Across all industries, workers are struggling through the economic slowdown. In California, urban falconers are hoping their jobs will be recession-proof.

As the state slowly reopens, maybe there will continue to be a need for trained birds of prey to flush sparrows from the poolside arbors of fancy hotels. Or to provide a line of defense for cinematography drones against territorial sea gulls. Or to make paid appearances at special occasions, including engagement shoots and vow renewals.

At least, this is the hope and prayer of Adam Baz, whose highly variable hustle as a freelance falconer requires that even his owl has headshots.

“Frankly, as a millennial who spent 10 years floating somewhere between babysitter, musician and bird biologist and never making that much money, I wanted to start moving along a career path,” said Mr. Baz, 35, who was first drawn to falconry in its more traditional form, as an ancient blood sport. During the two-year apprenticeship required to earn his General Class designation — a step in the formal hierarchy of falconers — he learned that it was possible to not only hunt game with raptors, but to bring home a paycheck.