Falconry as Salvation and Mentorship

Rodney Stotts is the subject of “The Falconer,” a new documentary screening online as part of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital.

The metaphor is unmistakable. Part of being a falconer is trapping juvenile birds, up to 90 percent of which won’t make it through their first winter in the wild, Stotts said. To work with them successfully, you have to reach them when they’re young. 

“It’s just like a young person,” he said. “If somebody didn’t step in and help them, they’d be like the juvenile bird that got hit on the side of the road. You take the young person before they get locked up and work with them.” 

Stotts is one of the country’s few African American falconers. He draws a crowd wherever he goes, especially when he trains his birds in public parks in the District.

 “Just pulling out the birds, everybody goes crazy,” he said. “It used to be more of, ‘Here’s a Black guy with a bird.’ Now it’s more of ‘Here’s a bird on a Black guy’s arm.’  

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