Falconry
Archaeological evidence from Mesopotamia points to the year 2000 BC as a starting point for recorded falconry practices. An Assyrian bas-relief discovered in Khorsabad during excavations of Sargon II's palace has been claimed to depict this ancient art form, though some scholars argue it shows an archer shooting at raptors instead. Chinese records from 680 BC describe the practice clearly enough to confirm its existence across Asia by that time. Aristotle wrote about Thrace in the fourth century BC, noting how boys took hawks with them to hunt small birds. He described men and hawks jointly hunting in Cedripolis, where hunters drove birds into bushes while hawks pursued closely. The prey fell into the clutches of the men, who then shared their catch with the hawks. Frederick II of Hohenstaufen lived between 1194 and 1250 and is generally acknowledged as the most significant wellspring of traditional falconry knowledge. He obtained firsthand knowledge of Arabic falconry during wars in the region between June 1228 and June 1229. Frederick II had Moamyn's manual on falconry translated into Latin by Theodore of Antioch. He made corrections to the translation himself in 1241, resulting in De Scientia Venandi per Aves. His treatise De arte venandi cum avibus was written toward the end of his life and stands as one of the earliest challenges to Aristotle's explanations of nature.
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) serves as a common choice for beginner falconers in North America due to its hardiness and versatility. Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) ranks among the best rabbit or hare raptors available anywhere because of its cooperative social behavior similar to wolves. This highly social trait does not appear in any other bird-of-prey species, making it remarkably adaptable to falconry. The Eurasian goshawk has been trained for hunting for hundreds years across Europe and Asia. Hawk expert Mike McDermott once stated that the attack of accipiters is extremely swift, rapid, and violent in every way. Falcons like the peregrine falcon specialize in capturing bird prey, while desert falcons such as the saker falcon take hares in Western Asia. Golden eagles have reportedly hunted wolves in Kazakhstan and are now most widely used by Altaic Kazakh eagle hunters in western Mongolia's Bayan-Ölgii province. These powerful birds hunt foxes and other large prey despite being primarily ground-oriented. Owls differ significantly from hawks and falcons since they rely on hearing rather than sight. They can only see black and white and are long-sighted, which often leads falconers to believe they are less intelligent.
Falconers attach radio transmitters to their birds during free flights so lost birds can be found again. These transmitters sit in the middle of the tail, on the back, or attached to the bird's legs. Bells worn on the legs help hunters locate their birds if they fly away. If a bell falls off, the bird might die because it cannot remove the leather binding on its feet. The practice called car hawking involves launching raptors from moving vehicles at suitable prey. This modern technique uses Harris's hawks effectively due to their adaptability. Classical game hawking in the UK featured a brace of peregrine falcons flown against red grouse. Merlins were used in ringing flights after skylarks. Rooks and crows serve as classic game for larger falcons, while magpies make up in cunning what they lack in flying ability. Short-wings can be flown in both open and wooded country against various bird and small mammal prey. Most hunting with large falcons requires large open tracts where the bird strikes before reaching cover. Medieval falconers rode horses, but this is now rare except among contemporary Kazakh and Mongolian eagle hunters who still hunt from horseback.
In Great Britain, falconry was given formal legal status by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 after centuries of informal existence. British falconers rely entirely upon captive-bred birds since taking raptors from the wild has not been allowed in recent decades. Anyone may possess legally registered or captive-bred raptors, though this does not automatically mean they are practicing falconry which specifically entails hunting live quarry. In the United States, acquiring a falconry license requires passing a written test and serving at least two years as an apprentice under a licensed falconer. Three classes exist: apprentice class allows one raptor, general class permits up to three raptors, and master class enables keeping up to five wild raptors plus unlimited captive-produced ones. Federal regulation of falconry in North America operates under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, amended in 1972 to include birds of prey. The Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species restricts import and export of most native bird species listed in CITES Appendices I, II, and III. The Wild Bird Conservation Act regulates importation of any CITES-listed birds into the United States starting around 1993. Falconry remains illegal in Hawaii due to fears escaped non-native birds could establish themselves and aggravate invasive species impacts.
The Peregrine Fund was founded in 1970 mostly by falconers to conserve raptors focusing on peregrine falcons. German falconer Renz Waller produced two young peregrines in Düsseldorf during 1942, 43, marking the first known raptors bred in captivity. Professor Heinz Meng and private breeders David Jamieson and Les Boyd achieved successful captive breeding of peregrine falcons in North America in the early 1970s using artificial insemination. Phillip Glasier of the Falconry Centre in Newent, Gloucestershire obtained young from more than twenty species of captive raptors in Great Britain. Between 1972 and 2001 nearly all peregrines used for falconry in the U.S. were captive-bred from progeny taken before the Endangered Species Act passed. Peregrine falcons were removed from the United States' endangered species list on the 25th of August 1999 after reports showed at least 1,650 breeding pairs existed in the U.S. and Canada. A population study by the USFWS in 2003 showed numbers climbing rapidly with well over 3,000 pairs in North America. The UAE reportedly spends over $27 million annually towards protection and conservation of wild falcons while establishing state-of-the-art hospitals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
UNESCO inscribed falconry on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010 upon nomination by eleven countries including Belgium, France, Mongolia, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. Austria and Hungary joined in 2012 while Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Portugal were added in 2016. Croatia, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovakia completed the group in 2021. Nominated by twenty-four countries total, falconry stands as the largest multi-national element on the Representative List. Originally a means of obtaining food, falconry acquired other values over time becoming integrated into communities as social practice connecting people with nature. Today it is practiced by individuals of all ages across many nations transmitted from generation to generation through mentoring within families or training clubs. The saker falcon serves as national bird for United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Yemen having been integral to Arab heritage for over 9,000 years. Every year falcon beauty contests and demonstrations take place at the ADIHEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi where two breeding farms operate alongside several state-of-the-art hospitals.
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Common questions
When did recorded falconry practices begin according to archaeological evidence?
Archaeological evidence from Mesopotamia points to the year 2000 BC as a starting point for recorded falconry practices. An Assyrian bas-relief discovered in Khorsabad during excavations of Sargon II's palace has been claimed to depict this ancient art form.
Who wrote the earliest significant treatise on traditional falconry knowledge?
Frederick II of Hohenstaufen lived between 1194 and 1250 and is generally acknowledged as the most significant wellspring of traditional falconry knowledge. He made corrections to the translation of Moamyn's manual himself in 1241, resulting in De Scientia Venandi per Aves.
Which bird species is considered the best rabbit or hare raptor due to its social behavior?
Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) ranks among the best rabbit or hare raptors available anywhere because of its cooperative social behavior similar to wolves. This highly social trait does not appear in any other bird-of-prey species, making it remarkably adaptable to falconry.
When was falconry given formal legal status in Great Britain by law?
In Great Britain, falconry was given formal legal status by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 after centuries of informal existence. British falconers rely entirely upon captive-bred birds since taking raptors from the wild has not been allowed in recent decades.
On what date were peregrine falcons removed from the United States endangered species list?
Peregrine falcons were removed from the United States' endangered species list on the 25th of August 1999 after reports showed at least 1,650 breeding pairs existed in the U.S. and Canada. A population study by the USFWS in 2003 showed numbers climbing rapidly with well over 3,000 pairs in North America.
Which countries nominated falconry for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status in 2010?
UNESCO inscribed falconry on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010 upon nomination by eleven countries including Belgium, France, Mongolia, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. Nominated by twenty-four countries total, falconry stands as the largest multi-national element on the Representative List.