Falconry Glossary
'Flying a hawk is the royal pastime and it is to talk royally to talk of the flight of birds. Everyone speaks of it but few speak well. Many so ignorantly as to excite pity among their hearers. Sometimes one says the ‘hand’ of the bird instead of the ‘talon’, sometimes the ‘talon instead of the ‘claw’, sometimes the ‘claw’ instead of ‘nail’ etc…’
Claude Binet, Biographer of Ronsard, C16th
There are many different words in the falconer's vocabulary which have been handed down through history. The Anglo -Saxon terminology was transposed by French after the conquest of 1066 to be developed into Middle English by the 17th century. Though some terms are now not so commonly used , most of these terms are still used in common parlance and some modern phrases and terms have also been included.
Accipiter (n): member of genus accipiter,orig,Lat.
The true hawks also known as shortwings
Alula(n): Group of small feathers on the first digit, orig, Lat: alula
Angel posture(n): Defensive threat posture with raised wings
Arms (n): The legs of a hawk, orig ME: armes> Lat: arma= weapons/ tools
Austringer (n): Trainer of accipiters and buteoninae(the broadwings)
orig. ME: ostringer> MFr: ostricier, deriv. ostour= hawk
Aviary (n): A large cage or enclosure to house a bird, orig, Lat: aviarium
Aylmeri (n): leather anklet attached to the hawks legs designed by Guy Aylmer
Back-standing(n): Describes behaviour when Harris' Hawks perch upon each other's backs.
Bag (n): The total prey taken in a period orig,ME: bagge> ON= bundle
Bagged game/ abbr. baggie (n): Previously caught prey which is served to the hawk
Bal-chatri: Trap to catch hawks (acronym BC).orig, Ind: bal chatri= boy's umbrella
Bate (v): To flap when tethered. orig.Fr: battre des ailles = to flap the wings
Bechin (n): Little pieces of meat. orig, uncert/ poss Fr: bec = beak
Bewit (n): Leather strips which bind bells to a hawk's legs or tail
orig, OFr: buie = bond
Bind to (v): To connect with and grasp prey during flight, orig, OE: binden
Birding-piece(n): Historic word for a piece of meat used to recall a bird to the glove (see: pick-up piece)
Bird of prey (n): A bird that hunts primarily with its feet. Falconiformes & Strigiformes
Block-perch (n): A perch primarily used to perch falcons
Blood-feather(n): New-growing feather
Bow-perch (n): Bow-shaped perch used for accipiters, broadwings and owls orig, ME: bowe
Bouse, also bowse (v): When a hawk drinks.orig.Fr: boisson = a drink
Bob(v): To move the head up an down for visual acuity
Brace(n): Tassels used to open and close the hood, orig, OFr: Braz = arms
Break into(v): To penetrate a prey item with beak or knife
Broadwings (n): Of the subfamily Buteoninae: the buzzards and eagles
Bumblefoot (n): Blisters on the hawk's foot caused by trauma
Button-jess (n): A removable leather strap with a swivel slit attached to an aylmeri anklet, orig, ME botoun>MF boton=stud
Cadge (n): A portable perch to transport numerous birds at once, orig, ME: caggen= to tie
Cadge(v): To carry numerous birds with a cadge.
Cadger (n): A person who cadges.
Call off, (v): To call a bird from a perch
Call in (v): To call a bird to the glove
Cap (n): Used to describe the plumage on a hawk's head
Carry (v): To try to fly away with prey or lure
Cast (n): Two hawks flown together
Cast (v): To hold and immobilize a bird by hand
Cast (v): To regurgitate an undigested pellet of fur or feather
Casting (v): An indigestible pellet of fur or feather & sometimes bone
Cast off (v): To throw off a bird from a raised glove
orig, OE: casten>ON: kasta=to throw
Cawking-time (n): Mating/ breeding time
Cere (n): The waxy casing of the nostrils above the beak
orig,ME; ceren> Lat: cera= wax
Check off, (v): To hesitate and refuse prey during flight
Check at (v): To change prey target during flight
orig.OFr: eschequier= to check at chess
Clutch(n): A hatch of eggs, orig, ME: cletch>ON: klekja=to hatch
Complain (v): when a bird raises its voice ( see: Give voice)
Condition In (n): Describes when a bird is reliable to fly
orig, ME condicioun>OFr>Lat: condicio= agreement/ con dica = with say
Condition, Out of (n): Describes when a bird is unable to fly well due to health or weight
Cope (v): To cut and file the beak or talons.
