Original subtitles

CHARLIE: Hey guys, Charlie here, you know my sister Kirby.

KIRBY: Hey!

CHARLIE: Today we're hanging out in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

A lot of kids when they grow up they wanna be...

KIRBY: Doctors.

CHARLIE: Astronauts.

KIRBY: Or...veterinarians.

CHARLIE: But Kirby, when she grows up she wants to be...

KIRBY: A master Falconer.

CHARLIE: And today we're gonna make it happen.

It's time for Weird but True!

(theme music plays).

Hey guys! You're just in time.

Alright, so Kirby's birthday is coming up and every year for her birthday she tries...

KIRBY: I like to do something amazing!

That I've never tried before!

One year I swam with a shark.

The next I climbed a giant sequoia.

And a while ago I even went fishing in Wisconsin!

It was pretty epic.

CHARLIE: So what's the plan this year Kirb?

KIRBY: Well Charles you know I've been a huge bird fan my whole life.

Little birds, big birds, red birds, yellow birds... I love them all.

CHARLIE: This girl's bird crazy.

KIRBY: So when you think amazing and birds, it's gotta be Falconry.

So this year I wanna be a master Falconer.

CHARLIE: Alright guys I guess that means today we're unraveling the world of...

KIRBY: Falconry!

CHARLIE: Cool, cool so just so we got this straight:

falconry is basically humans training falcons to go on hunts with them.

For like a bunch of different reason right?

KIRBY: Well, kind of.

Falcons aren't the only birds used in Falconry.

They use all sorts of birds of prey.

Some falconers use hawks, others use falcons,

and super experienced ones use golden eagles.

CHARLIE: And you might be thinking, what's the difference?

They all just look like big ol' birds right?

KIRBY: While we could tell you.

But we know a couple of guys who could explain it a bit better than we can.

CHARLIE: It's time for a Weird But True Sports Break!

Hello sports fans, this is Chip Chirpers broadcasting alongside Bob Hawks.

KIRBY: Pleasure to be here Chip.

CHARLIE: Pleasure to have you Bob.

We're talking falconry today.

Breaking down the athletes in the Falconry game.

First up, naturally, the falcon.

Falcons are incredibly quick.

Their compact bodies and superior speed stats make

them great aerial hunting specialists.

Typically, they're used to hunt other birds.

Now, onto hawks.

Hawks are a bit slower than falcons, but they can fly through forested areas in

expert fashion.

Their preferred meal of choice, rabbits and mice.

Finally, the golden eagle...

It's the largest bird in our lineup today.

Their ginormous size is their greatest hunting asset.

Because they are so incredibly massive, they're able to take down

large prey like turkeys, and even foxes.

This has been a Weird But True Sports Break.

I'm Chip Chirpers broadcasting alongside Bob Hawks.

Tossing it back to the action in HQ.

Alright so falcons hunt things in the air.

Hawks hunt small mammals on the ground.

And eagles snatch up larger animals right?

KIRBY: You got it.

And every one of them is an absolute master hunter.

CHARLIE: How good are they?

KIRBY: Let's put it this way.

If we wanted to make Charlie into a Super Bird of Prey Boy basically a superhero with

the same powers as a falconry bird there's a certain number of...

changes that we'd have to make.

First we would have to give him the power of flight.

CHARLIE: Sick!

KIRBY: And make him quick. Like super, super quick.

The fastest human ever clocked in at about 28 miles an hour.

Cheetah's can run about 60 miles an hour.

But in a dive, a peregrine falcon can go as fast as 249 miles an hour.

And Peregrine falcons are just the beginning.

Golden Eagles 200 miles an hour, Gyrfalcons 130 miles an hour.

If you could run as fast as a peregrine falcon, you could keep up with a racecar.

They're that quick.

And we're just getting started on these super powers.

After flight and super speed, we're giving Charlie supervision.

Birds of prey have incredible eyesight.

They can spot prey from over a mile away.

They have a 340-degree field of vision, and have a third transparent eyelid that's like

having a retractable pair of goggles built into their heads.

If you had vision as good as a bird of prey, you could...

Find things much more easily.

Hey I lost my backpack.

Can you help me find it?

CHARLIE: Yeah, sure. Uh it's about a mile that way.

KIRBY: Awesome!

And you can see stuff behind you.

CHARLIE: 1, 3, 1, 5, 2, Cucumber.

Aw man these things are amazing.

KIRBY: And as the final touch, to complete Charlie's transformation

into a Bird of Prey Boy.

We'll give him some super gloves to help him eat anything.

CHARLIE: These are awesome!

