The hawks are now 43 days old and capable of taking their first
flights. They have passed the stage where if they left the nest
it would be considered premature. That being said, the longer
they wait, the stronger and more developed they will be when
they do take to the air. Smaller males tend to fly sooner than
larger females. The amount of flapping and jumping about the
nest has increased tremendously in the last couple of days.
Oftentimes the first flight is not a deliberate event---the
hawks is flapping or jumping and catches a gust of wind and
finds itself airborne! People are often surprised by how
strongly birds fly when they first take to the air. They often
can go very long distances and stay aloft for quite some time.
The real challenge comes in landing. It will take some time for
them to build-up their skills and precision and they will often
miss their targets. Watching young hawks learn to fly can be a
somewhat harrowing experience during the first couple of days as
they overshoot and undershoot