use of raptors for hunting. At its temples and buried falcons in their tombs. height in Europe from 500 to 1500 A.D., this Birds of prey were also important in Greek pastime was popular with all classes of and Roman civilizations. Coins dating from society. the fourth century B.C. show Alexander the Falconry still is practiced today and is legal Great with a falcon on his fist, indicating the in many states.

Before they are licensed, use of falcons for hunting in Grecian times. falconers must undergo extensive training in For the Romans, owls—perhaps because of the care and handling of the birds. their nocturnal habits and stealthy hunting patterns—were symbols of misfortune and The origins of falconry are obscure, but it death. Even today, owls are associated with probably originated in China, where mystery and ghostly happenings. cormorants were trained to dive into the 4 water and catch food for their human bird. Peregrines occur worldwide and are owners. The first falconer may have been found on every continent except Antarctica. someone who captured a falcon or eagle and There are some 22 species. Peregrines are realized the raptor, like the cormorant, might the fastest and most aerial of the predatory be useful for catching food. So, birds of prey birds and may reach over 200 miles per hour were trained and then used to catch birds. in a “stoop” or dive after a bird. Thus falconry actually started as a method of hunting.

In time, falconry developed into Merlins, about 12 inches long, nest in North a sport. In the times of Gengis Khan, eagles America, Canada, Russia, and Finland. were used to chase and capture wolves. In They were milady’s falcon, carried on a Japan, emperors and shoguns rode on lady’s fancy bejeweled glove. Mary, Queen magnificently decorated horses to engage in of Scots—who was ordered beheaded by her falconry. sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England— probably flew merlins. Mary was even Falconry became popular in Europe during allowed out of captivity to go on falcon medieval times in the 11th, 13th, and 14th expeditions. centuries, when Crusaders returning from the East brought back trained falcons. Last on the social order were knaves, Falconry was so popular during these times persons of humble birth. Knaves flew the that nuns carried birds of prey to chapel, and common kestrel, a small falcon 13 inches a 14th-century French husband advised his long.

Kestrels are one of the most common wife to take her “hawk” with her falcons in the world, nesting in the everywhere, even to church. Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The art of falconry was at its zenith during the Renaissance, from the 14th century to Falconry was an elaborate affair. Expedi- the 16th century. tions were conducted on horseback on extensive estates. Hunting parties were lavish. The sport was so popular that a book was During those times, there were distinct written describing the art of falconry. From social classes. Falconry was popular with all this book, it is known that early devices for social sets from servants to kings. The training falcons are still in use among species of bird used for falconry reflected falconers today. Today’s falconer, like his social status. Majestic and mighty eagles counterpart of old, fits a hood over the bird’s were reserved for emperors. Kings hunted head. Birds so hooded cannot see, remain gyrfalcons (the Norse word means “spear quiet, and usually are easier to handle.

Silver falcon”), largest of the falcons at 22 inches or brass bells placed on the bird’s legs are in length, with plumage varying from white held on by thin leather strips called bewits. to black and brown. These beautiful, Jesses, leather straps about 8 inches long, excellent hunters nest in Greenland and the are placed on the hawk’s legs below the Arctic. bells. The free end of the jesse is passed through a swivel to which the leash is Peregrine falcons were prized by royalty and attached. The leash is used to attach the bird used for hunting by princes, earls, dukes, to its block, so it cannot fly away. In and barons. Noted for their strength and training, the falconer uses the lure and hunting ability, peregrines are THE hunting feathered lure, pieces of leather containing 5 meat, which serves as dummy prey. The young destroyed. Some states offered falcon is carried on the gloved fist (the glove bounties to hunters for killing hawks, adding is called a gauntlet) by holding the jesses to the destruction. Shooting hawks was between the fingers. When the bird is considered sport.

