• Job: Master falconer, Medieval Times, Lawrenceville

KARL W. RITZLER/Special (ENLARGE)

Debbie Tennyson has a passion for birds of prey such as Mia, a saker falcon.

• What I do: Debbie Tennyson's job is for the birds — always for the birds.

Known as "Lady Aerial" — like a bird of prey's nest, or aerie, not the Disney mermaid — she is a master falconer, putting her falcons and owl through the paces at Medieval Times dinner theater in Lawrenceville.

Tennyson, 44, said that the six or seven shows a week with the birds account for only about one-third of her time. Another third of her 50 or so work hours per week is spent caring for the birds and training them, and the last third is spent in educational programs, when she takes the birds to schools or community centers.

When handling birds, Tennyson wears a thick leather glove, or gauntlet, so they can land on her arm. A bird wears a jess, or leather leg strap that can be attached to a leash, the glove or a perch. Tennyson releases a clip on the strap to let them fly.

When birds travel, Tennyson puts hoods over their heads to keep them calm. "They think it's night," she said. "They're clueless."

Because falcons hunt for prey on the fly, Tennyson trains them to chase a lure, a small object that looks like prey and is swung at the end of a long cord.

When it's really dinner time, the birds eat a natural diet that includes frozen, then thawed, quail and mice.

Tennyson said farmers and airport operators hire falconers to scare away smaller birds that might be pests to crops or endanger airplanes.

In the shows, the birds fly free around the arena. They're conditioned to large crowds and loud music — even to the horses in the show. Tennyson tracks them during the show.

"I know their personalities," she said. "You have to be the bird whisperer."

• What got me interested in this: Tennyson began working with birds of prey when she rehabilitated injured animals.

• Best part of my job: "I drive to a castle. I play dress-up. I work with falcons, and I entertain people. It's fun," Tennyson said.

She also enjoys telling people about the birds and falconry. Tennyson often carries the birds around the Medieval Times lobby before the show, and a small room off the lobby offers visitors a close-up view of the birds.

• Most challenging part: Juggling the schedule, with shows, educational trips and care for the birds. Still, "I'd rather be here than most places," she said.

• What people don't know about my job: "The time that I put in training and caring for the birds," she said.

It takes about 12 weeks to train falcons, which are either caught in the wild or purchased from breeders.

• What keeps me going: "I love life," Tennyson said.

• Preparation needed for this job: To be a falconer, a person must have both state and federal falconry permits. Exhibitors also must have a state wild-animal license. A person needs a state hunting license to capture a bird in the wild or to let the falcons hunt.

A would-be falconer must be an apprentice for at least two years, and it usually takes at least seven years to become a master falconer. It also takes a commitment of time — usually two hours a day, every day; access to land where falcons can hunt; and money for food, veterinary bills and all the gear necessary to train and hunt with the birds. Medieval Times owns the birds and pays for their upkeep.

There also are federal and state limits on how many and what types of birds a person can have.

Falconry jobs usually don't require college degrees. Tennyson has taken some college courses, but she learned about falcons while rehabilitating animals found by her late husband, a tree trimmer. "We rehabilitated all animals, but it was the birds of prey I had a passion for," she said.

She had been a manager and cake decorator at a grocery store, but she soon found herself caring for thousands of animals on land the couple owned near Lubbock, Texas.

"I quit my job, because I knew I just loved animals," she said. That operation became a nonprofit organization named South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which still operates in Texas.

Tennyson moved to Georgia to work for Medieval Times about a year ago.

- By Karl W. Ritzler, for ajcjobs. Got an interesting job that you love? E-mail your story to jobseditor@ajc.com.