Most small birds will use a few wingbeats to hover before touching down on a branch, but raptors like Harris hawks are too large and heavy to use this method. Instead, they make an abrupt dive and upward swoop just before perching, which reduces the chance of a clumsy landing. Young hawks appeared to learn the behaviour though experience, improving their perching skills after around two dozen attempts. To better understand how and why hawks use this dramatic swooping motion, Graham Taylor at the University of Oxford and his team observed the birds in slow motion. The team started by breaking down the flight patterns of four Harris hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus) perching at different distances.