orig. Fr: couper = to cut off
Coverts(n): Small feathers which cover the bases of the larger wings
orig,Lat: coopertus= cover
Cower(v): To quiver, orig, ME: couren=to crouch
Crab (v): When hawks seize or strike each other, orig, OE: crabba> OLG: Krabben= to scratch or claw
Creance (n): A long piece of string used for training a bird of prey
orig.Fr: creance> Lat; credentia = credence
Crest(n): Rising feathers on the top of a hawk's head, orig, ME creste>OF> Lat: crista
Crine(n): hair around the cere, orig, Lat: crinis= hair
Crop (n): A storage sack in the alimentary canal which precedes the gizzard
Crop-tube (n): Tube to feed liquids directly into the crop
Crop up (v): To feed to capacity or to give a full crop
orig,ME: croupe> OFr: crope = paunch/ growth
Day-old also DOC (abrev) : A day old chick used to feed raptors and reptiles
Deck feathers (n): Central tail feathers
Draw the hood(id): To pull the hood straps closed orig, OE: dragan= to drag together
Diurnal: Of the day
Dive (v): To descend vertically head first
Drop (v): To descend vertically feet first
Ear tufts(n): Feathers on either side of an eagle owl's head
Endew(v): To put over the crop (see: put over) Orig OFr: enduire=to induct
Enter, (v): To introduce the bird to something new
Enseam, (v): To retrain a bird after the moult/ to cut down a bird's fat weight
orig. OE: seme= sew (see: Seel)
Eyass (n): A young fledgling first year bird
orig:ME: nyas>MFr; niais= nestling, > Lat: nidus= nest
Eyrie, also aerie(n): A nest of an eagle
orig,OFr: aire>ML: airea> Lat: area= open field
Falcon (n): Used to describe longwings (often to denote a female)
orig. Fr: Faucon> Lat: falx= sickle/ con falci = with sickles
Falconer (n): Generic term for a trainer of birds of prey, originally longwing. orig Fr.Fauconnier
Falconry (n): The art of training and hunting with birds of prey, orig, Fr: Fauconerie
False-Aylmeri (n): Aylmeri anklet which is removeable
Feak (v): To wipe the beak upon the perch, orig unkn.
Feather perfect (adj): Describes a bird with undamaged plumage
Feed up (v): To give a full crop of food (see: Gorge)
Feed up on (v): To feed a hawk on the quarry ( see also: pluck)
Fed up (adj): To be full gorged and unresponsive to being called in
Festoon (n): A curve in the upper mandible of shortwings and broadwings
orig, Fr: feston> It: festone= festive ornament
Fledge(v): To grow flight feathers,orig, ME: flegge> OE: Flecge= to fly
Fledgling (n): A newly fledged bird (see also: fully-fledged)
Floccus (n): Downy covering on young birds.
Flying jess(n): A slitless jess permanently attached to aylmeri anklet
Foot (v): To strike out with the foot
Footer, good (n): A hawk good with its feet at capturing prey
Footy (adj): A hawk prone to lash out with its feet
Fovea (n): Concentrations of rods and cones on the retina
Free-loft (v): To house a bird of prey untethered, orig,OE; loft= upper chamber
Fret-marks (v): Marks of weakness on a feather due to lack of food.
orig. Fr: frette = interlaced
Full-gorged (adj): Describes a hawk whose crop is full to capacity (See also: gorge)
Full-summed(adj): Fully moulted (see hard-down) orig, Lat: summa= total number
Fully fledged, also full fledged(adj): Describes a young bird having acquired adult flight feathers
Fur (v): To make contact on a slip before the prey escapes
Furniture (n): The equipment used in falconry, orig, Fr: fourniture deriv. fournir= to furnish
Gauntlet(n): Glove with extended cuff for the wrist, orig,ME gantelet> MFr: gant=glove
Game (n): Generic term describing all wild prey species
Get in(v): To get to the hawk after it has taken prey or lure
Giant hood: An American term to describe a travelling box
Give voice (v): When a bird uses its larynx
Gizzard(n): A digestive pouch in the alimentary canal
Gleam(v): To throw up slime while casting a pellet, orig,ME:gleme>OE glaeme= bright
Glide (v): To fly downwards at a low gradient
Glove(n): Covering for hand with seperate sheath for each finger,orig OE: glof
Glueing-in(v): when imping, to glue old shafts directly into current shafts
Gorge (v): To eat to capacity, (See: Crop up).
orig. OFr: Gorge = throat
Gyr (n): Large falcon, Falco rusticolus,Orig: GK: gyros= ring/circle
Gyrkin (n): Male gyr ( see also: Jerkin)
Hack (v): A period of liberty for fledgling birds before training,
orig,ME hacche>OE:haecc= hatch
Hack-board (n): Feeding station where food is placed for birds at hack
Hack-house(n): A shed where birds find shelter and are fed during the hack
Haggard (n): An bird taken from the wild with adult plumage
orig.OFr: faucon hagard = wild falcon, lit.: hag = hedge/ woods
Halsband (n): A strap tied to the neck used to cast accipiters, MG=collar (see also: Jangoli)
Hard-down: A fully moulted bird
Hard-penned (adj): Describes a fully moulted bird whose feathers are no longer in the blood.
