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How to Build a Sharp-Shinned Hawk's Perch

The sharp-shinned hawk, a small hawk found throughout the U.S., has a bluish-grey back and reddish bars on its underside, and preys primarily on small birds. Sharp-shinned hawks are sometimes used in the sport of falconry. These hawks should be housed in a 6-by-6-by-6-foot enclosure or "mews." You will need to provide several different perches for your hawk in the mews, at different heights and at least one near a dowel- or vertical lathing-covered window. Sharp-shinned hawks need round perches, similar to what they would perch on in the wild. A fairly simple perch to make, assuming your hawk is not tethered, involves mounting a length of sisal-wrapped PVC pipe to a side wall of the mews using a shelf bracket.

Things You'll Need

Shelf bracket and hardware
Drill
Drill bit with same diameter as pre-drilled holes in the shelf bracket
Screwdriver, or screwdriver drill bit, matching screws for the shelf bracket
2-foot length of PVC pipe
5-foot length of Sisal rope

Instructions

- 1
  Select a place for the perch where it can be mounted halfway up the wall. Choose a spot far enough away from corners so your hawk's tail won't brush the wall when perching, which would damage her tail feathers. Using the drill, pre-drill holes in the wall for the shelf bracket. Use the holes in the longer arm of the bracket as a guide.
- 2
  Choose a diameter of PVC pipe appropriate for your hawk by gauging the size of your hawk's feet. The diameter of the perch needs to be big enough so that, when perched, the talons can wrap safely around the perch, but not so big as to provide inadequate grip, or so small that the talons touch while perching, which would cause abrasions and infections.
- 3
  Use the drill to pre-drill holes in the 2-foot length of PVC pipe to match the holes in the shorter arm of the shelf bracket. Mount the shelf bracket perpendicular to the wall with the screws that came with the shelf, using either a screwdriver or your drill with a screwdriver bit.
- 4
  Place the 2-foot length of PVC pipe on top of the bracket arm extending from the wall. Screw the pipe onto the bracket using either a screwdriver or your drill with a screwdriver bit. Wrap sisal rope around the entire length of the pipe. Tie off the end of the rope and tuck it under the last few wraps of the rope to secure it.

Animals & Science