For sure, if you are a bird’s lover, sometimes was blowing your mind the idea to take a falcon as a pet. Before doing it, you have to know that over the cost of purchasing a falcon, there are other essential factors and certificates that you have to own before buying a falcon.
But before looking more in detail about all the certifications you need to own a falcon as a pet, I would like to answer.
Table of Contents
How much does a falcon cost?
The cost for a falcon is variable; it usually starts from $200 and can reach more than $15000; for a European falcon that is considered not a particular falcon you can pay $1000, while for a rarest and searched Falcon as the Falcon that is in the center of California the cost can reach more than $100,000.
As for almost anything, we can expect sometimes that goes over your expectation and the same story for Qatar’s falcon cost.
How much can the price of a Falcon go?
The highest know price for a falcon is knower to be around $250,000; that price refers to the gyrfalcons, a particular species, sold in Qatar during the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival.
As you probably understand, this is not the perfect hobby for people who don’t have much money to invest.
Before going more in-depth regarding the costs related to the maintenance of a falcon, we will look at what certifications you need to own if you want to buy a falcon.
If the cost mentioned until now, already scare you, there are many others birds that you can consider to buy with less money as for example Cockatiel, or Sun Conure, where the cost will be for sure less.
Falconer certification costs
Yes, as you were for sure imagine, you cannot own a falcon without proper preparation and training. The first step you have to do if you dream is to own a falcon is to get a falconer certification.
This is not an expensive operation because it will cost you around $200. The hardest part of becoming a falconer is finding somebody who can guide you and learn all the things you need to pass the examination.
It requires you a lot of preparation and hard work, and patients, as the estimated time to pass all the examinations are around 2 years, but once done, you will have it forever.
Now that you have a clearer idea about what you need to own a falcon, it is time to look at the cost and the typical Falcon used for the falconer.
Cost of Falcons By type
The most common falcons used for birds prey are the
- red-tailed hawk,
- Harris’s hawk price $800 – female $1000
- Peregrine falcon
Red-tailed Falcon cost $400
The red-tailed hawk is one of the most knower species of falcons in the USA. It is a medium size bird. The part where it is most common is North America, from Alaska until Panama.
The perfect habit for the red-tailed is including deserts, grasslands, forest, agricultural and urban areas. As you can see, this species of Falcon doesn’t have a particular problem with the habit.
The cost for a red-tailed falcon is around $400; considering the species of hawk and the high capability that it has on the hunting, buying that species of Falcon will be a good investment for you.
Harris hawk cost $1000
The Harris hawk is another beautiful falcon, thanks to its beautiful brown, dark color, with chestnut red and white, make this bird one of the most searched among the falconers.
It is essential to know that the Harris hawk is a species of Falcon that like to hunt in a group. You have to consider that the Harris hawks hunting in the group is more efficient than hunting alone.
The average age of life is between 10-15 years, and the cost on which they are usually sold is around $1000
Peregrine Falcon cost $600-$1000
The peregrine Falcon is the largest of the Falcon’s family; the average size for a peregrine falcon is between 36-49cm in length, with a wingspan of 110cm.
The color of an adult peregrine falcon is blue-gray, with a dark head.
If your goal is to have a falcon good in hunting, the peregrine falcons are considered formidable, especially in the mid-flight.
The average cost that you have to expect on the market is around $600 for a male, while females are usually sold at a higher price on the market.
Cost for maintaining a falcon
We already mentioned during the article that the cost for buying a falcon was not your primary problem; this because over the price for taking the license to own a falcon, as a falconer, you have to maintain it as best as you can.
As for other pets, the Falcon need a vet for a periodical check, need space to live, need the correct gloves to deal and train it properly, food, water, medical supply, etc.
All these things that we have mentioned before will cost you, and this is what we will see in the next part of the article.
Vet cost for Falcon
It is not easy to find a veterinarian specializing in the care of Falcon; for that reason, the cost for making periodical control regarding the health of your Falcon could be higher.
The average cost that you can expect is around $50 per visit, while for a vet examination, you will spend about $150
Anyway, the additional cost you have to consider is microchipping, costing you around $40.
Housing cost for a Falcon
Another expensive part that you should evaluate before starting or buying a falcon is having a proper space to keep your Falcon.
When we speak about housing for Falcon, we refer to mews.
The mews is an enclosure structure that guarantees suitable space and comfort to your Falcon.
There are many different types of mews design that you can choose from. Anyway, the general cost that you need to spend is around $1000.
Considering the mews is the house and where your Falcon will spend the majority of its time, having good mews is for sure a good investment to do.
The standard size that a falcon needs to satisfy its needs is 8x8x8 feet, around 2.43mx2.43mx2.43m.
Another important thing is that the brightness should not be exaggerated to limit the stress to your Falcon.
When you order a mews, you should consider that any open space can trouble your Falcon because some predators, especially during the night, can take advantage and attack your Falcon.
The best thing that you can do in that case is not looking at the price; instead, you should focus on safety and build a safe place for your Falcon.
Food cost for Falcon
As for any pets and animal present on our planet, feeding is vital, especially to avoid any health problem.
For that reason, the meat and the food that you will choose for your Falcon will reflect the healthy state of your bird.
Some of the most common things that a falconer do, to be sure that the meat that is providing to its Falcon is healthy are:
- They make sure that the food that they are feeding is not contaminated which elements near the food.
- They guarantee good storage; in the freezer case, they make sure that the temperature is set perfectly.
An average price that we can give about the cost necessary to supply the needs of the falcons is about 3-5$ each day, considering adding vitamin supplements, where it is a common practice suggested by the majority of a vet.
Equipment cost for dealing with Falcon
As you probably can imagine, the Falcon is not an easy bird to take care of; in the market, many things help the falconry deal better with it, and of course, they have a cost.
To help you, we decide to list the most common equipment that falconer uses with the relative cost.
- Anklets & Squirrel Chaps average cost $15
- Bells & Bewits $25
- Gloves $50
- Hoods, Blocks & Supplies $60
- Perches $100
- Whistle $15
- Items for control the position of the Falcon $300
These can be considered the most common items that falconry buys with its relative cost.
Conclusion
The falcon cost is one of the most expensive ones of all the birds, and This is due to all the certifications you need to have and the effort necessary to maintain it in the best way possible.
If your next dream is to have a falcon, you have to put in a lot of effort and deduction.
And of course, consider all the aspects that make the Falcon costs so expensive, evaluating if you can do this or not.