Hawk (n): Generic term used to describe longwings, shortwings and broadwings
orig: OE: hauk> OFrisian: havok
Hawking (n): Hunting with diurnal birds of prey
High (adj): Describes a bird which is too heavy to be flown reliably
Ho!: Interjection to call a hawk in, orig, OE: hwa.> Lat; quis= who
Hobby: Small falcon, Falco subbuteo,
orig, ME: hoby>OFr: hobe, deriv. hobeler= to skirmish
Hood (n): A head cap which covers the eyes of a hawk to relieve stress )
Orig,ME: hode>OE: Hod = hat
Hood (v) : To put the hood onto the hawk
Hood shy (adj): Describes a hawk which tries to avoid wearing the hood
Hunger-trace(n): Undeveloped webbing growth on a feather due to lack of food (see also: fret mark)
orig: OFr :tracier= way/course
Hybrid(n): A cross-bred hawk. Offspring of two separate species, orig, Lat: hybrida
Imp(v) : To mend broken feathers with previously moulted feathers and glue
orig, OE: impe = to graft
Imping needle(n): Splint or pegs used to graft old feathers onto new shafts.
Imprint(v): When a hawk recognises another species as its own
Imprint (n): A hawk which has undergone imprinting
Inke (n): The neck of the quarry , orig,ME: inke> OFr: enque
Intermewed (adj): A hawk the been reclaimed after moulting
In the blood (id): Describes a growing feather with blood circulation.
Jack (n): Male kestrel or hobby, orig ME: jakke= petaining to male
Jangoli (n): A neck jess used to propel accipiters. ( See also: Halsband)
Jess (n): Leather strap attached to the tarsus of a hawk
orig. Fr: ges> Lat: jacere= to throw
Jerkin (n): Used to denote a male gyr falcon
Jump-ups (n): method of exercising hawks by flying up to a higher perch
Kill (n): An item of prey which has been caught and killed
Keel (n): Breast-bone of the hawk, the sternum
orig, ME: kiel> OE: ceol = ship
Keen(adj): Eager (see: Sharp-set) orig, ME: kene> OE cene>G: kuhn= bold
Kestrel (n): small falcon, Falco tinnunculus,
orig OFr: creserelle, derive; cressele= little rattle
Lamping(n): To hunt at night with the use of torches.
Lanner(n): Falco biarmicus orig ME: Laner> MF: Lanier= wool weaver (term of abuse: cowardly)
Lanneret (n): A male lanner falcon
Leash (n): Piece of rope used to tie a hawk to its perch.orig. Fr: laisse = leash
Longwing (n): Of the sub-family Falconidae; the falcons
Lost (adj): Describes a hawk whose whereabouts is unknown
Low (adj): Describes a hawk which is underweight.
Lure (n): Imitation prey used to train and call in a hawk
orig. Fr: leurre=decoy
Lure (v): To entice the hawk by means of the lure
Mail (n): The breast feathers, orig. MFr: maille = mesh
Make(v): To train and condition a hawk, orig OE: macian> OD: maken
Make hawk (n): An experienced bird used to encourage the training of young birds
orig OE: gemake= companion
Make in (v): To move in close to a hawk when it is on prey or lure
Malar-stripe:
Man (v): To tame a hawk. orig. Fr.: manier = to handle
Mangala (n): Protective wrist-sleeve used by arab falconers to carry hawks
Mantle (v): To spread the wings when feeding, orig OE: mantel = cloak
Mandible(n): The beak of the hawk,orig, Lat: mandibula=jaw
Mar-hawk: An inept falconer who spoils a hawk (sometimes used to mean the offended hawk itself) orig,OE merren= to offend
Mark (n): When a bird recognises a prey target
Merlin(n): Small falcon, Falco columbarius, orig, ME: merlioun/merlone>OFr: esmerillon
Mews (n): Indoor accommodation for a hawk, originally for moulting
orig.MFr: mouer = to moult
Musket (n): A male sparrowhawk or spar
orig, Fr : mousquet>It: moschetto= little fly
Mute(n): Dropping of longwings, orig,OFr: meutir= to melt
Moustachial-stripe(n): A dark marking on either side of a falcon's beak, orig, Fr: moustache> It: mustaccio
Moult (v): An annual occurrance when a hawk drops its feathers and grows new ones
Nape(n): The back of the neck
Nare (n): Nostril, orig, Lat: naris
Nictitating membrane (n): A membrane that cleans and protects a hawk's eye.