KIRBY: Birds of prey have evolved powerful talons and feet especially designed to

help them hold onto food.

Birds that eat snakes have thicker scalier feet, to protect against snake bites.

Birds that eat other birds have long toes to help them

grip through the bird's feathers.

And birds that eat fish have rough sandpapery pads on their feet,

to help them hold onto their slippery meals.

So you'd basically be ready to eat anything all the time.

CHARLIE: Excellent!

KIRBY: And the transformation is complete!

With super hands and speed and super sight.

His feathered form, takes feathered flight.

That's why raptors are such amazing hunters.

Super speed, vision, and gripping power.

CHARLIE: These animals are pretty legit Kirb.

KIRBY: Exactly Charles!

Now can you see why I wanna become a falconer?

CHARLIE: Yeah, cause it looks awesome!

KIRBY: I'm so excited to try this but to be honest, I have no idea where to get started

CHARLIE: Alright, so here's my idea Kirb.

We hit the books, find out Falconry's place in history, get an idea how to get into

the whole thing. Right?

KIRBY: Sounds good, let's roll.

CHARLIE: I think I have an idea for where we should start looking for some info,

the Heian dynasty in China.

KIRBY: Pretty random.

CHARLIE: No one is sure when or where it actually started because falconry is so old.

It's older than Kirby. It's older than the internet.

It's older than electricity. Or books. Or paper.

But 4,000 years ago during the Heian dynasty Falconry was a big deal.

Records show that way back then, falcons were given as presents to royalty.

And from there, it exploded, across the entire world.

Pictures on wall hangings from Arabia and Persia dating back to 1700 BC

show people with tiny little falcons on their arms.

And references suggest that falconry had arrived in Europe by 300 BC.

Becoming super popular by 733 AD.

This trend wasn't dying anytime soon.

According to explorer Marco Polo, in the 1200s the Mongol Ruler,

Kublai Khan, employed 10,000 falconers in his army.

And by the 1600s Falconry was really exploding in Europe.

Even Shakespeare was an avid falconer.

Finally, in the early 1900s, after about 4,000 years,

Falconry had arrived in the good ol' US of A.

And even in modern times there have been uses for these birds.

During World War II, falcons were used to intercept enemy carrier pigeons.

Nowadays they've been employed to take down drones.

So you can see, Kirb, Falconry has been a

part of many different cultures for a long time.

So If you wanna become a master falconer in the United States

it can't happen overnight.

Before going on any hunts, KIRBY: huh?

CHARLIE: before working with any falcons, KIRBY: What?

CHARLIE: before even putting on that super awesome glove.

KIRBY: What?

CHARLIE: You need to apply for a permit with the Department of Natural Resources,

and prepare for a written test.

You have to study for hours and hours, memorizing every single aspect of falconry.

Haggard Raptor.

KIRBY: A Raptor greater than one year old.

CHARLIE: Imping.

KIRBY: The process of replacing a broken feather with a molted feather.

CHARLIE: Mews.

KIRBY: An indoor room or shelter where a falcon is held.

CHARLIE: You're ready....

Hopefully you've got everything down,

because you need to get an 80% or better to pass.

KIRBY: Yes! I did it! Woo!

CHARLIE: After a thorough inspection of your falcon facility you receive an

apprentice license.

And you can work with a single raptor.

CHARLIE: After 2 years you receive a general falconer license,

and you can work with three raptors!

CHARLIE: Five whole years later you finally receive your master falconer status.

You can now work with 5 wild falcons and an

unlimited number of captive bred falcons.

KIRBY: So guys, I know what we gotta do.

It's pretty obvious I can't do this alone.

CHARLIE: Yeah, definitely not.

KIRBY: And I mean I don't have permits. CHARLIE: Nope.

KIRBY: Or a facility. CHARLIE: Nah man.

KIRBY: Or 7 years on my hands.

CHARLIE: Yeah, we've got like maybe 15 minutes.

KIRBY: Yeah, so we need a master falconer, and I'm pretty sure I found the

perfect guy for the job: Jack Hubley.

He teaches people about falconry all the time.

CHARLIE: And I don't think I could draw up a more

legit looking falconry dude, than Jack.

KIRBY: Hey he's perfect! Let's go!

CHARLIE: We're headed to Hershey Pennsylvania,

often called the sweetest place on Earth.

It's home to a large amusement park, and this guy...

Hey guys, that's Jack!

KIRBY: He's been a master falconer for longer than we've been alive.

CHARLIE: Let's go say hi.

JACK: My favorite Weird but True fact about birds of prey...

