Hawk presentation sponsored by the Millbrook Rotary

MILLBROOK — Rusty Johnson and Brisa, his trained hawk, were the guest speakers at the Millbrook Rotary at its crowded luncheon meeting Nov. 18. Johnson is a wildlife lecturer, author and a licensed Amazon tour guide, who regularly conducts ecological tours of the upper Amazon. He was accompanied by Brisa, a year-old Harris Hawk. Johnson, who gives more than 200 lectures a year, trained Brisa after she was chamber-raised in captivity by her own parents in Lancaster County.

Johnson explained that Harris Hawks, which are from the Southwest, are unusual because they hunt in organized groups, and are gregarious.  Brisa added an occasional shriek to the talk and the audience’s eyes were on her, especially when she made a lunge toward the window when a squirrel appeared.  In their native habitat Harris Hawks primarily eat jack rabbits, diving at their prey at over 100 mph, but they will also hunt mice, squirrels and even an occasional Canadian goose. During lectures and demonstrations, Brisa nibbles on chicken and black angus steak.

Johnson described local predators, like the top avian predator the Great Horned Owl and the abundant Red Tailed hawk.  Until the 1960s states paid a bounty to hunters who killed predators, but since then they have struggled to return, and Red Tailed Hawks, for example, have reached a saturation point in our area.  

During the lively session, Johnson fielded questions from the audience members about birds of prey. “How can you tell a male from a female?†was one question.  The surprising answer was not by coloration, but by size. Females are 30 percent larger than males  — at the moment Brisa is two pounds of muscle.

“Yes, birds of prey are monogamous and mate for life,†Johnson said.

Asked how to tell a turkey vulture from an eagle in flight, Johnson explained that eagles’ in flight soar with flat wings, while turkey vultures exhibit a v-shaped hyper-extended wing.  Turkey vultures, a common bird in our skies, play an important role in the ecological chain by eating dead flesh which they can smell from more than a mile away.  Timid by nature, they will not attack a living animal, and are protected from disease because of their immunity to anthrax, botulism and cholera.

Johnson included his own natural history in the lecture describing his introduction to falconry at age 17, roaming Southern Africa, trying to save endangered birds on the volcanic island of Montserrat and then discovering the people and wildlife of the Upper Amazon in Peru.  He is planning a New Year’s Eve jungle celebration in Peru and regularly conducts hawk walks with Brisa  at Mount Saint Elphonsus in Ulster County.  More information on Johnson can be found at  amazondetours.com.

FYI

There will be no Rotary meeting on Thanksgiving, and the next meeting will be a board meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Millbrook Café on Dec. 1, 2009, followed by a business meeting on Dec. 2.