Student's mental health soaring high thanks to her pet bird of prey
A GCU student has spoken about how spending time in the outdoors with her pet bird of prey has improved her mental health and gives her opportunity to appreciate nature.
Cats and dogs may be the most popular of our household pets, but for third year Adult Nursing student Amy Stevenson, her pet is more inclined to a daily fly rather than a daily walk.
Amy got her pet Harris's Hawk, AJ (named after Amy herself) when she was just fifteen years old and she explained the mental health benefits of owning a pet bird and spending so much time with her in the outdoors.
Amy said; “I got AJ when I was finishing up fourth year in school and got her as a gift for passing my exams.
I got into falconry at the age of eleven, my dad’s friend brought hawks and falcons over to just let us see them and since then I was hooked on the idea of going out and getting fresh air - and how good it makes you feel being out.
I’m also a part of the British Falconry Club and was one of the youngest and few females when I joined.
She added; “AJ will be turning seven this year, her average lifespan is about twenty-five and – she’s just the best!
She loves the camera too, if you put the camera in front of her she’ll pose for a picture.”
With a niche pet, comes a niche sport and so Amy explained what is involved in falconry and what her and AJ get up to when they are out in the fields.
She said; “We’ve got working dogs so they go and sniff out maybe pheasants, hares or rabbits and the birds just follow them.
Specifically, with Harris’s Hawks, they follow the dogs through the trees, or they follow us if we don’t have dogs with us and they keep an eye on themselves.
Other birds like falcons circle the air and come down from height whereas Harris’s Hawks are more like dogs, the follow you. They’re not really likely to fly off and leave you.”
Amy added; “It’s so good for your mental health, especially once you are out in the fields and in the fresh air and getting a good walk around and watching her do her stuff it’s just amazing!”
By Rebecca Meechan
Got a story you’d like to share on our Student Newsroom? Get in touch with me on Facebook, our GCU Student Life page or email studentcomms@gcu.ac.uk