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The Round-Perch revisited: 20 years later and still the best... By David Current (1983) Edited by Troy Moritz (2001)
The origin of the round-perch is generally credited to the late Renz Waller. It was popularized through the splendid treatise A Hawk for the Bush, by the English falconer Jack G. Mavrogordato. While Waller's original design is still common use in the United States, many falconers, primarily longwingers, have modified his concept. They have opted for a smaller diameter top and changed the perching arrangement to that of a flat surface on which the falcon stands. The actual perching surface is generally covered with Astroturf of one variety or another. While this design modification has worked out quite well for longwings, there remains one troublesome disadvantage, at least to my thinking. That lies in the manner of the swivel attachment. Typically a spring snap of one type or another is attached via a small eye screw to the center of the perch top. When a falcon is left for an extended periods. all too often the swiveling action leaves something to be desired. In addition, although I will get arguments on this point, there is an element of danger with the snap itself depending on the particular design of the closure. Some apparently well-designed spring snaps have "impossibly" opened. About a year ago (1982), I viewed a well-conceived design for fixing the swivel to the round-perch which keeps the swivel below the surface of the perch, helps the swivel to do its job, and I think is quite unopenable except by the falconer. When Kirk Williams was showing his nifty little creation to some friends, I could see eyes light up all over the room. A few months later, I built a couple of stainless steel models following the same basic pattern and have used one with much satisfaction for nearly 6 months(now 20 years). This fancier version is a bit difficult to make for someone without access to a metal lathe, but I believe a functional substitute can be fabricated out of some commonly available materials with very few tools. Foremost, it can be assembled at a relatively modest cost. A trip to the local hardware store can provide all the necessary items you will need to build the latching mechanism. Many of you handier individuals can probably build this latching device and round-perch by studying the diagrams. For those of you who may have no personal knowledge of round-perches, I have attempted to outline the basic procedure for building a round-perch as well as the latching mechanism. My apologies if the description becomes labored to the reader. Thanks to Kirk Williams for his creative thinking. Materials for the Latch: (1) 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/2" Tee - Materials for Round-Perch (1) 3/4" pipe (24" long) - Tools: The Latch: 1. With a hacksaw, cut off Tee as indicated in Figure A. Your cut
should be about in line with lip of 1/2" opening. Keep your cut
as straight as possible.
3. Insert nipple and attached flange into cut-off end of Tee. It will probably be necessary to drive this unit into the Tee with some enthusiasm (Figure C). At this time cut off both ends of the 1/4" x 6" bolt as in Figure F. Clean up the cuts with a flat file. Next, take the trimmed bolt, 5/16" nut, and Flange-Tee assembly to your friendly welder and have him tack the nut to the bolt and flange to the Tee. After the nut has been welded to the bolt (see Figure F for proper position) have him grind off excess weld.
4. During this step, care must be taken to assure smooth final operation. With the Tee assembly clamped in a vise (with opening for 1/2" pipe pointed up), carefully drill with a 5/16" bit through the 3 walls indicated in Figure D. The holes must be drilled as straight and true as possible. Use a centerpunch to mark the center. This will keep your drill bit on track. Remember, as straight as possible.
5. Next, drill a 5/16" hole in the pipe cap. Drill from the inside and again use a centerpunch. Try to be accurate in locating the center.
6. Assemble the 1 3/4" x 1/2" nipple, pipe cap and Tee with rod in place and check for smoothness. If holes are aligned properly and the rod slides easily back and forth, unscrew assembly and fit pin with springs (Figure E). When fully assembled, there should be light spring tension on the pin to hold it in place; yet without much difficulty, you should be able to grasp the protruding pin and retract it.
7. The protruding part of the pin will need to be shortened. Mark and cut it off so there is 1/2" to 3/8" sticking past the cap. Drill a 1/8" hole in the protruding pin and fit with a leather thong to retract it (Figure H).