A golden eagle's foot is as big as my hand!

CHARLIE: Hey Jack, how's it going? I'm Charlie.

JACK: Hi Charlie! CHARLIE: It's nice to meet you.

KIRBY: I'm Kirby. JACK: Hi Kirby. Nice to meet you.

CHARLIE: Guys, Jack, OOOOOH!

Our friend just left. Who is that?

JACK: That's thunder.

KIRBY: Thunder! CHARLIE: Thunder!

JACK: Yeah, he's a Harris hawk.

CHARLIE: We're so excited to meet you 'cause we know it takes a lot of time to get

into your spot right here as a master falconer and we wanna learn,

just how did you do it?

JACK: I've been an outdoorsman, a hunter, a fisherman,

a naturalist all my life.

And falconry is where you can actually forge a relationship with a wild bird of prey.

These animals are wild animals that hunt for a living.

They care about one thing: meat.

KIRBY: Yeah....

JACK: And they'll do a lot of things for you, if they don't fear you.

CHARLIE: Okay, so all those years ago, when this whole thing started...

What was the first bird that you started with?

JACK: A female red tailed hawk.

CHARLIE: Did she have a name?

JACK: Her name was Briar.

CHARLIE: Weird but True guys, red tail hawks can spot a mouse from 100 feet up in the air.

That's like ten basketball hoops high!

CHARLIE: So do you have a favorite bird that you've worked with?

JACK: The Golden Eagle.

The thing I like about eagles is they bond to you more closely than any hawk

I've ever experienced.

It's a much closer relationship.

CHARLIE: Can we see any of these animals you're talking about Jack?

JACK: Let's go meet some.

KIRBY: Awesome. CHARLIE: Ahhh Perfect!

KIRBY: Let's go! CHARLIE: Oh man!

Alright guys, Jack needs a few minutes to get the birds ready.

But, when we come back we're going to meet some of the most skilled hunters in the entire

animal kingdom.

We'll see you in a sec!

KIRBY: Weird but True, many birds' feathers weigh more than their bones!

CHARLIE: Hey guys!

Today we're hanging out in Pennsylvania with our new friend Jack.

He's a master falconer and today he's showing Kirby and me everything we need to know

to become master falconers too.

Let's go see what they're up to!

Alright guys, what do we have here?

JACK: This is a Harris Hawk.

CHARLIE: So this is a hawk? JACK: This is a hawk.

CHARLIE: This is a hawk? JACK: Right.

KIRBY: Not a falcon.

CHARLIE: But we use it for falconry?

JACK: Not a falcon, right. Falconry's a confusing term.

Falconry is hunting with wild birds of prey.

And they can be falcons, which are a type of hawk.

KIRBY: Mhmm.

JACK: As well as many other species of hawks, and eagles, and rarely owls.

KIRBY: Oooo. CHARLIE: Okay.

What sets the harris hawk apart from the other birds

that you might use for falconry?

JACK: They're superb hunting hawks and they're the most user-friendly of all the hawks

in North America for sure.

They're very trainable and they put up with strangers.

KIRBY: What's next?

JACK: This is Trinity. She's a female Peregrine Falcon.

She is specifically a bird hunter, noted for all out blazing speed.

CHARLIE: Weird but True, Peregrine Falcons can dive over 200 miles per hour

and strike their prey midair. Midair!

JACK: They're traditionally cliff nesters.

Now they live in cities on cliffs, skyscrapers.

KIRBY: Wow! CHARLIE: Skyscrapers?

JACK: Yeah. CHARLIE: You can find these birds in the cities then?

JACK: In most major cities here. Yup.

KIRBY: So we got the harris hawks down and we got the peregrine falcon.

What's next?

CHARLIE: Whoa! KIRBY: Check it out!

CHARLIE: Golden eagle guys!

JACK: This is Bliss the female golden eagle.

CHARLIE: She's so big! JACK: Yeah.

KIRBY: What's her wingspan?

JACK: Her wingspan's about the same as my height, 6 feet.

KIRBY: Wow.

JACK: Look at those feet. They're the same size as my hand.

It's 8 and a half inches from the tip of this middle talon to the tip of the hind talon.

CHARLIE: Can we feel a talon?

JACK: Sure go ahead.

CHARLIE: Yes? Alright.

KIRBY: That back talon is especially serious.

CHARLIE: Whoa! Those are as sharp as can be! Holy cow!

Ok, we gotta ask Jack, she's got a tiny little hat on.

What's that?

JACK: Oh that's called a hood, it's basically for stress management.

