Story and photos by Scott Kendall
Falconry, the Sport of Kings, at The Broadmoor
The art of falconry goes back thousands of years. Research has unearthed evidence of falconry being used by ancient civilizations in Arabia, the Middle East, and Mongolia. Originally, the birds were trained to help with hunting various prey. As time went on, falconry also became more of a sport, and was referred to as The Sport of Kings.
Be sure to watch the video above for a better sense of the majesty of these birds of prey (maximize your screen size).
The Broadmoor, the Fabulous 5 Star Resort in Colorado Springs
The Broadmoor is the world’s longest-running consecutive Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond resort. Everything it does is first class. As we found out, the falconry class at The Broadmoor was a fantastic experience, from the staff, our wonderful falconer, Katy, and the amazing lineup of birds we shared time with. The Broadmoor offers two classes in falconry – the Beginner’s and an Intermediate class. In the Beginner’s class that we took, guests get up close and personal with several birds of prey. The main birds we observed were Cupid, the Barn Owl; Layla, an Eagle Owl; Lance, a South African Lanner Falcon; and Goose, an amazing Harris Hawk.
My Dreams of Flying High Like an Eagle
I have often had dreams of being a bird, flying high among the clouds, feeling the freedom and exuberance I can only imagine these creatures of the sky must experience. If I ever come back to this earth as another being, I think a Peregrine Falcon, or maybe a majestic Bald Eagle, would be a great choice. But even if I can’t actually be a bird, this Falconry class was the next best thing.
Our falconer and guide was Katy, an amazing young lady full of passion and knowledge about her profession. Although she is in her very early 20s, Katy has been involved with birds and falconry since she was nine years old. Her expertise, temperament, sense of humor, and friendliness made her the perfect guide for our falconry adventure.
After a short introduction by Katy outside the enclosures that contained three Harris Hawks and a Peregrine Falcon, we went inside for some demonstrations and more fun facts about our first two guests – Cupid, the Barn Owl, and Layla, the large Eagle Owl.
Cupid, the Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is one of the most common owls in the world and can be found in almost every region except for polar and desert areas. However, it is relatively rare to see Barn Owls in the wild because they are nocturnal and are usually hidden in trees or cavities during daylight hours.
The Barn Owl has excellent night vision and hearing, and can catch prey in total darkness. Because of the soft fringe feathers, the Barn Owl is almost silent in flight, with none of the “swooshing” associated with other birds. Farmers love Barn Owls, which often make their homes in barns, and help by eating rodents and other pests. They will eat their prey whole, and will later regurgitate bones, fur, and other indigestible body parts in the form of owl pellets.
This owl is known to screech loudly when hungry, mating, or warning predators, and does not hoot like other owls. We enjoyed watching Cupid screech in anticipation of the last big treat of our session with him, a nice juicy chicken head!
Layla, the Huge Eagle Owl
Layla is the resident Eagle Owl, one of the largest owls in the world. Eagle Owls can have a wingspan of over six feet and can weight up to six pounds. With their mass of fluffy feathers, they look like they would weigh much more. They generally live about 20 years in the wild and up to 60 years in captivity.
Eagle Owls are very powerful and aggressive and have excellent night vision. As Katy was describing this fascinating bird to us, she turned off the lights for just a few seconds. Upon turning the lights back on, it was obvious that Layla’s big brown eyes had quickly dilated as evidenced by the huge orange hued eyeballs.
Goose, the Amazing Harris Hawk
Already pumped up from meeting Cupid and Layla, we headed out with Kate, our driver (not to be confused with Katie, our wonderful falconer), to the old mountain golf course. Partially destroyed by an avalanche and other natural forces, this former golf course has been transformed into the perfect place for displaying the talents of more birds of prey.
Katy introduced to Goose, one of the amazing Harris Hawks trained at The Broadmoor. The Harris Hawks are named after other masters of the sky, the Top Gun pilots made popular by the Tom Cruise adventure movies. In addition to Goose, they have Maverick and Phoenix, two more daredevil Harris Hawks.
With sunny skies and the cool, crisp fall air, we followed Goose, who followed Katy, along the winding trail. Goose was never out of view, flitting from tree to tree to Katy, and back to another tree. It was such a cool sight to see this awesome creature in action. Each time Goose left to light upon the next tree limb he managed to find his way back to his Falconer. Of course, he knew that she had special treats for him, so he never ventured very far away and always returned.
At one point, Katy demonstrated with Goose how a Harris Hawk can catch its prey (or in this case, a treat) in midair. With laser like focus, each time she tossed a treat in the air, Goose snatched it with its claws before it fell to the ground. Several times during our walk, this splendid creature would fly within inches of our group member, getting close but never touching us as he returned to Katy.
Lance, the Lanner Falcon
After the mesmerizing show by Goose, we returned to where we started our trek with Goose. Katy picked out our last cast member, the majestic Lanner Falcon, Lance. Lance was smaller than Goose, but no less impressive.
Donning a falconry glove on our left hand, Katy transferred Lance to each guest. For several minutes, each of us had a chance to hold this magnificent creature. To actually hold this animal up close, touch his soft feathers, and stare into his probing eyes was a once in a lifetime experience. Another falcon, the peregrine falcon, is the fastest bird in the world, with speeds reached of over 200 miles per hour.
Want More? Try the Intermediate Falconry Class
After completing the Beginner’s class, participants can sign up for the Intermediate class. In this more advanced class, participants will fly one of their birds of prey under the supervision of the Falconer.
I went to The Broadmoor’s Falconry class with my wife and one of my sons the week of Thanksgiving. There was a slight chill in the Colorado air, with temperatures around 50 degrees. However, with sunny skies and little breeze, even us Texans were very comfortable. In fact, the afternoon turned out to be the perfect weather to spend with our feathered friends
We were continuously amazed by the true majesty of these fabulous birds of prey during our falconry class at The Broadmoor. Some fascinating facts about falcons and other birds of prey:
Fascinating Facts About Falconry
The peregrine falcon has been credited as the fastest animal in the world. They can attain very high diving speeds of more than 200 mph as they hunt their prey.
Humans have used falcons for hunting in ancient China, Arabia, Persia, and other ancient civilizations
Falcons were used to intercept pigeons used in World War Two
Falcons value fidelity and commit to one partner for the duration of their life
Falcons are designed to see even at high speeds with their higher flicker fusion frequency
Falcons display sexual dimorphism, where the female is larger than the male, a common avian phenomenon
It is estimated that 40-60 subspecies of falcon exist all over the world, with the largest falcon being the gyrfalcon and the smallest being the pygmy falcon
The falcon uses their beaks as a weapon to sever the spinal cord of their prey
Falcons have a lifespan between 12 and 20 years in the wild
They are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica
Falcons are diurnal birds of prey and hunt during daylight hours
Falcons have excellent eyesight, and can see up to 8 times more clearly than the sharpest human eye
Falconry, The Sport of Kings
Come experience the wonders of falconry for yourself at The Broadmoor in beautiful Colorado Springs. Click here for more information on the Falconry Class at The Broadmoor, or call at 719-471-6168 for pricing, availability and reservations.
Thanks to The Broadmoor for hosting us. All opinions are my own.
Read more about the beautiful state of Colorado by clicking on any of the links below.
Cog Railway to Summit of Pikes Peak
16 Fun Things in Colorado Springs
Canon City Jeep Tours and Royal Gorge
Olympic and Paralympic Museum
More Outdoor Adventures in Colorado Springs
