If your raptor gets spooked and perches in a tree at dusk, what should you do first?

The most effective initial response when your raptor perches in a tree at dusk is to call it down with a garnished lure or food. Raptors are often more easily enticed by food, especially when they are hungry or unsettled. By offering a reward, you’re appealing to their natural instincts, making it more likely that they will come down willingly rather than staying in the tree overnight where they might be exposed to potential dangers, environmental stressors, or losing energy.

Using a lure that is familiar and smells enticing can be particularly effective, as this creates a sense of comfort and drive to return to the handler. In contrast, climbing a tree to retrieve the bird could result in injury both for the handler and the bird, or it may frighten the raptor further into the tree. Leaving the bird alone until morning may not be advisable because it could lead to more problems as nighttime can bring different threats. Employing a whistle may not be as effective in this situation because raptors may not respond to auditory signals as reliably as they do to the visual and olfactory cues presented by food.