Peregrines, merlins, released to hunt, the jesses and bells stay on kestrels, and other hawks fell to hunters’ the bird’s legs. guns at such infamous shooting grounds as Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. After the When falconry was in its heyday, falcons or slaughter of large numbers of birds, the “noble hawks” were among the most conservationists intervened, purchased valued possessions of the aristocracy. There Hawk Mountain, and formed the Hawk were strict rules and laws about ownership. Mountain Sanctuary in 1933. This ushered Harsh punishments were given to those who in a new era of enacting hawk protection harmed wild falcons, robbed eyries (nests), laws and programs. The protection of or stole other people’s hawks. Every manor migrant raptors was made part of the 1972 had a place for hawks, and falconers Migratory Bird Treaty between the United probably took better care of the birds than States, Canada, and Mexico, providing they did of themselves. The office of federal protection for all raptors. It is illegal falconer held high rank.

For a thousand years, birds of prey enjoyed Even with protection, populations of birds of popularity and some protection from human prey declined in the 1950s and ’60s due to molestation. the use of pesticides, especially DDT, which affected calcium production, causing thin R egg shells. This resulted in broken eggs as ECENT TIMES the birds tried to incubate. Populations of The development of guns for hunting and osprey, sharp-shinned hawks, and peregrine the intensive management of game preserves falcons were exterminated in parts of their brought changes at the end of the range because the birds could not raise Renaissance and the beginning of the 17th young. century, which led to a decline in the With the banning of DDT in 1972, popularity of falconry. Throughout the 18th, restrictions on pesticide use, conservation 19th, and 20th centuries, birds of prey were measures, and hawk reintroduction less venerated and considered “vermin” by programs—including osprey and peregrine gamekeepers and their landlords in Europe.

reintroduction efforts in West Virginia— Waterfowl hunters in North America killed birds of prey once again soar over their thousands of birds. Birds of prey were shot, native skies. poisoned, and trapped, and their eggs and 6 Hawk Hawk (1) Different parts of a hawk: Arms. The legs from the thigh to the foot. Beak. The upper and crooked part of the bill. Beams. The long feathers of the wings. Clap. The nether part of the bill. Feathers summed. Feathers full grown and complete. Feathers unsummed. Feathers not yet full grown. Flags. The next to the longest feathers or principals. Glut. The slimy substance in the pannel. Gorge. The crow or crop. Haglurs. The spots on the feathers. Mails. The breast feathers. Nares. The two little holes on the top of the beak. Pannel. The pipe next to the fundament. Pendent feathers. Those behind the toes. Petty singles. The claws. Principal feathers. The two longest. Sails. or sere. The yellow part under the eyes. Train. The tail.

(2) Different sorts of hawk: Gerfalcon. A Tercell of a Gerfalcon is for a king Falcon gentle and a Tercel gentle. For a prince. Falcon of the rock. For a duke. Fulcon peregrine. For an earl. Bastard hawk. For a baron. Sacre and a Sacrit. For a knight. Lanare and Lanrell. For a squire. Merlyn. For a lady. Hoby. For a young man. Goshawk. For a yeoman. Tercel. For a poor man. Sparehawk. For a priest. Murkyte. For a holy-water clerk. Kesterel. For a knave or servant. Dame Juliana Barnes. The “Sore-hawk” is a hawk of the first year, so called from the French, sor or saure, brownish-yellow. The “Spar” or “Sparrow” hawk is a small, ignoble hawk (Saxon, speara; Goth, sparwa; cur spare, spur, spur, spear, spire, sparing, sparse, etc; Latin, sparsus; all referring to mindteness).

(3) The dress of a hawk: Bewits. The leathers with bells, buttoned to a hawk's legs. The bell itself is called a hawk-bell. Creanse. A packthread or thin twine fastened to the leash in disciplining a hawk. Hood. A cover for the head, to keep the hawk in the dark. A rufter hood is a wide one, open behind. To hood is to put on the hood. To unhood is to take it off. To unstrike the hood is to draw the strings so that the hood may be in readiness to be dulled off. Jesses. The little straps by which the leash is fastened to the legs. There is the singular jess. Leash. The leather thong for holding the hawk. (4) Terms used in falconry: Casting.

Question: What word is given to the thin leather straps used in falconry to tether the bird ?
Answer: JESSES