orig, ML: nictitatus> Lat: nictare= to wink
Pannel (n): A hawk's stomach
Passage (n): Migration of a hawk, orig, Fr: passage = voyage
Passager (n) : Immature hawk, caught in the wild (perhaps on first migration)
Pellet (n): Ball of undigested fibre made of fur or feather ( see: casting)
orig,OFr: pelote>Lat; pila= ball/pilus= hair
Peales peregrine (n): A subspecies of peregrine falcon
Pen(n): Flight feather, orig OFr: penne> Lat: penna= feather
Perch (n): An object used by a bird for roosting
orig. ME: Perche>OFr>Lat: Pertica = pole
Peregrine(n): Species of falcon, Falco peregrinus,
orig,ME= foreigner >Lat; peregrinus=wanderer/per agere= through the field
Perlin (n): A Peregrine and Merlin hybrid
Petty-single (n) also petty-simples: The toes of a hawk.
orig OFr: petit sengle= small individual
Pick-up( n): procedure of showing meat and persuading a hawk to the fist
usually from the ground
Pick-up piece(n): modern equivalent of a birding-piece used to make a pick up
Pitch (n): The height at which a falcon waits on, orig ME: picchen= to set up
Pluck (v): To eat from the quarry, orig, OE ploccian= pull out
Pluck (n): The heart, liver and lungs of the quarry which is fed to the hawk to encourage it.
Plume(v): To pluck the feathers of quarry, origME>MFr>Lat: pluma= feather
Plume (n): Feathers used to adorn the top of a hood
Plumage: The feathers collectively, orig, OFr: plumage>Lat: pluma = feather
Put in (v): To drive prey into cover
Put out (v): To drive prey out of cover
Put over (v): To move food from the crop into the stomach
Pounce (n): The claw of a shortwing or broadwing.
orig. ME: punchen = to punch
Point, on (n): The position of a hawk above the falconer,
orig. Fr: a point nomme = just at the right moment
Preen(v): When a bird zips up and waterproofs its feathers with its beak,orig, ME: prenen/proynen= to prick/prune
Preen gland (n): A gland at the base of the tail which emits wax
Primaries(n): The flight feathers
Quarrel (v): When birds attack and fight each other, orig OFr. querele = to complain
Quarry (n): Prey a hawk is flown to.
orig OE: querre>OFr: cuiree, deriv. cuir= skin/hide> Lat: corium
Raptor: A bird of prey, orig. Lat: rapere= to seize by force
Ratchet tendon(n): A toothed tendon in the foot that holds the hawks grip, orig,MF rocquet= blunt lance-head
Rake (v): To fly past game orig.ME: raken = to go
Rake away (v): To fly far from the falconer or the point (also rake off)
Rangle (n): Small stones eaten by birds to aid digestion
Recall-lure (n): Lure used to call in a bird.
Reclaim (v): To train a hawk after a period of liberty (see also enseam),
orig. MFr.: reclamer = to claim again
Refuse (v): To give up or not fly to quarry, orig. Fr: refuser = turn down
Rejoice(v): To feak, rouse and preen
Ring up (v): To climb to a height in a circling motion, orig,OE: hring>OG: ring= curved
Rob(v): To take a hawks meat away
Rouse (v): To shake the feathers, orig. uncert. prob OE: arisan = to arise
Rufter-hood(n): A hood without a plume used on wild falcons, orig ME: ruf=rough
Sail (n): A hawk's wings, orig ME saile>OE segl >ON :segl
Scrape (n): A nest site for a falcon, orig OE: scrapian=to scratch
Scream (v): Describes when a hawk gives voice due to imprinting on its owner
Screamer (n): Describes a noisy hawk that is demanding of food
Screen-perch (n): Indoor perch made of a frame and stretched cloth, origin,OFr: escran
Serve (v): To find and reveal quarry for a hawk
Seel (v): Historic method of sewing hawks’ eyes closed, still used in the Middle East
orig,MFr: Cil> Lat: cilium= eyelash
Sewing-in (v): Olf method of imping a feather to a basal shaft by means of sewing
Shaft (n): The central stem of the feather,orig,Lat: scarpus
Sharp-set (adj): Describes an eager hawk
origin,ME/OE: scearpe= keen
Slicing (n): Dropping of a broadwing or a shortwing
orig MFr: esclice, deriv. esclicer= to split
Slip (v): To release a hawk to quarry, orig ME: slippen=to escape >MD: slippen: to glide, slide
Slip (n): A flight to quarry
Snite (v): To sneeze, orig: OE : snyten=to clear the nose
