Falconry

People hunt with trained birds.

This is called falconry. A person who does this is a falconer.

Some birds are very good at hunting. Red-tailed hawks hunt rabbits and squirrels. Harris's hawks are also very popular.

In some lands, this is part of their history. The saker falcon is a special bird in Arab lands.

It has been used for a long time.

Some people use big eagles too. In Mongolia, people hunt with golden eagles.

These birds are very strong.

Falconry is a skill people share. It brings people and birds together.

Falconry is the art of hunting with birds.

A person who does this is called a falconer. They use trained birds of prey to catch small animals. These animals can be rabbits, squirrels, or even birds.

Many different birds can be used. Red-tailed hawks are very hardy. They are great for beginners in North America. Harris's hawks are also popular. These birds are very social. They hunt in groups, much like wolves.

Some people even use large eagles. In Mongolia, hunters use golden eagles to catch foxes.

Falconry is a deep part of many cultures. In Arab lands, the saker falcon is very special. It is called a "Hur," which means "free-bird." This bird has been part of Arab heritage for over 9,000 years. It is even a national emblem for many countries.

In the United Arab Emirates, people work hard to protect these birds. They even have large hospitals just for falcons.

Falconry is the art of hunting wild animals using trained birds of prey.

This practice uses birds to catch small animals like rabbits or squirrels. A person who flies a falcon is called a falconer. If they use a goshawk, they are called an austringer.

Some people also call this practice hawking or gamehawking. In the past, a "falcon" meant only a female peregrine falcon. A male bird was called a tiercel. This name was used because males are about one-third smaller than females.

Different types of birds are used for different jobs. Experts group these birds into broadwings, shortwings, and longwings. Broadwings include eagles and red-tailed hawks. Shortwings include goshawks and sparrowhawks. Longwings are the falcons, such as the peregrine falcon.

Some people even use owls, though this is much less common. Training an owl is very different because they use hearing more than sight. They can be easily distracted by new noises. However, a well-trained owl is just as smart as a hawk.

Many birds are perfect for people just starting to learn. In North America, beginners often use the red-tailed hawk. These hawks are hardy and can hunt rabbits or squirrels. In the United Kingdom, Harris's hawks are also very popular for beginners.

Harris's hawks are special because they are very social. They hunt in groups, which is like how wolves live. This makes them very easy to train. In the United States, you must have a special license to own certain large birds.

Falconry has a very long and proud history in many lands.

In the Arabian Peninsula, the saker falcon has been used for over 9,000 years. Arabs call this bird a "Hur," which means "free-bird." This bird is a national emblem for many countries like Qatar and Oman.

In Central Asia, golden eagles are used for hunting. In western Mongolia, hunters use these huge eagles to catch foxes. There are about 250 eagle hunters in western Mongolia alone. This tradition is still very much alive today.

Today, people work very hard to protect these amazing birds.

In the United Arab Emirates, they spend over $27 million every year on conservation. They even have special hospitals just for falcons.

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is the largest in the whole world. People also hold beauty contests for falcons at big exhibitions. This shows how much people value the bond between humans and birds. It is a skill that connects people to the natural world.

Falconry is the specialized practice of hunting wild animals in their natural habitats using trained birds of prey.

This ancient activity involves a partnership between a human and a raptor to catch small prey like rabbits, squirrels, or birds. The person managing the bird is often called a falconer. If the practitioner specifically uses Eurasian goshawks, they are known as an austringer. While the terms "hawking" or "gamehawking" are also used, "falconry" has become the most common name for the sport. It is a discipline that requires immense skill, patience, and a deep understanding of avian biology and behavior.

To understand how falconry works, one must look at the different classifications of raptors used by practitioners. Birds are typically organized into three distinct groups based on their physical characteristics and hunting styles. "Broadwings" include the genus Buteo, such as the red-tailed hawk, as well as eagles. "Shortwings" belong to the genera Astur and Accipiter, which include birds like the Eurasian goshawk. "Longwings" consist of the falcons, such as the peregrine falcon and the saker falcon.

Each group possesses unique flight patterns and hunting mechanics that dictate how they interact with their environment and prey.

Different species are chosen based on their specific hunting habits and temperament. For example, the Harris's hawk is highly valued because it is a social species. In the wild, these birds live in groups and hunt cooperatively, a behavior similar to wolves.

This social nature makes them exceptionally adaptable to human training. In contrast, the peregrine falcon is a specialized predator most adapted to capturing other birds in flight. Some falconers even practice "bug hawking," using small species like kestrels to hunt large insects such as dragonflies or moths.

Falconry holds immense historical and cultural significance, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula. The saker falcon has been integral to Arab heritage for over 9,000 years.

In this region, the bird is called "Hur," which translates to "free-bird." The saker falcon is so deeply respected that it serves as the national emblem for several nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Yemen. This long history demonstrates that falconry is not just a sport, but a vital link to ancestral traditions and cultural identity.

In modern times, the practice is governed by strict regulations and specialized training tiers. In the United States, falconers must hold specific licenses to own different types of birds. These are categorized into the apprentice, general, and master classes.

Beginners often start with the red-tailed hawk because it is a hardy and versatile species. In the UK, Harris's hawks are also popular for beginners due to their temperament. These rules ensure that both the birds and the practitioners are managed with the highest level of expertise and responsibility.

Central Asia offers a different, powerful example of falconry through the use of large eagles. In the western Mongolian province of Bayan-Ölgii, the Altaic Kazakh people use golden eagles to hunt foxes and other large prey.

This is a specialized form of the art, as eagles are more difficult to train and manage than smaller raptors. There are approximately 250 eagle hunters in western Mongolia and 50 in Kazakhstan, representing a dedicated community of practitioners. While eagles are less common in global falconry due to their size and specific hunting needs, they remain a magnificent symbol of skill in these regions.

Today, significant resources are dedicated to the conservation and medical care of these birds. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, spends more than US$27 million annually on the protection and conservation of wild falcons. They have even established state-of-the-art facilities, including the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, which is the largest falcon hospital in the world. These efforts, combined with falcon beauty contests at exhibitions like ADIHEX, show how modern society continues to value and protect the bond between humans and the natural world.