The Power of Partnership

April 30, 2019

When a bird of prey is flown in falconry, it is at its prime. Being able to catch wild quarry can only be done by the strongest and fittest bird of prey, and seeing a bird succeed in this fashion informs both the falconer and the rehabber that it’s ready to return to the wild.

Falconry and Wildlife Rehabilitation

Lauren McGough is featured on this year’s Birds of Prey Day poster and will be one of several special guests participating.

“These days we see more and more examples of people combining falconry practices with wildlife rehabilitation techniques,” explains Green Chimneys Wildlife Expert Paul Kupchok. “Twenty years ago, these were two entirely different worlds, but today they’re working together and wildlife is benefitting.”

Falconry & Wildlife Rehabilitation

Such is the case with Mongolian Eagle Hunter Lauren McGough. What began as a teenage fascination of golden eagles as hunting partners became a personal and professional passion. After pursuing bachelor degrees in both zoology and international relations, Lauren ventured to Mongolia in 2009 as a Fulbright Scholar to practice falconry with local eagle masters and trained eagles for hunting foxes on horseback. Lauren later earned a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She enjoys bringing the eagle training techniques she’s learned abroad back to the United States, where she teaches golden eagles in need of rehabilitation how to hunt.

Learn from Experts

Lauren will share her experiences as combined falconer, rehabber and anthropologist at the 27th Annual Birds of Prey Day. Join her and an impressive lineup of wildlife experts and environmentalists; for details visit the Birds of Prey Day webpage