Sore-hawk (n): A bird with immature plumage, orig OE: sar= sensitive
Spar (n): An abbreviation of sparrowhawk
Stoop (v): To tuck in the wings and dive headfirst from a height
orig OE: stepe = steep
Strike the hood (v): To pull the hood braces open, orig OE: striken = to stroke
Strip (v): To remove sperm from the male bird
Soar (v): To glide upwards with fixed wings
orig, MFr: essorer> Lat: ex aura= out of the air
Sour-crop(n): When meat in the crop goes off and becomes indigestible
Supra-orbital ridge (n): A bony ridge on the skull which extends above the eye
Swivel (n): Metal piece of furniture attached to jesses and leash
orig, OE: swifan= to revolve
Swing-lure: Lure attached to string and swung in a circle to exercise falcons
Talon (n): Claws of a falcon or longwing, orig Lat: talus = heel
Take (n): When a hawk catches its prey
Take stand (v): To find a perch, orig, OE: tacan= to grasp + OE: standan
Tarsus(n): The shin of a hawk between the foot and the hock, orig,GK: tarsos= flat of the foot
Tassel (n): Male peregrine, also known historically as tassel-gentle (see also tiercel-gentle)
Tassel (n): Decorative ornament on a falconer's glove
Take stand (v): To perch in a tree
Thermal (n): Risingcolumn of hot air used by a bird of prey to gain height
orig,GK: therme= warm
Throw up (v): To fly upwards after a dive or stoop
orig. OE: thrawen = to twist
Tiercel (n): Originally the male peregrine or gyr, a third smaller than females.
Also relating to one in three birds hatched being male.
Also historically known as tassel, tassel-gentle and tiercel-gentle.
Modern generic use for all male falcons.
orig. MFr: tercuel>Lat: Tertius = third
Teardrop (v): To stoop downwards in a teardrop shape
Telemetry (n): Radio-tracking system used to retrieve lost hawks, orig Fr: telemetre= far metre
Tercel (n): The male goshawk
Tiring (n): Piece of bony meat used to work the beak and the neck muscles,
orig. Fr: Tirer = to pull
Tomial tooth (n): The extended cutting edge of a falcon's upper mandible
Tomium (n): The cutting edge of a birds beak orig,Gk: tome= a cutting
Tower (v): To climb upwards orig, ME :tor>OF: tur>Lat: turris=tower
Train (n): The tail of a hawk, orig, OFr: tra iner= to drag behind
Travelling box (n): A box used to convey a bird from one place to another
Truss to (v): To bind to quarry in mid air orig> Ofr: trousser= to wrap
Tubing (n): Feeding a hawk liquids by means of a tube
Turn tail (v): To give up in mid-flight (see also refuse)
Variable (n): one of a range of insignificant prey items caught by the hawk
Varvel (n): An old-fashioned swivel, orig, OFr: vervelle = joint
Wake (v): To deny sleep to a hawk
Waking (n): Training vigil that denied sleep to a hawk to tame it
orign ME: waken=to rouse from sleep> OE: wacian= to become awake
Wait on (v): To reach a hunting position above the falconer
orig ME: waiten= to watch with hostile intent> OFr: guatier=to watch
Warble(v): To stretch the wings upwards, orig, ME werble= tune>OHG: werbel= to turn
Washed meat(n): Meat with the nutrients removed with water.
Weather (v): To put perching birds in the open air orig OE: weder
Weathering- pen (n): a mesh fronted covered shelter
Weathering-ground (n): An open area for allowing birds to weather
Webbing (n): The soft barbs on either side of a feather shaft, orig, OE> webbe=to weave
Wed to(v): When a hawk is united with a certain type of prey
orig, ME: wedde> OE: weddian= to pledge
Whistle, in (v): To call a bird to the glove or lure by means of a whistle
orig,OE: hwistlian=to whisper
Whistle, off (v): To call a bird from its perch by means of a whistle
Whistle, on (v) To call a bird to follow on, by means of a whistle
Whitewash (n): Large area of droppings
Wingover (n): A sharp 180 degree turn and dive on the wing
Wingtip oedema (n): Cold watery blisters at the wing tip as a result of frostbite
Winnow(v): To flap the wings without flying
Yarak, in (adj): Hawk in prime fitness and condition, orig. Pers: yarakhi= strength
Zip up (v): To close the webbing barbs of the feather with the beak