Perch Designs
Pictures:
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This is a 12 foot stainless-steel high perch. In the off season, this perch is fully capable of keeping a bird in top-condition. While at first, a new bird has extreme difficulty flying to the top, after a month, the bird can nearly fly straight up. Anyone who can should have one of these for their hawk. |
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This is an elevated A-frame. It takes a standard A-frame design, and elevates it 4 feet up. This has numerous advantages. One, you can place a door over the top section and meet all requirements for an indoor mews. Since the top of the frame is 6 1/2 feet high, if the area is fenced, then it meets federal requirements for a weathering area (the area should be electrical fenced). The bird has 4 perches to choose from (far perch, inside the bottom section, inside the top section, and on the top of the frame). This allows the bird to be completely calm while it is on the elevated A-frame. Infact, we have yet to see a bird look uncomfortable on one of these. It is rumored that is Georgia, these are called "Mancini's mews". |
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This A-frame perch in front of the A-frame is about 15 feet or less away, making a steep angle of line. The bird is attached to a ring on the cable with a 4 foot leash. Friction between the ring and the cable keeps the bird from building up speed while flying. Also, all the perch surfaces are parallel, so the bird has to turn to land. This also slows the bird down. |
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An A-shaped door over the top section makes an indoor mews per federal regulations since the bird:
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This is an improper bow perch design. Why? Because the design allows the bird to walk under the perch and knot the leash as it tangles. When the bird bates on a side opposite of the ring, the ring will not slide up to the other side of the perch, since the angle between the ground and bow is too large. The bird can then walk under the bow and knot the leash. The bird will eventually tangle when the leash shortens due to knotting. The bird will no longer be able to get onto the bow, and will break feathers and exhaust itself (very dangerous in hot weather). |
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This proper bow perch design has a steeper angle between the bow and ground, close to 45 degrees. This lets the ring slide up the perch to the side where the bird is baiting. |
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This is an example of a shelf perch designed for short-winged hawks. The table is about 4-ft deep and 6-ft wide (8-ft if the sides are not used). The perch itself is a modified half bow perch with a rotating ring where the bird is tied. It is a cheap and excellent alternative to the metal half bow perch shown would be made from a 14-in piece of 2x12 and a long screw eye attached on the side, 1-in from the top. Leash length is short so that the swivel for jesses just reaches the table. This perch is very safe and almost impossible for a hawk to tangle. It is also excellent for a hooded bird as even if the bird baits off the perch, it lands on the table. The basic rule of leash length for safety is: shortest leash possible = less chance of tangle. |
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A shelf perch. The bird is tied to the bottom front of the perch and not to the wall. This prevents the bird from jamming their tail into the ground when the bird baits (the bird naturally tilts their tail upwards). When the leash is attached to the bottom of the perch, this design works fine for an accipiter also. |
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Elevated round screen perch. This design causes less feather damage than conventional screen perches. When a bird baits on a conventional screen perch, the bird tends to bait such that it lands on the perch, and this promotes feather damage. On a round screen perch, the bird is forced to bait off the perch, with the tail pointing upwards so that it doesn't jam into the perch. Since the bird is baiting off the perch (something it won't like), this perch helps to prevent excess baiting. |
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Reptile heat rocks are more effective than heat lamps in keeping tropical birds warm.
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