The Round-Perch: 1. Measure from the center of the Tee (when fully assembled to the end of the protruding pin. With a saber saw, cut two circles from the 5/8" plywood by using this measurement as the radius for the circles. On one of the circles, scribe another circle with a diameter of 3 1/2". Cut out this inner circle. The remaining ring (letter B on Figure G) will be attached to the bottom of the perch surface (letter A of Figure G) using glue and wood screws. The remaining plywood circle will be letter C in Figure G.
2. Cut the perch top (letter A in Figure G) by adding 3/4" to the diameter of plywood circles. If, for example, letter B is 7 1/4", then the perch top, letter A, will have a diameter of 8". This difference is to allow for the thickness of the carpet covering that will be tacked to the edges of both letters B and C.
3. To center the ring on the bottom of the perch surface, scribe the diameter of B on A (Figure G), then glue and screw the ring of plywood to A using 4 No. 12 x 1 1/4” wood screws. You will have to drill pilot holes in B. 4. Drill a 1 1/4” hole through the center of A using a spade bit or other type of wood bit. It will improve the quality of the perch if you can then taper this hole as shown in Figure G. This tapering operation can be accomplished on a wood lathe or by using a large pipe reamer chucked in a wood brace. A local plumber might loan you one for a minute or so it would take to taper this hole. Clean up the newly tapered hole and the edge of the perch top with a piece of sandpaper. 5. Mount latch-flange assembly to the bottom of letter A using 4 No. 12 x 3/4” screws. Be sure to center the flange as accurately as possible over the hole. 6. Next, with the remaining wood screw, mount the 2 pipe flanges to plywood circle C (Figure G). By drilling a small hole through the center of C, you should be able to locate the positioning of the flanges on either side. 7. Screw the 24” section of pipe to the Tee and one of the pipe flanges on C (Figure G). 8. Cover the round-perch with jute-backed, short-napped, indoor-outdoor carpeting by tacking the edges of B and C (Figure G). A word about your materials selection. Try to find a soft textured carpet that will not be abrasive to your birds feather. Some have used everything from cotton duck canvas to a very tightly woven Persian rug. 9. Allow an inch or two of overlap when covering with the carpeting and either glue or sew the edge down to the body of the tube. Cut a small hole in the carpet to allow the leather thong to pass through. The perch top can now be covered with a ring of Astroturf. 10. The base for the round-perch is left to the reader’s creativity It should be apparent that the base must be of sufficient weight and diameter to prevent tipping should the hawk bate. As for suggestions, an iron sign-base might be employed for the job. Others have purchased circular concrete landscape “garden-steps” that cost a few dollars. The step is drilled and bolted to a pipe flange and it works quite well. If you live in a log cabin or rent, you could screw a flange directly to the floor. A number of possibilities exist... but in any instance it is of utmost importance that the base be sufficiently stable. The distance from the floor to the top of the round-perch is a matter of personal preference. Most seem to prefer the height between 3 and 5 feet. (the preference is usually to have the bird just below the falconer’s eye-level while on the perch) One final word of advice. With this style latching mechanism, it is necessary to use a 3 to 5 inch tailstrap (a jess extender) to insure that the bird is not unduly short-jessed should she bate. Also, the regular sized Sampo swivels work best with this perch.
The round-perch has established itself well in this country, probably because of its extreme versatility, but it is not the ultimate perch and some discretion must be exercised in its use. (editors note: 20 years later I am aware of no bird hanging on one of these perches) A bird unfamiliar with regaining the perch, whether a freshly-trapped passage hawk or an inexperienced eyass, must never be left unattended. It goes without saying that the same applies to a bird of questionable health. Yet brought indoors and placed in view of household traffic, it is of undeniable value to the falconer who wishes to expedite (dramatically) the manning process of the freshly trapped hawk. Likewise, those wishing to establish that intimate rapport with the imprint or chamber raised bird as a breeder will find the round perch a handy tool. Then there are those strange individuals who after a successful day afield, simply enjoy relaxing with their hawk in view, well fed, foot comfortably tucked up inhabiting a corner of the living room. The round-perch may not be for everyone and is certainly not a necessity
in the falconry household (the editor disagrees!), but it is a refinement
that most falconers will eventually wonder how they ever got along without.
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