The hawk has great courage in a small body; its determination arms it better than its claws do. It is called a robber bird because it greedily snatches food from other birds. The hawk is known as a harsh parent, refusing to feed its young when they are able to fly, but rather beating them with its wings to drive them out of the nest. This is done to teach them to catch prey while they are still young, so that they will not become lazy when they are adults. There are two kinds of hawks: wild hawks, which catch and eat domestic birds; and tame hawks, which return the wild birds they catch to their master. When its feathers become old, the hawk heats its wings in a warm wind to loosen the feathers and make them fall out; if there is no warm wind, the hawk beats its wings to heat them.

The way the hawk sheds its old feathers signifies how the warm touch of the spirit causes one to cast off his old life.

The gall of a hawk is useful for the strengthening of sight.