CHARLIE: I'm dying to see what his eyes look like.

Can we pop that hood off?

JACK: There you go. Whoa! CHARLIE: Whoa!

JACK: That's how it goes.

CHARLIE: He was ready to go right away.

JACK: Yeah. The hood, of course, gives her hat hair.

CHARLIE: Yeah.

JACK: This is where the golden eagle gets its name.

KIRBY: Ohhh.

JACK: She has what most women would love to have, free highlights.

CHARLIE: Ahh.

Every super awesome master falconer and falcon must have the right equipment if they

wanna get the job done.

First up for the falconer: A falconry glove, to protect the arm.

A fashionable pouch to hold falconry treats.

A fake bird on a piece of string,

called a lure to attract their hunting companion.

And a tiny little whistle to call them back in.

(whistle).

For the falcon: A little bell to help locate the bird during hunting.

A fashionable anklet with a jess, for secure raptor holding.

And a shiny leather hood, to cover its eyes and make it feel calm.

JACK: So how would you like to see these birds in action?

CHARLIE: I think that sounds great Jack!

It's what we've been waiting for all day man!

JACK: We've got a simulated hunt and I use this to educate the public to show them what a

real hunt might look like in the field.

CHARLIE: Sounds good to me.

JACK: And then Kirby becomes falconer for a day!

KIRBY: Aw yes.

Alright guys we got a series of strings that zigs and zags throughout this entire field.

We're gonna attach a piece of prey to this lure right here and cover it up until we flip

a switch, which shoots on a motor and throws that prey throughout the track.

The falcon's gonna be up in this tree tracking that prey as it goes along the course.

And at the perfect moment it's gonna dive bomb and get its reward.

Let's see it in action.

JACK: This is the go button.

CHARLIE: Alright let's let it rip!

JACK: HO!

KIRBY: Ahhhhh!

CHARLIE: Ohhhhh! Yeah!

KIRBY: That was insane! CHARLIE: Jack that was insane!

JACK: Now look at that body posture.

Does that say "here come share this with me"?

KIRBY: Oh no way.

CHARLIE: No that's like get away from my meal.

This is mine.

KIRBY: All for me. CHARLIE: Don't touch!

JACK: It actually has a name, it's called mantling.

CHARLIE: Cool science word, mantling.

That's when the hawk poofs out its wings to cover its prey so that no one else steals it.

JACK: Hawks do not share well.

They have no intention of giving up their prey so what the falconer must do

is offer them something in trade.

KIRBY: Mhmm.

JACK: Another morsel that is perhaps that is perhaps all ready to eat.

And that's how you keep the trust between the falconer and his bird of prey.

CHARLIE: Now it's Kirby's turn to get up close and personal with one of these hawks.

Just like a real falconer.

KIRBY: Alright guys time for the big moment when I become falconer for a day.

I'm so excited!

Alright Jack I've got the glove on, what's next?

JACK: You're going to raise your arm quickly, about level with your shoulder

and in a lusty falconer's voice say, "Hey Blazer".

KIRBY: Got it. Let's do it!

JACK: Alright. KIRBY: I'm pumped!

Ok! You ready?

Hey Blazer!

This is amazing!

Check it out man!

Blazer! What a show!

Ugh, I'm a falconer! That was amazing!

I am a falconer!

CHARLIE: Yeah, yeah.

KIRBY: Victory I did it!

CHARLIE: Victory!

KIRBY: I did it!

CHARLIE: She did it guys! Yeah!

JACK: Great job Kirby! KIRBY: Thank you!

JACK: But if you wanna know what falconry is really like you need to go on a hunt.

KIRBY: A real hunt? JACK: Wanna go?

KIRBY: Yeah we do.. JACK: Let's get to it.

KIRBY: Alright.

CHARLIE: Alright guys we gotta get ready, but when we get back it's time to go on a real hunt!

You're not gonna wanna miss this!

We'll see you soon!

KIRBY: Weird but True, an eagle's nest weighs more than a refrigerator!

CHARLIE: Hey guys! Welcome back!

KIRBY: Jack sent us over here to meet up with his friend Rob because a real life

falconry hunt is gonna happen.

CHARLIE: Falconry is a highly regulated activity.

It takes years for someone to become a falconer and to be able to go on these hunts.

KIRBY: Quick timeout before we get started.

So during these hunts these birds of prey are eating other animals,

which may seem kind of sad, but it's important to remember that that's how they nourish

themselves in the wild.

So it's super natural.

We just wanted to give you guys the heads up.

When hunting for small mammals a falconer releases his birds at the start of the hunt.

Then he walks around the forest attempting to flush out prey for the bird to catch.

The bird follows along hopping from tree to tree until...

Oh my gosh there's some prey! The hunt is on!

The bird pursues, talons ready to snatch.

Hunting birds follows the same idea.

The falconer releases the birds and tries to flush out some other birds into the air.

Once the prey is airborne it's go time.

And this is the style of hunting we're about to see.

CHARLIE: Here's the falcon star we're working with today!

KIRBY: And her name is Shredder.

She's an aplomado falcon and her partner Rob Giroux who's been a falconer for six years.

Rob's favorite Weird but True fact, owls can't move their eyes!

CHARLIE: Here's the game plan, Rob's ready to go with

Shredder perched right on his arm.

The prey that he's looking for are pigeons perched at the top of these silos all around here

in farm country.

When we're ready to hunt that's right where Shredder's heading.

Alright it's game time guys! You ready Rob?

ROB: I'm ready.

CHARLIE: We got Shredder here, let her rip!

KIRBY: Let's see it! Oh there she goes!

Once she gets up to those silos she's gonna start

working the pigeons in a circle.

She's gonna watch them until she finds a weakling.

CHARLIE: Once she's spotted that weakest link, she's locking on and bee lining

right towards him.

Hopefully she's gonna snatch him right up and get a nice little meal.

Ohhh.

KIRBY: She's gonna get him.

Ahh.

CHARLIE: Ohh!

This is crazy! She's so close!

Ohh!!!!

KIRBY: She's so close! She's gonna get him.

CHARLIE: Ohh.

After several close calls it's clear that Shredder is getting tired

and isn't going to catch anything today.

So Rob calls her in with a lure.

KIRBY: Rob that was so cool!

Watching her swoop in and out hunting those pigeons!

Amazing!

CHARLIE: Alright I gotta bring it up though, I'm kind of disappointed

cause we didn't catch anything today.

What's going on here?

ROB: Well that's why they call it hunting and not catching.

This time of year they are going through molt so they lose their feathers from the

last year and they get new feathers in.

CHARLIE: So because she doesn't have all of her feathers it's just a little

harder for her to fly right now?

ROB: Correct.

KIRBY: Got it and we never really know how falconry hunting's gonna go I guess

ROB: That's correct you guys have to come back and join us again.

CHARLIE: Alright thanks Rob, we're definitely coming back!

ROB: I'm sure when you come back she'll be in tip top shape and we'll definitely

catch something.

KIRBY: Awesome. CHARLIE: Perfect.

Alright guys we're hopping over to HQ, but stick around we have so much to go over!

We'll see you in a bit.

KIRBY: Weird but True , most scientists believe that birds are related to dinosaurs!

CHARLIE: Hey guys, welcome back, you're just in time for the ceremony!

Presenting Junior Falconer Kirby!!!

Hooray!

KIRBY: Hey guys! I totally did it!

CHARLIE: Hooray!

KIRBY: Alright, so I haven't become a master falconer yet.

But I did have one land on my arm, and I went on an amazing hunt.

So I'm pretty confident in saying that I was at least a falconer for a day.

This is perfect!

Another birthday, another amazing activity for the memory book!

Thanks for helping me out today Charles.

CHARLIE: No problem Kirb!

I'm just glad I was able to wear a few costumes and learn some stuff.

KIRBY: What else did we find out today?

CHARLIE: There were so many Weird but True things!

Peregrine falcons can dive over 200 miles per hour.

KIRBY: Some raptors can spot their prey from a mile away.

CHARLIE: During World War II falcons were used to intercept enemy carrier pigeons.

And now a days they've been employed to take down drones.

KIRBY: So birds of prey really have a 340 degree field of vision?

CHARLIE: Yeah man so they can practically see things that are like behind their heads.

KIRBY: That's nuts.

CHARLIE: Definitely, check this out.

Paper otter, Spanish trade ship, portrait of Amancio Ortega!

KIRBY: That's crazy!

CHARLIE: Told ya! You give em a try. Ready?

KIRBY: Tiny cheese, small shark, walkie talkie!

CHARLIE: You did it!

KIRBY: That's insane!

Hey you know what else I heard?

Bees can see in ultraviolet light.

Do you think we can make a pair of ultraviolet light goggles?

CHARLIE: You get started on the research, I'll started on the design process?

KIRBY: On it!

CHARLIE: Alright guys, looks like we got a new project on our hands,

but come by again when we discover more things that are weird...

KIRBY: But true!

CHARLIE: We'll see you later! You found anything?

Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.